Books › The violin, how to make it, 1880 › scan 20
Scan 20
The violin, how to make it, 1880
4 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 14. See the scan on archive.org.
1representations certainly possess a close analogy of parts, as incurvatures of sides, bridge, tail-piece, finger-board, and extended hand. The earliest representation known of any instrument truly approximating to the Fiddle or Violin, is contained in the "De Cantu et Musica Sacra" of the Abbot Gerbert, and is assigned to the eighth century. In this figure the instrument has but one string, but possesses a bridge and tail-piece, two sound-holes, and something like a finger-board, whilst a bow rests on the string, and a portion of the right hand shows that it was held as the Violin.
3A somewhat similar instrument, having four strings, with two circular sounding-holes near the top, illustrates an ancient illuminated manuscript—"Liber Psalmorum"—assigned to the Anglo-Saxons of the tenth century. This illustration represents David with a harp upon his knee, a dove descending, around which are inscribed the words, "Spiritus Sanctus," whilst upon each side is a figure; one an ancient juggler performing a favorite feat of tossing up knives, while the other is playing upon this rudimentary Violin. In "Strutt's Sports and Pastimes" is to be found a somewhat similar illustration. Another illustration graces the cover of an ancient Scriptural manuscript known as St. Jerome's Bible, formed of the finest vellum, not to be procured at the present day. Certain stains partially deface it, which are ascribed to the aspersion of the Holy, or Consecrated Oil, used in the ceremonies pertaining to the Church. This picture contains three figures, the centre one being an acrobat, standing head downwards—one upon the left is represented as playing upon a two-stringed Fiddle or Rebec; the other figure, upon the right, appears to be performing on a Tambourine. This copy is ascribed to the thirteenth century and is supposed to have originally belonged to the Abbey of Dunfermline. Amongst the ornamental bas-reliefs upon the Abbey of Melrose, there is a representation of an instrument supposed by some to be of the true Violin type, by others, the Crwth. This venerable structure was the work of a Parisian architect, and was founded in 1136. Dauney in his work, "Ancient Scottish Melodies," concludes that no such instruments as the Violin prevailed in Scotland about this time, as Giraldus Cambrensis, who wrote in 1187, only speaks of the Harp, the Tabour, and the Bagpipe, in use amongst the Scots.
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