What is a crwth?

Answer 1

A crwth is a bowed musical instrument, and a member of the lire family. It is rectangular, and has two necks. The fingerboard is in the space between the two necks. It usually has four bowed strings, plus two strings that sit off to the side, supposedly to be plucked. The bridge is unusual, as one foot sits on the belly, and the other foot passes through a sound hole, to sit on the back of the instrument. It is traditionally a Welsh instrument, which is why the spelling of the name seems so odd to the ENglish speaker's eye. During mideval times it was played in England, where it was called a crowd. It had mostly passed out of use by the beginning of the 19th century, though there is a renewed interest in it.