From the Harp of David to the Bohemian Harp: The Harp in Bohemical Literary Sources of the 16th–19th Centuries

Abstract

The study focuses on the defining of the term “Bohemian harp”, and it traces the course of the long-term tradition of use of diatonic harps and hook harps in the Bohemian lands (today Czechia). Because of the lack of other sources, one must seek evidence in iconographical and literary sources. From the 16th century, the harp was known primarily in the context of sacred music. The 19th century saw the emergence of the Přísečnice/Pressnitz and Nechanice versions of the portable hook harp, which were long manufactured as an alternative to the pedal harp. The impoverishment of mountainous regions led to the emergence of the profession of touring musicians. In the Czech language literature of the first half of the 19th century, the harp became associated with the Romantic cult of the bard-prophet, then its prestige declined sharply, until it became an instrument of beggars at the end of the 19th century. The early 20th century saw the last heyday of the Nechanice harp ensembles in the Far East. The scandal created in the press over this entrepreneurship turned public opinion against the harp business and the hook harp, and awareness of the instrument vanished after the First World War.