🎻 The sound of the 1300s? 'Nyckelharpan' is a traditional Swedish instrument, also known as the Swedish keyed fiddle. The name comes from the Swedish words 'nyckel' (key) and 'harpa' (stringed instrument). The first mentions of the nyckelharpa are believed to date back to around 1350. The instrument has 16 strings, but only 4 are played, while the remaining 12 are so-called sympathetic strings. The sympathetic strings are positioned beneath the main strings in such a way that the bow does not t