This page gathers references to bags, cases, boxes or covers for historical harps.

Medieval

The most extensive and celebrated description of a harp bag from the old Gaelic world is from the early medieval myth of Táin Bo Froích:

“ Is amlaid do badar sroe dno. Crottbuilcc do croicnib do barcon umpu, cona n-imdenam do parṫaing, imdenam dior acas d’airged fairside anuas, bian n-erb din impu ar-medon; soialla dubglasa ima medonside; acas bruit lín giliter fuan n-geiri imna teta. „	There were harp-bags of the skins of otters about them, ornamented with coral, with an ornamentation of gold and of silver over that, lined inside with snow-white roebuck skins; and these again overlaid with black-gray strips, and linen cloths, as white as the swan’s coat, wrapped around the strings
12th century Irish manuscript tale of Fraoch¹

There is some parallel evidence from England and from the Continent. Martin van Schaik has written an interesting paper about harp bags in medieval art ², which reproduces and discusses illustrations showing a bag surrounding the base of the harp (perhaps as a ‘fig leaf’ to cover the harp’s base ³). There is also a nice medieval drawing in the early 14th century Tickhill Psalter ⁴, showing David arriving in front of Saul carrying his harp in a bag on his back.

A fifteenth century Gaelic poem from central Scotland mentions wolf-skin as a cover for harps:

“ Giodh iomdha craiceann chon allta againn um chláirsigh ’s um chruit, „	Though we have many a wild dog skin as a cover for clarsach and cruit,
Giolla Críost Táilliúr⁵

16th century

The household accounts of an Anglo-Irish nobleman record the purchase of leather, fabric and thread for making harp cases:

“ Also paid by the said accountant for leather, cotton and thread bought by William Higges to make cases for your Lordship’s 2 harpes... „

Household Accounts of Sir William Fittzwilliam, 18th September 1591⁶

In May of that year, ten shillings was paid “to Plunkett your Lordship’s harper’.

17th century

There is a line in a poem of Màiri Nighean Alasdair Ruaidh (c.1615-c.1705), an elegy for the Laird of Applecross, which may refer to the harp being kept in a locked box, though it may be a reference to the instrument iself (the box with strings, and the tuning key).

“ Chuir mi an ciste (n)an teud, Dhiùlt an gobha dhom gleus, „	I put the harp in its box, the smith refused me a key,
Màiri Nighean Alasdair Ruaidh (c.1615-c.1705) ⁷

18th century

References

1. Eugene O’Curry, Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish, vol. 3, pps. 219-222 ^

2. Martin van Schaik, ‘The harp bag in the middle ages’, in Aspects of the Historical Harp: Proceedings of the International Historical Harp Symposium Utrecht 1992, STIMU, Utrecht, 1994, p.3 ^

3. Ann and Charlie Heymann, pers. comm. & cited in van Schaik, 1994. ^

4. New York, Public Library, Spencer Collection Ms. 026. Online facsimile at NYPL.org. ^

5. W.J. Watson, Bardachd Albannach: Scottish verse from the Book of the Dean of Lismore, Scottish Gaelic Texts Society 1937, 1978, p.178-9 ^

6. A.J. Fletcher, Drama & the Performing Arts in Pre-Cromwellian Ireland, Brewer 2001, p.422 ^

7. J.C. Watson, Gaelic Songs of Mary MacLeod, Scottish Gaelic Texts Society 1965 ^

Simon Chadwick