CHAPTER 7: Controversies and Misunderstandings

16 of 17 - That there was a mediæval dulcimer

1.2 Literature

Of the different instrument-names used in ancient times, five have at various times been considered to be dulcimers, either by scholars of instruments or by Bible translators; four are apparently Assyrian and one Greek. None of these interpretations is unanimous, and a brief summary follows, showing some of the modern names which the various writers considered to correspond to the ancient ones. The dulcimer interpretations are marked *.

nebel (22), nevel (23):

= nabla (14 Septuaginta translators (23))
= psalterion (8 Septuaginta translators (23))
= kithara (1 Septuanginta translator (23))
= psalterium (17 times in Vulgate (23)) = lute (22) = gittern (22) = viol (22) = harp (22) (Marcuse (24))
* = psaltérion (Fr.) (Mersenne, Furetière, Diderot etc.)
     (at that time psaltérion = dulcimer)
* = hackbräde (Swedish Bible (25))
* = santir, pesantir (= small santir ("Assyrian dulcimer"(Ambros 1862 (26)) sabbeka
= harp (Marcuse (27))
* = "Assyrian dulcimer (Worman 1883 (28), Eeiss 1895 (29))

pesanterin (22), psantrin (30)

= nebel (Saadi l3thC. (30)) = unknown (Marcuse (30))
* = Pi-santir (Sendrey (22))

triganon (Gk)

= harp or psaltery (Marcuse (31))
* = triangular dulcimer (Hawkins 1875)

sumponyah. sipunya (22). symponia. simpunia. sumponia. siphonia (34)

= sawtrie, sautrie (Wycliffe, c.1320-1384 (22))
= symphonye ( bagpipe?) (Wycliffe (22)), svmphony (Duay(22))
= bagpipe (c.f. zampogna, cimpoi etc. (32)) (Revised Standard Version, Jewish Bible, New World Bible (Jehovah's Witnesses), Moffat 1922 (22,33))
= 'concordant harmony' (i.e. not an instrument) (Jerome 407 AD (34))
* = dulcimer (Barker 1599, Authorised Version 1611, American Version 1885, Moulton 1895, Harkavy 1863-1939 (35,22))

cithara, kithara, cythara

= cruit, rotta (Pseudo-Jerome,9thC.(88))
= lyre (l2thC.(89)) cittern (Paulus Paulirinus,c.1460 (88))
= (dulcimer) (illustration in psalter of Henry VIII: see fig. 41; illustration, 'Cornelio Inamorato', c.1700, fig. 76)
= harp (Glareanus 1547 (88))
= guitar (Mersenne 1635 (88))