The Irish standard., 1911-01-21
Has Long Been the Reflex and In
terpretsr of Popular Feeling
in Ireland.
1t is an Adaptation Of the Instrument
Common to Central and
Northern Europe.
Clouds of Legends, Traditions and
Ancient Superstitions
Surround it.

long before history had trodden a
pathway across the insecure ground
of legend and tradition, the Irish
harp was alike the reflex and inter-
prefer of popular feeling, says the
Catholic Messenger Worcester Mass.)
Perhaps it may be said to have come
prominently into the general view
when James I. placed it in the third
quarter OF the royal arms of Great
Britain. But century before this
Henry VIII. had impressed harp on
the Irish coinage, a seemingly pro-
sale fact which yet cannot be divorc-
ed from the strong element of ro-
nance which permeates every phase
of the subject. For it seems that a
son of King Brian Boru presented
his fathers harp to Pope John XVIII.
in 1908, and that it was treasured in
Rome until Leo X. sent it to Henry
VIII. 500 years afterward. He in turn
gave it to the first Earl of Clanri-
carde; and after passing into the pos
session of several Irish families
Brian's storied harp eventually found
a home in the college museum in
Dublin. But supposlng this venerable
instrument to be at least thousand
years old, that is a mere trifle in the
history of the harp-and especially of
the Irish harp. We may accept the
Theban harp as a pretty ancient rep
resentative of its great family, but
then the older Irish historians go
back to the Deluge, and it is only in
the very mist land of antiquity that
We lose touch with their national SYM
Dol. And even there We seem to
catch the echo Of its strains.
But, though boasting of a remote
past, the Irisn harp is simply an adap-
tation of an instrument common to
central and northern Europe. We
find it in the hands Of the German
and Celtic 'bards, and of the scandi-
navian skalds, and every race has
been able to impress upon it some
thing Of it's own peculiar genius. The
violin lis italian in its birth, and is
said to be animated by an Italian
soul. And in like manner such of the
old Irish music as has come down to
us essentially consists of strains of
the harp. This, however, is not sur
prising, for we are told that "long
before the Tyre was known in Rome
or Greece the Gael of Ireland had at
tanned a high degree of perfection in
the form and management of the
harp" This is indeed a high bid for
antiquity, and it would be interesting
to know If It could be really sus-
tanned. There can be no doubt that
in Irish hands the harp was a su-
preme exponent of popular feeling
and enthusiasm, the very excess of
which has largely obscured the his
tory and traditions o. the country.
The study OF music was originally
confined to the bardic order, but so
strong was the national instinct in this
direction that every hero, every vir-
gin could touch the harp long ere
the useful arts got foot ir Erin. But
neither the accomplishment nor the
respect in which it was held was con-
fined to Ireland. BY the old Welsh
laws no person could claim to be a
freeman who could not play upon the
harp, and it was expressly forbidden
to a. slave to touch it. A gentleman's
harp could not be seized for debt, be-
cause the want of it would have de-
Araded him from his rank, and re-
duced him to the condition of a slave.
1t would be difficult indeed to exag-
gerate the veneration in which the
harp was held by the Cambro- Brit
ons. It is certainly one of the most
ancient of all instruments, and the
strong musical taste OF the native
Irish made it an exceptional power
in their hands. It is generally agreed
that the o1d irish harp was stringed
with brass wire, but in its triangular
form it was by no means exceptional.
The gradual progress toward the pres
ent shape seems, indeed, to have been