or lira. (1) A medieval single-stringed bowed instrument with a pear-shaped body. It became prevalent in the eighth and ninth centuries and was last mentioned in the literature of the 13th century.
(2) A stringed bowed instrument that developed in Italy in the 16th and 17th centuries, somewhat similar to a violin. Several types existed: the lira da braccio (soprano) and lirone da braccio (alto) had five playing strings and one or two bourdon strings; the lira da gamba (baritone) had nine to 13 strings; and the lirone perfetto (bass) had ten to 14.
(3) The wheel lyra, or hurdy-gurdy, is a stringed folk instrument that is either boat-shaped or shaped like a figure eight. Inside the body is a wheel that is operated by turning a handle. The protruding wheel touches the strings and causes them to sound as it is turned. The number of strings varies. The middle, or melody, string passes through a box with a mechanism to change its pitch. The remaining two or four strings are bourdon strings for accompaniment.
In the Middle Ages the hurdy-gurdy, then called the organistrum, was widespread. It also existed under various names among the peoples of Western Europe and the USSR. It was known in Russia from the 17th century; it was played by wandering musicians and blind balladeers. It is rarely encountered in the 20th century.
(4) The cavalry lyra consists of a set of metal bars hung from a lyre-shaped metal frame decorated with horsetails. It is beaten with a metal striker and played in cavalry bands.
G. I. BLAGODATOV