Rotte (psaltery)

See Rotta for the medieval lyre, or Rote for the fiddle

During the 12th century A.D., rotte referred to a triangular psaltery with about 10 strings, held like a harp in front of the musician.^[1] The playing position was different in that other psalteries might be clutched with the back of the instrument pressed flat against the musician's chest, or on their lap.^[2]

The names chrotta,rotte, rotta, rota and rote have been applied to different stringed instruments, including a psaltery, lyre and to a necked lyre with qualities making it similar to a fiddle or lute.^[1][3][4] In the 15th century it was used to name a fiddle, synonymous with the rebab.^[1]

Knowing a rotte (psaltery) from a triangular harp in the medieval minatures can be challenging; rottes may have sound holes visible, if the artist is putting that level of detail into the painting. Similarly, harps show background through the strings if the artist painted sufficient detail.

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  Possibly a psaltery, but no sound holes are visible. Lack of detail between strings may indicate this is not a harp. Palatine Chapel, circa 1140 A.D.
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  Detail visible through the harp stings. First Bible of Charles the Bald, 9th century A.D.
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  Rotta applied in the 20th century to an ancient musical instrument in lyre form, in transition to become a cythara lute or crwth-style fiddle.^[3]

According to the New Grove Encyclopedia of Musical Instruments, there are no evidence in images or sculpture to "suggest the existence of harps in western Europe" between the 4th century BCE and the 8th century CE.^[5] Ancient examples in "Italo-Greek" vases in the 5th to 4th centuries BCE depict Asian harps.^[5] Christian art furnished examples of the existence of the harp in the late 8th to early 10th century CE, in the Dagulf Psalter made in Aachen and the Utrecht Psalter.^[5] The Harley Psalter, copied the Utrecht Psalter, but the artist changed the look of the instruments.

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  Dagulf Psalter, artwork for cover, late 8th century CE
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  Utrecht Psalter
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  Utrecht Psalter
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  Utrecht Psalter
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  Utrecht Psalter
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  Utrecht Psalter
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  Both lyre and harp visible
• 
  Harley Psalter, in which the harp is shown with better detail

• Álvarez, Rosario (June 1999). "EL ARPA-CÍTARA (ROTA): SU PROBABLE ORIGEN BIZANTINO Y SU TRAYECTORIA MEDITERRÁNEA HACIA LA EUROPA OCCIDENTAL". Revista de Musicología. 22 (1). Sociedad Española de Musicología (SEDEM): 11–48. doi:10.2307/20797571. JSTOR 20797571.