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This is a copy of a 9th century instrument that was found in a warrior's grave in
Denmark. It is considered to be the earliest example of a steel-string instrument, because
when it was discovered, the rusted remains of the strings were visible. One of my old
books on historical instruments had a picture of the original Rote and gave the
dimensions. So--I built one. The original was carved out of a narrow piece of oak (about
an inch thick) and had a thin piece glued to the top as a sound board. The two narrow
slots are believed to be where a strap attached and were not soundholes. It is theorized that this instrument was strummed and not plucked. Experts figure that you cradle the instrument in one arm and hand, with those fingers dampening various strings so simple chords can be strummed with the fingers on the other hand. I've tuned this to a major scale, and that playing technique works quite well. |