The Hurdy Gurdy and Modern Use.

The Hurdy Gurdy in the Modern World.

    Use of the hurdy-gurdy decreased greatly world-wide, culminating around the beginning of the 20th century when industrialization and modernization became driving social and economic forces in the Western World. Though extremes, like the persecution of the Russian Lirnyk, existed, at large the decline of this instrument was a quite one. It’s being replaced with other instruments, a general decline in the popularity and acceptance of street musicians over all, and the advent of new forms of music all contributed to the decrease of hurdy-gurdy use. It’s decline can be likened to a similar instrument, the bag-pipe, though the bag pipes continued popularity in places like Scotland make it a more commonly known instrument even the hurdy-gurdy.
      However, a cross continent revival of folk music and art that began around the 1960’s has brought the instrument back into use. As mentioned, Donovan unwittingly aided this by naming his album “the hurdy-gurdy man“. As revivals happened in the US as well as throughout Europe, these common interest groups re-introduced the instrument to each other. Though the traveling minstrel has by and large been replaced by the devoted enthusiast, nonetheless the hurdy-gurdy has again traveled from one tradition to another, now a common instrument among folk musicians world-wide. It has generally lost it’s reputation as a lower class instrument, as interest in folk music has gained in reputation among all different social classes as well as within academia.
    At this point in time, the amount of different forms, names, and the range in use the instrument has achieved is staggering for such a generally unknown instrument. Below are a few modern musicians who use the instrument and a list of the different names for the hurdy-gurdy that exist at this point in time.


A List of names for the hurdy-gurdy:

Dutch:
Draailier

English:
Beggar’s lyre
Crank lyre
Cymphan
Hurdy-gurdy ]
Organistrum
Symphonia
Wheel fiddle

Finnish:
Kampiliira

French:
Chifonie
Vielle
Vielle à roue

German:
Bauernleier
Bettlerleier
Drehleier
Radleier


Hungarian:
Forgolant
Nyenyere
Tekerőlant

Italy:
Ghironda
Lira mendicorum
Lira organizzara
Lira pagana
Lira tedesca
Lira rustica
Lira tedesca
Stampella
Viola da orbo

Latvian:
Rata lira

Norway:
Fon
Synfony

Polish:
Lira korbowa

Slovakian:
Kolovratec
Ninera

Spanish:
Sanfona
Viola de rueda
Zanfona

Swedish:
Lira
Nykelharpa
Vevlira

Ukrainian:
Lira/ліра
Relia

Below are a few different videos of modern hurdy-gurdy enthusiasts.



Hurdy-gurdy enthusiast/expert from NYC. The contrast of ancient instrument and modern subway make for an interesting an effective mix of human ways of life.






A busker on the streets of Budapest.




An Irish Jig played on the hurdy-gurdy.