By Arianna the Harper

Historically, the harper has been so much more than a mere court minstrel. The Irish Book of Law states that the harpist is nobility and many a lithograph or relief of those long ago courts includes a harper in the midst of royalty and nobles.

Though the Irish Book of Law states that harpers are nobility, it doesn't explain why. I believe it is because of their role as Bards. Since the Celtic history was an oral one, the harpers were its keepers. They also held the beliefs of the people in the myths and legends that they told. I've read that some sagas lasted as long as six hours! One dark day in harper history was when Queen Elizabeth had all the harpers beheaded in one of their invasions in hopes that the Irish culture would be quelched by it!

As harpers today, we need not fear being beheaded for our music or stories but through history, the art of storytelling with the harp has been nearly lost so we must use our imaginations to recreate and continue this tradition of harping.

From those harpers I have had the pleasure of hearing tell stories, I see that harpers either use a chordal progression as background to a story to enhance emotion, use a recurring song and intertwine it throughout the story, or I've seen the telling of stories with the harp as musical interlude between different stories.

The harp is also capable of some wonderful "special effects" you can use to enhance your stories. Some of these I've used/seen include knocking on the sound chamber for door knocks, drumming your fingers on the sound board for horses, reindeer, or drums, violent strumming and banging on the soundboard for thunder and lightning, harp trill for butterflies or twinkling stars, wiggling the tuning key in between strings for a "springy" sound, the list can easily go on as far as your imagination!

Remember that there is no danger of being beheaded! You are one of a noble lineage of harpers and it is your duty and honor to continue in their tradition of storytelling!

 The Legend of King Orefo

Throughout much of history, harps and their music have been reserved mostly for the wealthy and nobles and so it seems appropriate that many a noble was taught the harp!

Myth tells of King Orfeo who was said to have lived in a castle in Westminster which his beautiful Queen Heroadeous. Every eve, all those in the castle would listen and dream as King Orfeo played of his love to his Queen upon his harp.

One afternoon, while walking amongst the flowers of the field with her ladies in waiting, she took a nap under an apple tree. The good Queen awoke with a start and was so upset that her ladies took her right away to the castle.

The good King asked her what was upsetting her so, and she belayed her dream in which the King of Fairie came to her and told her that the next day, upon noon, he would take her to his land to be his Queen. King Orfeo promised her that no one could ever take her from his side and to put her spirit at rest, promised that he and his knights would stand by her side under that same tree at noon and protect her from all harm.

That next day at noon, Queen Heroudous waited with her King and all the knights of the land. All was quiet and calm. Surely it was all but a bad dream, then in a flash, the Queen was missing!

The King went into great distress at having lost his Queen and went into such a deep state of sadness that he neither ate nor drank nor played his harp. All in the castle feared that he would waste away. It was then, that the King took up his harp and donned a cloak and set out into the world, leaving his kingdom behind, to find his truest love, his Queen.

The good Harper went unto each place where nobility resided, playing the part of an itinerant harper, hoping to find his Queen. Many months had passed and his Aides in the castle feared that they had lost their King forever. When, one day, while resting in the shade under an apple tree tuning his harp, he spotted a grand caravan on milk white steeds with a King and by his side, the good Queen Heroudous!

Orfeo jumped to his feet with harp in hand and fell in at the end of the caravan. To his amazement, they walked through what seemed to be solid earth as they walked through a hill and in the distance saw a castle built of crystal and sparkling with a million rainbows in the light of the sun! Orfeo approached the court and offered to play in harp in the manner of the harpers and was motioned forward by the Fairy King. Upon seeing his good Queen, Orfeo let all his love pour out through his harp in its music and all those in that place was enchanted by it.

The Fairy King was so moved by his music that he promised Orfeo anything in his kingdom and it would be his. As you have guessed, King Orfeo asked the good Queen Heroudous. The Fair King refused him saying, "what match would that be? You, a lowly, dirty harper and she, such a beautiful Queen?" Orfeo replied, "It is better to be a dirty harper than a King who will not keep his word." And at that, the Fairy King returned the Queen Heroudeous to Orfeo.

There was great rejoicing when King Orfeo returned to his kingdom with his Queen by his side. And once again, every eve throughout the castle halls, all would hear the good King play his harp to his Queen.

Turlough O'Carolan

Turlough O'Carolan is one of the historical harpers who lived in the 1600's as an itinerant harper.

Though legend is unclear as to the reason why, Turlough was blinded as a child. Some legends tell that he was born blind while others speculate that he became blind in early childhood by smallpox.

As was customary in that time, blind children who showed some aptitudes in music were taken to the harp school where they studied harp for twelve years.

One legend tells that as Turlogh went out on his first "gig" to his first patron that he fell asleep on a fairy fort. While he slept he heard the music of the fairies and that music was what he played upon his harp and how he therefore gained his fame!

Turlough often wrote songs in honor of his patrons and you will find their names as part of the titles. This is a technique that works very well in modern day harping as well. I've found that I am more likely to get a tip if I can find a way to play an original composition in honor of my "patron"! It is my feeling that Turlough was a good businessman as well as musician. Legends also tell how he used this technique of songwriting to his advantage in courting the ladies as well! Nonetheless, if you listen to one of his compositions written in honor of a person, you can get a tremendous feel for the personality of the lord or lady. No wonder legends sprang up about his flirtations with the fairies!

One legend I recently found, tells how Turlough, upon coming to a village, found a family mourning the loss of their newborn, who had been taken away by the fairies. Turlough picked up his harp and played with such power that he summoned the fairies and they gave the baby back to the family.

Turlough O'Carolan's songs range from very easy to very difficult, so, whatever level of playing you are currently at, you can easily find an O'Carolan tune to play!

Every summer there is a grand celebration & harp school in honor of Turlough O'Carolan in County Roscommon where you may also visit O'Carolan's gravesite.