The Kantele is an instrument from the zither family, as it is traditionally played in the Scandinavian region. In reference to the Nine Worlds of Germanic mythology, I have strung this particular piece with nine strings instead of the usual seven, but I’ve tuned them in the pentatonic style.
The material is cherry wood from the local area. However, the strings are made of Dacron B-55 – this is a very durable thread usually used to make bowstrings. I find it has a very pleasant sound, and let’s be honest: String instruments actually evolved from hunting and war bows.
It is assumed that the earliest resonators were hardened leather sacks and animal bladders, and over time, various instruments – at least those in the family of string instruments – eventually developed into today’s violins.
The script consists of runes from the Elder Futhark. The text reads as follows:
Maðr er sem tré, hann skal festa rót í jörð ok hefja höfuð til himins, ok í miðju þar er hann öruggr.
Man is like a tree. He must be rooted in the earth and raise his head to the sky. And in the middle, he’s safe there.
For this little treasure, I needed about four workdays, and the tools used included: a belt sander, carving knives, a Japanese saw, a pyrography pen, and waterproof wood glue …
