Polnische Geige

Polnische Geige (Ger.), term used by AgriAcola (in 1545) to designate an unfretted bowed instr. tuned in 5ths, with strings stopped in the ONordic and Slav. fashion by lateral pressure of the fingernails. Agricola points out that lack of frets makes the figering more difficult. In the 17th c. Praetorius identifies polnische Geige as a name given by musicians to the violin. Unfortunately we do not know what relationship, if any, existed between this and the *sistrum smiczocz of Paulus…