The giga was a type of bowed

lyre The lyre () is a stringed musical instrument that is classified by Hornbostel–Sachs as a member of the lute-family of instruments. In organology, a lyre is considered a yoke lute, since it is a lute in which the strings are attached to a yoke ...

, it was very popular especially in Norway, but also common to find in England, Iceland and Denmark.Otto Emanuel Andersson. ''The bowed-harp: a study in the history of early musical instruments''. AMS Press, 1973. , . Pg 25

/ref> It is considered to be extinct; however there are some interesting reconstruction projects. The name does not originate from Latin, but rather derives from an old Viking word that meaning for "to vibrate", "to move in a fast way": this term is also the origin for the name of the dance called Jig that is very common in Northern Europe, especially in the British isles.

Sources

*Otto Emanuel Andersson. ''The Shetland Gue, the Welsh Crwth, and the Northern Bowed Harp''. Offprint from the ''Budkavlen'' 1954, nos. 1–4. Åbo: s.n., 195

References

Bowed lyres Norwegian musical instruments Danish musical instruments Lost and extinct musical instruments Icelandic musical instruments English musical instruments {{lyre-stub

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