Eyjólfur's Langspil Workshop

The langspil (meaning long-play) is a traditional Icelandic drone zither. It has a single melody string and usually two drone strings. The langspil can be played by plucking the strings by hand, with a bow or by hammering.

In the langspil workshop, children learn the basics of playing the langspil, such as strumming and plucking with swan feathers. They will have the opportunity to stroke the strings with horsehair bows. Students will learn about the langspil in a historical, cultural and international context, with a special emphasis on the old farming community and the baðstofa culture. Carefully selected songs from the folk song collection of Bjarni Þorsteinsson will be taught, which will be performed on langspil by the participants at the end of the workshop.

The workshop is also intended to provoke students to think about the cultural heritage and folk culture of the past. The langspil, a phenomenon that belonged to the old farming community, is brought to a modern perspective and thus becomes a cultural heritage that travels across borders. As students learn about the Icelandic variant of the bordún sitar, they gain insight into the vast world of folk culture throughout the world.

The langspil workshop lasts about an hour and all teaching materials will be provided on site.

The langspil workshop is part of the National Museum's children's program, which takes place on the first Sunday of each month. There is no admission fee for the langspil workshop in the children's and family room on the first floor.

After the langspil workshop, it is ideal to explore the museum's other exhibitions, sit down in the café, do crafts with the children in the family room, or stop by the museum shop.

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