Munnharpe

The oldest traces of jaw harps are found in China. In Shaanxi Province, jaw harps made of bone have been discovered that are 4,000 years old.

The oldest findings from Europe are approximately 800 years old. Here you can see the remains of a jaw harp that was found in a field near Oslo. It was most likely made in England in the 1600s or 1700s.

Jaw harps have been mass-produced in several parts of Europe since the 18th century, with Molln in Austria being the most famous location. Unlike Norwegian harps, the Austrian ones have a fixed reed and are less suited for melodies, so it’s common to play several at once.

The interest in jaw harp playing surged in Norway during the 1960s. Between 1966 and 1969, nearly 100.000 jaw harps were sold in the country. Most of these were imported from Molln in Austria.

The Molln harps were not suitable for traditional Norwegian dance tunes. Arne Haugli started to make copies of traditional norwegian harps for that purpose. In the display case, you can see one of his instruments.