Player or minstrel

Player or minstrel with a droneless bagpipe, dancing and singing, drawn on an English manuscript, early 14th century. These traveling folk provided popular forms of public entertainment in court, castle and burgh in the medieval period.

In its origins, the Highland bagpipe in common with other European and World bagpipes is a prehistoric wind instrument. Its main elements are the melody pipe or 'chanter' on which the music is played with the fingers (usually on a scale of nine notes) and with an accompanying fixed note or chordal accompaniment from the drone or drones, all of which are held in stocks tied into an animal skin bag (now coming to be replaced by synthetic materials). The player blows into the bag to supply a constant pressure and flow of air onto the reeds which are set into the chanter and drones and which make the sound. The air flow is controlled by a simple non-return valve on the blowstick.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-000-579-583-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: The Bagpipe Collection
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  Bagpipe Archive 3.17
• Date: Early 14th century (date of drawing)
  
• Material: Drawing of a player or minstrel
  
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• What: Drawing of a player or minstrel
  
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• Description: Player or minstrel.
  
• References:
  • Jusserand, J.J.,. English Wayfaring Life in the Middle Ages. London: 1888.
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