Why is the Guinness symbol a harp?
The harp, which serves as the emblem of GUINNESS®, is based on a famous 14th century Irish harp known as the "O'Neill" or "Brian Boru" harp which is now preserved in the Library of Trinity College Dublin.
Anglo-Irish groat 1534
From early times to the end of the 19th Century Ireland is unique in having a musical instrument, the harp, as its national emblem. From antiquity to its decline in the early nineteenth century the harp was at the social centre of Ireland.
It is supposed that Pope Leo X gave a harp or cláirseach to Henry VIII at the same period as Fidei Defensor during that honeyed pre-Reformation period. The symbol was distinctive enough to separate the Irish coinage from passing into English currency.
The design of the harp used by the modern Irish state is based on the Brian Boru harp, a late-medieval Gaelic harp now in Trinity College Dublin.
During the eighteenth century, a winged-maiden harp was used as the symbol of the Protestant Ascendancy, the dominant political power in Ireland.
Modern European and Western harps almost always use a colour coding system to help the player identify the pitches of different strings. The F strings are coloured blue or black, and the C strings are coloured red. You can see this clearly indicated on a print in Charles Egan's Harp Primer of 1829.
In an attempt to gain control of Ireland, laws were enacted by the English Crown making it illegal for the Irish to speak their language, own land, become educated and to marry. The penalty was death. Between 1650 and 1660 Oliver Cromwell ordered the destruction of harps and organs.
The Harp
The harp is Ireland's official national emblem. It appears on the Presidential Seal, passports, official documents and Irish coins and appears on the logo for the iconic Guinness brand.
As symbols of Ireland are concerned, the shamrock may be one of the most prolific. Remember that Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, returned to Ireland to convert the pagan Irish to Christianity. The shamrock, or 3 leaf clover, represents the holy trinity; the father, the son and the holy ghost.
The harp was the aristocratic instrument of Gaelic Ireland, and harpers enjoyed a high social status which was codified in Brehon Law.
What is an Irish harp called?
There are many names for the Irish harp, such as 'the Gaelic Harp', 'the Celtic harp', 'the clàrsach' in Scotland, and 'the cláirseach' in the modern Irish language.
The biggest difference between the Guinness harp and the Irish harp that serves as the official symbol of Ireland is that the brewery's harp faces to the right while the State's Irish harp faces left. In 1960, with the Irish harp device already so synonymous with Guinness, the company named its very first lager 'Harp'.
Etymology. From the 19th century, to describe an earlier flag that incorporated a golden harp. The term is still used informally even though the modern Irish flag is green, white and orange.
Today I want to share with everyone the origin of Ireland´s official symbol, and how it has become the only country that has a musical instrument as its emblem.
While the loyalty of families protecting their territory was similar, the Irish coat of arms held a deeper meaning. Just as a gang will defend it's territory, honor and respect, the Irish family crest was meant to represent all things the warrior held near and dear.
Description: The Red Hand of Ulster is the official seal of the O'Neill family. It is believed to originate from a mythical tale wherein two chieftains were racing across a stretch of water in a bid to be the first to reach the land and claim it as his own.
It was used as an accompaniment to songs of cheerfulness as well as of praise to God ( Genesis 31:27 ; 1 Samuel 16:23 ; 2 Chr 20:28 ; Psalms 33:2 ; 137:2 ). In Solomon's time harps were made of almug-trees ( 1 Kings 10:11 1 Kings 10:12 ).
The earliest evidence of the harp is found in Ancient Egypt circa 2500 BC. They were shaped liked bows or angular and had very few strings. there are very few remaining in existence, art from that time indicates they utilized about ten or eleven strings.
It typically has 47 strings with seven strings per octave, giving a range of six and a half octaves. In this type of harp the pedals alter the pitch of the strings, so that the pedal harp can easily play works written in any key.
On the harp, our fingertips constantly interact with the harp strings. When the friction between the strings and our skin becomes too intense, it can irritate the skin. The blister is a reaction from the upper levels of the skin. Same as a callus, a blister's aim is to protect the deeper layers of the skin.
Why is the top of a harp curved?
The curve in the top of the frame looks to me like it is there to allow the lengths of the strings to grow exponentially as far as this is feasible. So for the shortest strings, they can have the same tension, be made of the same stuff, and be about equally spaced along the frame.
Wicklow. It consists of six carefully worked wooden pipes, which represent the world's oldest surviving wooden musical instrument. They were discovered in a waterlogged trough belonging to an Early Bronze Age burnt mound (c.
The dord is a bronze horn native to Ireland, with excavated examples dating back as far as 1000 BC, during the Bronze Age. A number of original dords are known to exist, with some replicas also being built in the late 20th century.
Being the first instrument mentioned seven generations from Adam, the main instrument of the Tabernacle of David, the main instrument in Heaven, the only instrument for spiritual healing, and God's voice itself, the harp is for God's children, through spiritual warfare, to cover the world with His Kingdom!
The Celtic harp – royalty
In fact, Ireland is so inextricably linked with the symbol of the Celtic harp that it is the only country in the entire world to have a musical instrument as its national emblem. The Irish Harp has long been associated with royalty.
The official State emblems of Ireland are the Harp and the Shamrock. The National Flag is not a State emblem but is protected under the Irish Constitution.
The Irish Hare (Lepus timidus) has been described as a national animal, as has the red deer (Cervus elaphus). Although extinct, the Irish Elk is also associated with Ireland.
The Celtic Cross is also sometimes referred to as the Irish Cross and is made up of a crucifix, with a ring around the crossing of the lines to make four semi-circles. Some Celtic Crosses also have interwoven looping patterns along the beams of the cross, similar to the pattern of most Celtic Knots.
Triquetra or Trinity Knot
Other names for this knot include the Celtic Trinity Knot and the Trefoil knot which comes from the three leaves of the clover or trefoil plant. It consists of three arcs that overlap with each other. As there is no clear beginning or end to the design, it is called a “true” knot.
Most-known for its love of traditions, customs, and unique national identity, Ireland is rich in its patriotism and affinity for those things so quintessentially related to Celtic Culture. Whether the topic of debate is a pilgrimage or potatoes, Irish whiskey or pagan festivals, Irish culture thrives today.
What is the difference between a harp and a Celtic harp?
Celtic Harp (Folk Harp or Lever Harp): "A smaller harp with wire and nylon strings, used in the folk and early music of Scotland and Ireland." Pedal Harp (Concert Harp or Classical Harp): "A larger and technologically modern harp, designed primarily for use in art music."
Celtic harps are varied and can have a range between two and six octaves. Most lap models of the Celtic harp have 22 harp strings. The large floor models of the Celtic harp have 38 strings. The term 'folk harp' may also refer to an Irish Harp – a colloquial term for the Irish clairseach.
It is thought that the Welsh harp was rather different from the Irish equivalent: with a straighter pillar and lighter in construction. On some harps, small L-shaped wooden pegs held the strings to the soundboard, touching the strings and causing them to 'buzz'. These pegs were called gwarchïod.
The harp is among the chief symbols of Ireland. The Celtic harp, seen on Irish coinage and used in Guinness advertising, was played as long ago as the 10th century.
Irish Traditional Instruments. The Main Irish instruments are Flute, Fiddle, Tin Whistle, Low Whistle, Uilleann Pipes, Accordion, Concertina, Bodhrán and Harp. Nowadays the Guitar, Bouzouki, Mandolin, Banjo, Harmonica and Piano are also commonly heard in Irish music.
The Fiddle
The fiddle is arguably the most popular Irish instrument for banging out some Irish traditional music. Many Irish trad songs feature fiddle music as it's one of the fundamental Irish instruments in folk music.
The word shamrock derives from the Irish seamróg, which is a diminutive of seamair óg meaning "young clover". Ireland's association with the shamrock grew from the 18th century onwards, in a similar way to other associations like a rose for England, a thistle for Scotland and a daffodil for Wales.
Whether you are new to music or have a lifetime of playing behind you, the Celtic Harp is one of the most immediately rewarding instruments you can play. We're often asked: “Is the harp difficult to learn?” and the answer is no.
The term “black Irish” refers to persons of Irish descent who are supposed to be descendants of the Spanish Armada, which sailed around the middle of the 15th century, and had dark hair and or eyes.
Mucker. Mate, pal, friend. Example: I'm so excited to see my mucker.
What does a Rainbow mean in Ireland?
In Ireland rainbows symbolize blessings from heaven, and this is reflected in some of the wise old words from generations past.
The most Irish state in the U.S. is New Hampshire, where 20.2% of the state's residents are Irish. The least Irish state in the U.S. is Hawaii, where only 4.3% of the state's residents are Irish. The most Irish city in the U.S. is Ocean City, NJ, which is 30.22% Irish.
where in the world their ancestors may have lived hundreds to thousands of years ago, based on their DNA. For example, an AncestryDNA ethnicity estimate can tell someone how much of their DNA likely came from Ireland - anywhere from 0% to 100%.
However, there is a difference between the Irish government harp and the Guinness harp. As Guinness had trademarked the harp symbol in 1876, the Irish Free State Government of 1922 had to turn the official government harp the other way around so that it could be differentiated from the trademarked Guinness harp.
Being the first instrument mentioned seven generations from Adam, the main instrument of the Tabernacle of David, the main instrument in Heaven, the only instrument for spiritual healing, and God's voice itself, the harp is for God's children, through spiritual warfare, to cover the world with His Kingdom!
Harp Lager
The beer gets its name from the Brian Boru harp that is also featured in the Guinness logo. Harp was originally brewed at the Great Northern Brewery in Dundalk but is now made at the Guinness St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin.
Benson. In the early 1930s, John Gilroy, their resident artist, illustrated a menagerie of zoo animals to promote Guinness. Toucans became synonymous with the brand in 1935 following a poem by the crime writer Dorothy Sayers, who wrote advertising copy for Benson.
The biggest difference between the Guinness harp and the Irish harp that serves as the official symbol of Ireland is that the brewery's harp faces to the right while the State's Irish harp faces left. In 1960, with the Irish harp device already so synonymous with Guinness, the company named its very first lager 'Harp'.
All of them have in common the use of the Harp as a means to connect with the Inner Self, soothe, relieve stress and pain and give emotional stability, psychological structure and a spiritual opening to those who listen in the right conditions and state of mind.
Isaiah 23:16. Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
What is the full meaning of harp?
noun. ˈhärp. : a plucked stringed instrument consisting of a resonator, an arched or angled neck that may be supported by a post, and strings of graded length that are perpendicular to the soundboard. : something resembling a harp. 3.
The association between angels and harps apparently originates in the Bible, more precisely in chapter 5 of Revelation. “Four angels, along with 24 elders, each hold a harp and a golden bowl full of incense to represent people's prayers as they praise Jesus Christ.”
Harp Lager is an Irish lager created in 1960 by Guinness in its Great Northern Brewery, Dundalk.
The earliest evidence of the harp is found in Ancient Egypt circa 2500 BC. They were shaped liked bows or angular and had very few strings (because they lacked a column they could not support much string tension).
There's also what they call the "line" theory: The regularity at which pints of Guinness are pulled in pubs in Ireland ensures that customers are receiving fresh beer straight from the barrel, rather than stuff that's been sitting in the connecting tubing.
Number 1: The Toucan
But there's no denying that Guinness' most popular mascot is the toucan. Introduced in the 1930s, the toucan appeared during many of the brand's ad campaigns, most notably with the “Lovely Day for a Guinness” slogan.
The Penguin became the symbol for Draught GUINNESS® when it was first introduced to the British market. The penguin was chosen to emphasise the coolness of the new Draught GUINNESS® and appeared on bar mounts and pub memorabilia.