The Hiiu Kannel (Bowed Harp) is an archaic instrument that probably came to Estonia from Sweden.

In Estonia it has many names: hiiu kannel (kannel from Hiiu), kintsuviiul (thigh violin), hiiurootsi kannel (hiiu-swedish kannel), poogen kannel (bowed kannel) and poogen lüüra (bowed lyre).

In Sweden the instrument was called strakharpa or tagelharpa.

In Finland the corresponding word is jouhikko or jouhlikantele.

It is roughly rectangular in shape, although some old instruments sometimes had violin shaped bodies.
It has four horsehair strings (occasionally gut strings and modern examples frequently have synthetic strings).
It is bowed with a horsehair bow where the player provides the tension on the bowhair.
It is usually tuned from the high string eADD an octave below a violin.
Sille sometimes uses eAEE, and even eADA’ or eAEA’.
The melody is usually played on the top two strings (occasionally the third) and the other strings act as drones.

Sille plays bowed harps made by Raivo Sildoja and Rait Pihlap