y-gurdy was known as the 'lira' [fn] 'viela mecanica' [fn], and earlier as the 'organ' or 'lauta' [fn], it belonged to the instrumentarium of the northern Moldau region and Transylvania, but has completely disappeared today [fn].
In Bohemia the hurdy-gurdy was still a popular instrument of the traveling musicians in the 19th century and later also of the beggars [fn]; the farmers of the Bohemian-Moravian heights still played it in the 19th century for specific
dances and songs [fn]. In Slovakia it disappeared entirely as early as the 19th century [fn].
A picture similar to that of most of the Eastern European countries id offered by the regions in Western and Northern Europe. In the 20th century the hurdy-gurdy had disappeared entirely from Scandinavia, England, Germany and Italy, while in the 19th century it could still be traced in some of these countries: in the last century one could hear in the streets of English cities still "Airs ... such as the hurdy-gurdy players ... grind so piteously before cottage doors" [fn]. These hurdy-gurdy players were often however not Englishmen, but often "Italian hurdy-gurdists" [fn] (see page 417) [Editor's note: these "Italian hurdy-gurdists" are more likely to have been playing the barrel organ, hence "organ grinders"]. Outside of the cities however the hurdy-gurdy was still popular in England, as the name of a dance house in a mining camp, "hurdy-gurdy house" shows [fn]. As in England, hurdy-gurdy playing in Germany declined rapidly in the 19th century. Around 1850 the instrument which had been popular "einst bei dem Landvolk" [translation JW: "once amongst country folk"] was only heard seldom [fn]. In Westfalen however for example, it remained "bis ins 19. Jahrhundert hinein ... insbesondere bei Bettelmusikanten im Gebrauch." [fn] [" up into the 19th century...especially with beggars in use"] It was still known as a dance instrument: "Lai'r-danz" with the name "Huttsche mit de Futtsche", originally dance to the hurdy-gurdy in the Kreis Ülzen, was danced once again in 1911. A 'Lait-ketrilje', known earlier in Kreis Winsen, is probably the corrupted name for the 'Lai'r ketrilje', which is the same as 'Leier-Quadrille', and hence the name for a quadrille danced to a hurdy-gurdy [fn]. The hurdy-gurdy as a much used instrument is indicated by a saying used on the lower Elbe, according to which an end must be
made now, even if one has danced the entire night to the hurdy-gurdy: "Oplets is'n Scheden un wenn'n uk de ganze Nach na de Liern danzt" [fn]. The hurdy-gurdy was danced to also in the Lüneburg area, as a saying goes which refers to the drone sound of the instrument: "Gait nich anne(r)s, secht de Lirn-drai'r [sp][L-i/macron-rn-drai'r], danzt man tou" [fn]
In Austria the hurdy-gurdy, serving various purposes, was still widespread in the 19th century. It was used as an accompanying instrument for singing (1817):
"Da singet man fröliche Lieder
Der Leyermann spielet dazu" [fn]
[ Translation JW: "There merry songs are sung
and the hurdy-gurdy man plays along"]
It was played by itinerant musicians in front of houses (1819):
"Es ging amal a Leyerer wohl für a Weber Haus,
Da schaut das Webertöchterle bam Fensterlen heraus" [fn],
[translation JW : Once a hurdy-gurdy man went past a weaver's house,
the weaver's young daughter looked out of the (small) window]
Further, it was used as a dance instrument (1805):
"Der Leyrer Mazl ist heund hier,
wer danzen wil, der kombt zu mir" [fn]
[translation JW: Mazl the hurdy-gurdy player is here today,
all who want to dance, come to me.]
A report of a Vienna house ball from the same time (1816), at which "die Musi in zwaa Leyern bestandte" [fn],[translation JW: the music consisted of two hurdy-gurdys] shows that the hurdy-gurdy was played for dancing not just in the country, but also still in Vienna, which is testified to by a country dance written in 1819 (ex. 50). This dance was played by the musicians on the hurdy-gurdy or on the bagpipes or on both instruments together, which is a proof that these instruments had a common repertoire. Just how popula