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Photo: Jon Magnusson
This neck from a fiddle is kept at the Museum of Småland in Växjö. The body is not known and not mentioned in the museum archives. The neck is probably changed during the time when the popularity of sympathetic strings declined and old short necks where changed to those with a longer scale. I call this instrument "Bulan" (lit. the swelling) because of the look of the lions forehead.
There is a note in Smålands museums archive which says: "Fiddle neck hundred years old". Gift from Helena Kask, Alandsborg 1867 and there is another old note by the founder of the museum, Gunnar Olof Hyltén Cavallius. It says neck from a folk fiddle // All old fiddle tunes from Värend are set for an old type of tuning, deviating from the tuning which is used nowadays // A:1699. Belonged to countess Sophie Louise Mörner, Oby and then donated to widow Kask. GH-C
The Luthier who built this instrument is not known but it might have been Arwit Rönnegren from Kattarp, Skåne. There is a viol built by Arwit at the Museum of fine Arts in Boston which has a lion head which is very similar to this one and a standard fiddle with a similar lion head at the Museum Kulturen in Lund. Arwit Rönnegren lived between 1680 and 1737 and might have built "Bulan" even if it is built as early as 1699. However it seems pretty early to build such an advanced instrument at the age of 19 but my knowledge about the society is not enough to say whether it is probable or not. The dating of "Bulan" is however very unsure and if Rönnegren has built it it seems more probable that it is built between 1720 and 1730. The viol in Boston and two other viols at the Stockholm Music Museum are built around 1730 and they are a little more advanced than "Bulan" and therefore probably built later. Given the newly discovered Jamtlifiolen that most likely is built by Rönnegren (look at the nose) it is more likely that Rönnegren built other double-deckers. The probability that he also built the neck at Smålands museum increased.
An alternative Luthier which might have built "Bulan" is Johan Georg Mohte from Ängelholm, also in Skåne. He was a couple of years younger than Rönnegren but these guys must have known each other since they lived very close to each other and some viols made by Mohte is similar to Rönnegrens. Mohte is also known to have built at least one double-decker even though its neck unfortunately is not preserved.
Arwit Rönnegren
Arwit (also Arved, Arwitt) Rönnegren was born in Halmstad around 1680 and was recruited to the Northern Scanian Cavalry Regiment around 1700 and quite immediately sent to Swedish Pomerania. He participated in battles against Saxony/Poland and also in king Charles XII:s campaign in Russia after which he along with some 20.000 other Swedish soldiers ended up as prisoners of war in Russia. Rönnegren came back to Sweden May 8th 1722 and had probably learned violin making in captivity along with his friend Johan Georg Mothe. Rönnegren continued to work in the army, despite being injured during the war, and built instrument as a side business. "Arwit Rönnegren i Katarp i Lugede Herat anno 1737" is written in one of his violins. Rönnegrens wife Anna Gabrielsdotter was 22 years older than Arwit but both of them died in 1737 when Anna was 79 and Arwit 57. Despite this, Arwit managed to remarry after the death of Anna, and had a son with 31 year old Hanna Ingemansdotter. However Arwit died before Hanna gave birth to Arfved Arvedson 19th of May 1738.
Photo: Jon Magnusson
Photo: Jon Magnusson
Photo: Jon Magnusson
Photo: Jon Magnusson
Photo: Jon Magnusson
Photo: Jon Magnusson
| Name | Bulan |
| Type | Double-decker |
| Luthier | Arwit Rönnegren |
| Year | 1699 |
| Origin | Kattarp, Skåne |
| Found in | Smålands museum, Växjö, Småland |
| Playing strings | 4 |
| Sympathetic strings | 8 |
| Other instruments built by Arwit Rönnegren | JamtlifiolenBostongambanKulturenfiolenArwitgamban M285 |
| Other instruments with the same number of sympathetic strings | TuppenMunkenHjelmenKarlhamnsfiolenElvisMohteGöteborgsfiolenEdvinSödlingNorbergsfiolenHammerMohte 2JamtlifiolenAntikrundanfiolenAngeredsfiolen |
| Other instruments with removable finger board | HjelmenNorbergsfiolenLångalma |
| Other instruments with a lion head | TuppenKarlhamnsfiolenElvisGöteborgsfiolenEdvinSödlingTielkegamban M2475JamtlifiolenBostongambanKulturenfiolenArwitgamban M285DubbeltulpanenTrippeltulpanenKulturencellonKulturengambanAntikrundanfiolenAngeredsfiolen |