OLD HARPS is a term used to describe ancient stringed instruments that were popular in the Middle Ages. The term is derived from the Greek word 'LYRE, ' which is a type of harp. Lyres are five-stringed instruments that were used for both religious and secular music. They were often made of wood, with a curved neck and a soundboard. The strings were usually made of animal gut or metal. Old harps were typically played with a bow or plucked with the fingers.