Gusli (Russian Psaltery)
Ancient Russian plucked zither, a shallow trapezoid or helmet-shaped board with gut or metal strings, played by the epic singers who performed the byliny. The legendary Novgorod merchant Sadko of the byliny plays the gusli so well that the Sea Tsar summons him to the underwater palace; the instrument is attested in chronicles, miniatures and archaeological finds from Novgorod. Excavated Novgorod gusli date from the 11th to the 14th centuries and were carved from a single block of wood, often with a decorated sound hole. In the bylina Sadko's playing so delights the Sea Tsar that the hero is of