Rick,

You beat me to it. The book by Jean Ritchie is a great fount of info on these instruments that were possibly the forerunners of the Appalachian mountain dulcimer. Many had straight sides instead of the totally Freudian shape we usually see assigned to the mountain dulcimer. Still, there is nothing like an acoustic guitar for an almost Piccassoesque rendering of the classic and lovely female form.

I've heard that in Germany, "sheidt" are lambs. Thus the song "MASTER OF THE SCHEIDTHOLT" --- which we know as "MASTER OF THE SHEEPFOLD". ;-)

Art Thieme