Category Archives: Think different

To hang our Lyres up to the Willows…

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

“By the waters of Babylon,     there we sat down and wept,     when we remembered Zion. On the willows there     we hung up our lyres.” Psalm 137:1-2 (ESV) o you probably have heard these verses? They are fairly well known. The people … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Living history, lyre, Music, Projects, Re-enactment, Research, Think different, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A new, updated Sutton Hoo lyre

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

Let’s go back in history… To long forgotten times, when life was simple. Times of dreams, of joy and laughter with large gatherings of people. When social distancing was something you only did with weird relatives. The times of free … Continue reading →

Posted in Guitar Plans, Living history, lyre, Projects, Research, Think different, Uncategorized, Woodworking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Early Medieval Iron Making

Posted on March 3, 2020 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

This movie is the first thing I ever saw about early iron production. And it fascinated me completely. Literally combining the four elements in the process to make something. Earth + water make cobb Air dries the oven Fire breaks … Continue reading →

Posted in Documentary, History, Living history, Movies, Re-enactment, Research, Think different, Tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Voboam: Guitars fit for a king

Posted on February 4, 2020 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

It’s probably the most well known name when it comes to baroque guitars: Voboam. Rather than a single maker, there is a whole dynasty of luthiers, spanning almost a century. It started with pater familias René Voboam, whose 1641 guitar … Continue reading →

Posted in Guitar, Guitar Plans, History, Research, Think different, Uncategorized, Woodworking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tattooing a lyre and chisel

Posted on February 8, 2019 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

When you think about the Trossingen Lyre, often the first thing that comes to mind are the rich engravings on the instrument. “Are you going to cut those too?” was the first thing people asked me when told about the … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Living history, lyre, Projects, Think different, Thoughts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Trossingen Lyre Project

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

An introduction to the Trossingen Lyre Project. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, lyre, Music, Projects, Re-enactment, Research, Think different, Thoughts, Uncategorized, Woodworking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Life as a Professional Time Traveller

Posted on November 3, 2018 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

Last week a friend called me a “Professional Time Traveller”. A joke, but I think in a sense he is right… I tend to take leapfrogs trough history one day measuring an original guitar from 1760, the next adjusting a … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, History, Projects, Re-enactment, Research, Think different, Thoughts, Uncategorized, Woodworking, Workshop | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

King David and his pretty little lyres

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

When researching the old European lyres there are two pictures that always keep surfacing: The Vespasian Lyre Probably the most famous is the one of King David in the Vespasian Psalter (Southern England, 2nd or 3rd quarter of the 8th … Continue reading →

Posted in History, lyre, Music, Projects, Re-enactment, Research, Think different, Uncategorized, Woodworking, Workshop | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A home-made drawknife

Posted on May 4, 2018 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

Another addition to my historical toolboxes just has to be a drawknife. A tool that has been around since Roman times, it survived the ages very well. I am always looking for suitable stock materials to make edge tools. Old … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects, Re-enactment, Think different, Tools, Uncategorized, Woodworking, Workshop | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Sellas theorbo update…

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

While the re-enactment season has started, work in the shop continues as normal. Jannemieke’s Sellas theorbo is getting along fine. Time for an update… The carvings on the back of the neck are finished. We were a little bit in … Continue reading →

Posted in Lute, Projects, Think different, Uncategorized, Woodworking, Workshop | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment