Regions spreading

The kanklės of the first type are popular in North Eastern Aukštaitija, Latvian Augšzeme, Latgala, South Eastern Estonia - in the Setu region, North Western Russia, they are also used by a small nation of Vepsians. The second type kanklės occur in Žemaitija, Western Aukštaitija, Latvian Zemgale, in the middle region or the Estonian southern dialects, they are used by the Votians, Izhorians and Karelians. The kanklės of the third type are spread in the old Curonian lands in North Western Žemaitija, Latvian Kurzeme, Western Estonia, in the Votians and Izhorians lands, very much favoured with the Karelian Isthmus and territories around it. Such kanklės occur in Suvalkija - in South Western Lithuania.

In picture: The kanklės of the Baltic sea nations (table format)

1a - the kanklės of Lithuanian North Eastern Aukštaičiai. BKM 928. Biržai reg.;
1b - Lettish Augšzeme kokle. CVVM 22159. Ilūkste reg., Saliene a.;
1c - Latgalian kokle. CVVM 22186. Latgale;
1d - Setu Estonian kannel. EM A 291:76;
1e - North Western Russian gusli. NGMNV 20376 - 22. Novgorod reg., Borovichi a.;
1f - the fossil of North Western Russian gusli. Novgorog, 14th c. (Koltchin 1968:178);
1g - Vepsian kantele. GME 4452 - 248. Leningrad reg., Lodeinaja Pole a., Gadanovskaja (Shapsha) v.;

2a - Lithuanian Žemaičiai kanklės. ŠAM EB 1765. Šiauliai reg., Padubysys a., Jonelaičiai v.;
2b - Lithuanian North Western Aukštaičiai kanklės. ŠAM EB 1798. Šiauliai reg., Joniškis a.;
2c - Lettish Zemgalian kokle. CVVM 22259. Bauska reg., Barbele a.;
2d - Southern Estonian kannel. EM 509:5993;
2e - Southern Estonian kannel. EM A 279:65. Tartu reg., Rõngu v.;
2f - Votian kannel. SKM 1855:10. Sankt - Petersburg reg., Soikkola a., Pummala v.;
2g - Izhorian kantele. GME 4460 - 74. Sankt - Petersburg reg.;

3a - Lithuanian Suvalkiečiai kanklės. TMM ED 26265. Marijampolė reg., Veiveriai a., Skriaudžiai v.;
3b - Lithuanian North Western Žemaičiai kanklės. ČDM Lt 2801. Telšiai reg.;
3c - Kurzeme Lettish kokle. CVVM 22254. Aizpute reg., Jūrkalne a.;
3d - Western Estonian kannel. EM 566:497 m/t;
3e - Izhorian kannel. SKM 4880:126. Sankt - Petersburg reg., Ülem - Luuga a., Tarassina v.;
3f - Karelian kantele. KGM 2 8884;
3g - South Eastern Finnish kantele. Savo reg. (Rapapallit ja Lakuttimet 1985:20).

(Apanavičius 1992:14; APV 1994:19)