Typology

According to latest systematization made by the author (Apanavièius 1986; 1989; 1992; APV 1990; 1994) in the entire "kanklës" area there are three types of such instruments. occurring in the regions speeding from the south to the north - east (Fig. 1).

In author's opinion, the first type kanklës might have been a models of the hollowed boats and coffins, since of old used for a "journey to "another" world" (fig. 3), while the relict cold water fishes could have been the prototypes of the kanklës of the second and the third type (Fig. 4). The types of kanklës could appear and be formed in the very old, most probably, pre - Finnish times. The common names of the Baltic and Baltic Finnish kanklës, most likely, go back to these times. Their Finnish origin, in spite of rather strenuous efforts, practically cannot be proved (Apanavièius 1994:35). The same is noted by the most autstanding Finnish linguists (Mikkola 1925; Nieminen 1963; Toivonen 1974).