Transverse flute
Parish Church of Weitental, South Tyrol, c. 1500.
Courtesy of the project Ikonographie der Renaissanceflöte.
(Link to the project Ikonographie der Renaissanceflöte)
The transverse flute (Traversflöte; Zwerchpfeife; Schwegel) has frequently been associated with the German-speaking world since the Middle Ages, as can still be seen today in its French name (flûte allemande). And indeed, it appears with striking frequency in German illustrations from the 12th century onwards. Although turned from a single piece of wood and without keys, its operating principle does not differ significantly from that of the modern transverse flute: the instrument was (usually) made in one piece, held transversely and played by blowing into a mouth-hole. Six finger-holes were used to change the pitch. The transverse flute appears in iconography in a wide variety of sizes and was evidently also used to accompany monophonic songs. Other areas of use included dance and military music, both usually accompanied by percussion. From around 1320, it also became common in France and disappeared almost entirely from the iconography of the Austrian region until the early 15th century. In the 1470s, it reappeared – presumably via Swiss influence – as a new or rediscovered instrument. From this period onwards at the latest, it was consistently used in military and dance music in conjunction with percussion, but was also employed for the instrumental performance of polyphony.
Transverse flute on “Geschichtsfenster”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrAq5WLU91I&t=1128s