The history of the instrument starts in the Middle East. Eventually, dulcimers found thier way to Europe during the middle ages in the form of an instrument called the psaltery. In fact, the hammered dulcimer is just a later version of the psaltery, hammered instead of plucked or bowed. The hammers did come into being during the later middle ages, and stayed with the instrument to modern day.

The instrument is played, as has been suggested, with little hammers in your hands. The hammered dulcimer, as it is called in English, is also found in many many other countries of the world too, but called by different names. The khanoun (or some spelling variant),for instance, from the Middle East is considered the most difficult instrument to play of the Middle Eastern instruments. A old saying goes that it takes half a life to learn to play it well, and the other half to keep it in tune! ;)

Don't get this confused with the plucked, or mountain, dulcimer, which is a completely different instrumet (also fun to play, though). Here are some links:

• The Griffin's Den, makers of fine hammered dulcimers.
• Hammered Dulcimer web server (sorta). Many of the dulcimer links on the web are listed on this page.
• And a neat newer page called The Kitchen Musician.