Culture.pl, the website of Poland’s Adam Mickiewicz Institute, recently published an interesting article about the 8 most unusual instruments used in Polish folk music dating back to the 11th century: the ligawka, hurdy-gurdy, cart rattle, devil’s fiddle, suka, burczybas, pedal accordion, and vessel. In contrast to their unappealing names, these instruments emanate stunning sounds through simple mechanisms, not unlike many classical instruments today. Traditionally, several of these instruments were used for religious purposes, like the Ligawka, which was used to signal the coming of Advent, or the cart rattle that was played during Holy Week in place of church bells. Today, they can be heard in Polish contemporary folk music – most commonly, the hurdy-gurdy, the burczybas, and the suka. The pedal accordion, highly popular in the Mazowsze region, can also be cited in Kapela Kurpiowska z Kadzidła’s music among other modern folk groups.
[Source: culture.pl]