What do you call a medieval fiddle?

Answer 1

There were two very similar instruments in medieval England that were played with a bow:

• the viol or vielle was usually held upright on the lap, facing away from the player
• the rebec was held under the chin or along the arm and played like a modern violin; sometimes it was played just like the viol

Both normally had three strings, but could have four or even five. Both instruments were based on Arabic originals.

The major difference between these two instruments is the the viol was always made with a "waisted" body, like modern violins. Rebecs were made with a simpler, gourd-shaped body without any waist. They had fairly flat bodies in the 12th century, becoming deeper as the medieval era went on.

Bows were simple affairs of wood with horsehair strings.

See links below for images:

Answer 2

A medieval fiddle is commonly referred to as a vielle. It is a stringed instrument popular during the Middle Ages, similar to a modern violin but with a slightly different construction and sound.