Musical Symbolism

It may be difficult for us to imagine the effect produced on people when they heard instruments played to accompany song, or tuned instruments using specific frequencies. But the magic and pleasure music provided was looked on as spiritual. A gift from heaven. And this is why there is a constellation called Lyra to celebrate the birth of one of the musical instruments that set this process in motion. From the very simple design of the lyre, a vast number of stringed instruments have evolved – zithers, pianos, violins, banjos, guitars, cellos, double bass, lutes, psalteries, mandolins, harpsichords, the Jewish kinnor and we could continue. But in the days when music was used spiritually, its effects too were far greater. Orpheus's music was said to be so great that animals could be tamed and pacified, people sent into ecstasy, and their mood and health affected. And it still can, if it is the right music. So fundamental to healing, wisdom and inspiration was music that both music and lyre playing became a fundamental part of the Mysteries. The ancient Mysteries were perhaps the highest spiritual heritage in ancient Greece. Pythagorus, Plato, Socrates and Orpheus were all Adepts. But, although the lyre may be a sacred and key part of the Mysteries, Greece is not the place to find the lyre's origin and here we need to go back much further to Ancient Mesopotamia and the 4,500 years old Lyres of Ur - The "Golden Lyre of Ur", The "Queen's Lyre", The "Bull Headed Lyre" and the "Silver Lyre" As J E Cirlot noted The Lyre is a symbol of the harmonious union of cosmic forces. As such, music may indeed be "heaven sent". ===================== CREDITS PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURES Pothos (Desire), restored as Apollo Citharoedus during the Roman era (1st or 2nd century AD, based on a Greek work c. 300 BC); the cithara strings are not extant. Sappho_and_Alcaeus – Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema jean delville Orpheus hesiod-and-the-muse-1870 - gustave moreau muse-with-a-lyre-1895-henri-martin Sir_Lawrence_Alma-Tadema - A_Reading_from_Homer Orpheus - Franz_von_Stuck_1891 David_and_Saul - Ernst_Josephson Maître_inconnu,_école_flamande_-_David_jouant_de_la_Harpe_devant_Saül Henri_Martin_-_The_Song_of_Orpheus Henri_Martin_-_Poetesses_on_a_Lake_Shore Apollo_Musagetes_Pio-Clementino Tanbūra In Cairo, played by a Nubian, 1858. African_Lyre_Player_c._1640- 1660, Deccan, at the Cleveland Museum of Art George Morgan – The Beatles’ guitars Kinnor - The most important visual source for the kinnor is a relief from Nineveh, on display at the British Museum: As the Judahite inhabitants of Lakhish are sent into exile in 701 BCE, they play the kinnor Michael Parkes – Anubis 1999 Reproduction of the lyre from the Sutton Hoo royal burial (England), c. 600 AD Pothos (Desire), restored as Apollo Citharoedus during the Roman era (1st or 2nd century AD, based on a Greek work c. 300 BC) Terpsichore_by_Antonio_Canova A lyrist on the Standard of Ur, c. 2500 BC Bull's_head_of_the_Queen's_lyre_from_Pu-abi's grave PG 800, the Royal Cemetery at Ur, Southern Mesopotamia, Iraq. The British Museum, London. The_Queen's_gold_lyre_from_the_Royal_Cemetery_at_Ur._C._2500_BCE. Iraq_Museum The_Queen's_lyre_and_the_silver_lyre,_from_the_Royal_Cemetery_at_Ur, southern_Mesopotamia,_Iraq._The_British_Museum,_London. C0444306-Standard_of_Ur_Mosaic,_War_Panel_Detail The_gold_lyre_from_the_Great_Death-Pit,_Ur_excavations_(1900) 1896.-henri-edmond-cross-the-pink-cloud-1896-1 Henri martin – poetesse isaure Henri Edmond Cross - Landscape with Goats 1895 Henri Martin - a lady-with-lyre-by-pine-trees-1890 Fresco_from_Pompeii,_1st_century_AD,_National_Archaeological_Museum_of_Naples,_Italy the title picture by Paul Vincenti https://www.deviantart.com/rosettafire/art/Polyhymnia-The-Painting-189100968 VIDEO EFFECTS AND FOOTAGE Lyra Constellation (Buruj Lyra) https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=NIRNjyY_oT8 Greek lyre https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=o3tCdiIPjf8&t=1s OMWOLDON - SAMHAIN , Father and son playing celtic lyra https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=TOnosezkxsw The Lyre Of Megiddo https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=27opcKxcg1c Greensleeves - Lyre Harp https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ZahRGZ-XTM0 Comparing 16 String LYRE HARPS. Which is BEST? | Solid Body? Hollow? Deer? Sound Hole? (Aklot Lyres) https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=m3z4OBTDTDQ "Gnaal" - the bowed lyre (taglharpe) https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=muRr8WqrU48 All of the Constellations in HD https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=_esk-esvxU8&t=230s MUSIC 00:00 Kravik Lyre demo https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=sKN2bwyygN4 01:41 Lyre Gauloise Basse - The Ogmios Way https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ML0p4ICD4T8 02:54 Lamentation by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100607 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ 05:59 Harpsichord Fugue - Sir Cubworth 09:03 Unusual ancient musical instrument Lira (Pirogovo, Kiev) https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ZAFCJR9Xz7Y 09:15 Wistful Harp - Andrew Huang 12:38 The Sumerian Silver Lyre https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=JU4QRxsZhjg 16:28 Evening Fall Harp by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100236 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ 18:46 Kravik Lyre demo https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=sKN2bwyygN4