The Symbolism of the Lyre and the Constellation Lyra

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".
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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