![]() In Sumerian history, musicians were believed to have played gigantic lyres that were placed on the ground while being played with both hands. The former was immensely popular in the ancient Middle East, while the latter was a mainstay in ancient Greek culture. Bowl lyres, on the other hand, have a curved back and a rounded body. They usually have hollow arms that resemble that of a Greek kithara. While the two look extremely similar, their components and the sound they produce make them easily distinguishable from the other.īox lyres got their name from their box-like body and soundboard made of wood. While lyres have continued to evolve over the years, two main types have maintained their popularity – box and bowl lyres. Those who believe in the story above are adamant that Hermes created it, but others believe that Apollo himself created the very first lyre. This fascinating story has led to conflicting accounts about who created the first lyre. Apollo loved the sound so much that he even offered to trade his cattle for the lyre. It is said that Hermes created the first lyre with a tortoiseshell, and was playing it, when Apollo confronted him, but forgot the offense in an instant. It also talks about how Hermes got away with stealing cows from Apollo, one of the most important yet complex Greek deities. There’s a lot more to this interesting Greek myth. Accordingly, the Greek deity Hermes once came across a tortoise and decided to use its shell as the soundbox of an instrument which people now know as the lyre. The Ancient Greeks told a legend that attempted to explain the origins of the lyre. Its convex back was made of a turtle shell, with future versions made out of wood that was hollowed out to the shape of a shell. ![]() In ancient Greece, the most common type of lyre was called a chelys. The first version of lyres had hollow bodies, also known as resonators or soundboxes. Today, some types of lyres require bows to be played, although it is still most commonly played with one’s fingers or a pick. Greeks never played it with a bow as well, as it would not work with the instrument’s flat soundboard. Unlike a guitar, a classic lyre does not have a fingerboard for pressing down the strings. One hand was used to keep some of the strings steady while the other was used to strum strings and produce certain notes, much like a guitar.Īll references to classical lyres describe them as seven-stringed instruments that are plucked. Unlike harps, classical lyres were played with a strumming motion rather than being plucked with fingers. The Hagia Triada sarcophagus, which dates to about 1400 BC, features what’s considered the earliest picture of the said instrument. Lyres in Ancient GreeceĪncient Greeks are known to have recited poetry while a lyre plays in the background. Books, TV shows, and movies portray angels this way, so people associating lyres with heavenly creatures is far from surprising.īut what exactly do lyres symbolize? Read on to learn more about the meaning of lyres before you start taking those music lessons. For these topics, the author.When someone talks about a lyre, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? You probably imagine an ethereal angel playing a lyre or harp, creating soothing sounds that float through the gates of heaven. Smith's fourth, fifth, and sixth aims take up the bulk of the book. As long as humanism held sway, the lute was the prince of instruments when it waned, the days of the lute were numbered" (7). His third aim, tracing the instrument's symbolism, appears as a constant throughout the book, supporting the author's central thesis that "the lute was the musical emblem of humanism. Smith's second purpose is also well served, as he explores societal uses of the lute. His selection and presentation of pictures prove especially effective in chapter 4, arguably Smith's best: "Lutes and Lute Making in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance" (58-94, plus four pages of color plates). Smith succeeds admirably in his first intention. Douglas Alton Smith, in the preface, explains his purpose and approach: hoping to provide a missing "panoramic view," he chose " to show in words and pictures how and why the lute changed physically through the ages to give a general introduction to the lute's use in society to trace the development of its cultural symbolism to place the major lutenists and composers in perspective biographically and musically to describe succinctly the musical style of each significant figure and to suggest how the music of one may have influenced others" (xii-xiii). This book represents a massive scholarly undertaking. Worth: The Lute Society of America, 2002.
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