What is a Lyre?
Lyres are musical instruments with roots dating back to as early as the 3rd millennium among the Sumerians. The stringed instrument, however, is more often associated with the Ancient Greeks, who employed it to accompany lyric poetry, which takes its name from the instrument, as well as song, dance, and dramatic performances.
The word "lyre" describes a variety of variations on a stringed instrument, usually employing anywhere from 4-8 strings and a body created by two arms, a curved base, and a crossbar to which the strings are strung from the base. Early lyres were often made from tortoiseshell, then later with wood.
Woman holding Ancient Greek lyre
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The word itself comes from the Mycenaean word for "lyricist," after the performers who would have used a variation of the lyre instrument early on. The modern English word is a Latin variation on the Ancient Greek.
History of the Lyre
Evidence of the first lyre instruments can be found in the ancient Sumerian culture around 2500 BC., where we find the first depictions of a similar stringed instrument in art and representations. These Sumerian lyres, the Lyres of Ur, predate ones found in Egypt from around 2000 BC. The first known depiction of a lyre in western culture is carved onto a sarcophagus, the Hagia Triada, on the island of Crete.
The Greeks, who made the lyre very much a part of their practice, believed it was a creation of the messenger god Hermes. According to the myth, Hermes often posed as a trickster figure and stole a herd of cows from the god of music and livestock, Apollo. When Apollo discovered this, he was furious. Hermes reportedly sacrificed one of the cows and created an instrument strung from its entrails and a nearby tortoise shell. When Apollo came upon Hermes, he asked Hermes to trade him the instrument in lieu of the cows and they called it even. The lyre, thereafter, became one of the chief symbols of Apollo.
A variety of Ancient Greek lyre, 480-470 BC
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Greek lyres symbolize wisdom and moderation in addition to their connection to lyric poetry, which is poetry performed by the Greeks with the musical accompaniment of the instrument. Variations in design began to develop, with many early lyres involving only 4 strings that would be plucked with the use of a pick, or plectrum, in one hand while the other strummed the strings. Later, the Greeks employed as many as 7 or 8 strings to get more tonal variation in tone. The development of the lyre continued through the Middle Ages and into the 18th century. A European variety, the rotta, involved up to 16 strings.
