The Lyre
A Comparative Study of the Instrument in Greek Mythology
Hermes: The Inventor
“Born with the dawning, at mid-day he played on the lyre”
-Homeric Hymn to Hermes
It is told in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes that on the same day Hermes was born, he created the lyre using the shell of a tortoise. This lyre soon became a gift for his brother Apollo as ordered by Zeus. In return for gifting the lyre, Apollo gave Hermes the caduceus he is often depicted with.
Apollo: The Gift Receiver:
Apollo, the god of music, poetry, the sun and light, is often depicted with and described as holding the lyre that was gifted to him by his brother.
Orpheus: The Instrumentalist
Orpheus is said to be the son of Apollo and the Muse Calliope. He was gifted his father’s lyre and trained musically by his mother.
One of Orpheus’s major achievements completed with the lyre was his ability to persuade Hades, god of the underworld, to allow his deceased wife to return to the land of the living.
Another achievement of Orpheus’s that stems from his talent with the lyre is when he assisted the Argonauts on their expedition by drowning out the Sirens song.
When Orpheus died, Zeus sent out an eagle to search for the lyre that was thrown into a river. When found, Zeus placed both the eagle and the lyre into the sky making them the constellations Lyra.
The Muses: Goddesses of the Arts
Many of the nine muses are depicted with a lyre, as they are the goddesses of the arts. They also possess the gift of being musically talented, enough to also share a victory over the Sirens’ song.
