The World’s Oldest Recorded Song

The song is one of the oldest forms of literature thriving in today’s society. Among the oldest recorded songs are epic poems such as Beowulf, an oral tradition passed on from generation to generation. But the oldest recorded song dates back to the first or second century AD. And it is a love song.

The oldest recorded song in the world is called Song of Seikilos. It is the oldest surviving composition, complete with notes and lyrics engraved in a marble tombstone and a stele which people now call the Seikilos Epitaph. It was discovered in Turkey in 1883 and is currently on display in the National Museum of Denmark.

The tombstone had an inscription that read “from Seikilos to Euterpe” along with a poem. It is believed that this was a man’s dedication to his wife who had passed away. Though the piece was short, it was enough to convey the message.

What makes this artifact significant is that other than the lyrics, the creator even included the melody in the slab. The melody was written in ancient Greek musical notation. This allowed modern musicians to create renditions of the song.

Scholars have translated the inscriptions into two different poems but the message of the song remains the same: enjoy life to the fullest because death will come for us eventually.

Brooklyn-based parent and teacher Jonah Engler enjoys cooking, meditation, and other healing activities. He practices mindfulness and other teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. Some of the organizations he supports are the Children of Promise foundation, the United Federation of Teachers, and the Buddhist center Nalanda Institute. For more insightful reads on art, visit this website.

Originally Posted: https://jonahenglerus.wordpress.com/2018/06/25/song-of-seikilos-the-worlds-oldest-recorded-song/