Euterpe Sings the First Song

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Euterpe Sings the First Song Euterpe Sings the First Song The instructions for singing are the same as the instructions for writing; or, at least, they were once. When the muses chanted the first rehearsed lyrics both art forms began. Melete, Mneme and Aoide: the original three muses embodied the act of ‘remembering’ and ‘practicing’ ‘song’. Orpheus sings the story and he’s in the story; which came first? Like a chicken and egg situation, the singer and song. The Oldest Piece of Writing in the World? Written around 340BC, this manuscript tells of a song by Orpheus, quoting part of the creation myth. During which Zeus swallows the Phallus of King Uranus, who first ejaculated the brilliance of heaven, if you please. Oracles foretold of Orpheus, and Orpheus told of Oracles in his songs. Here, the Pythia’s stool is placed above a pit where the fumes of decomposing Python, the beast slain by Apollo, lays. The intoxicating smoke put this singer into a trance. Orpheus’ father is Apollo and his mother is Muse Calliope. Made by the gods, of the same stuff as music itself…. All ancient sources agree, he could tame the wild animals with his song. And he charmed the king of the underworld with his music so Orpheus was allowed to take his dead bride Eurydice back to the light side… But he broke Hades’ rule, ‘don’t look back’; and lost her forever. I used to think it was his lack of faith but now wonder if it was something she said?! Trying to live without his wife, Orpheus gets torn apart by all the other women, who can never turn the god of music on. His mother and the other muses bury the parts of his body around Greece. Except for his head, which floats on the river Hebrus singing forever. Here, Euterpe, Muse of Music, with her double flute, clearly has the closest relationship with Orpheus of all nine; except perhaps his mother, Calliope. As a musician, once upon a time, you’d have invoked her supernatural assistance for your song!.
Recommended publications
  • Sound and Music Computing Meets Philosophy
    Proceedings ICMC|SMC|2014 14-20 September 2014, Athens, Greece Sound and Music Computing Meets Philosophy Jean-Claude Risset Laboratoire de Mécanique et d’Acoustique, CNRS&AMU, Marseille, France [email protected] ABSTRACT encouraged me to compose. In his 1943 Suite delphique, Jolivet evoked the dogs of Erebus, the gloomy space of Philosophy was born in Greece: it raised fundamental darkness between Earth and the dark underworld of questions, some of which were revived since 1957, when Hades: Jolivet resorted to the Ondes Martenot, an early it became possible to compute sound and music. All electronic instrument still alive and well. material substances are made of atoms: modularity is at The philosophers of antique Greece raised work in chemistry, linguistics, but also in music. Sounds fundamental questions about the nature of the universe, can be synthesized from other sounds, but one cannot the problems of truth, ethics and society, the meaning of exhibit genuine atoms of sound. The question of simple life. Nietzsche wrote that later philosophy did not add versus multiple is crucial: as Chowning demonstrated, a anything essential. Some of these early questions were mix of sound components can be heard as a single sonic revived since the 1950s, when it became possible to entity or as a multiplicity of sounds. Sounds have compute sound and music. In 1957, Max Mathews objective reality, but auditory illusions demonstrate the implemented the computation of sound with a real genius idiosyncrasies of perception and remind us of Protagoras’ of design, which was very important for the development claim that “of all things the measure is man”.
    [Show full text]
  • Naming the Extrasolar Planets
    Naming the extrasolar planets W. Lyra Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, K¨onigstuhl 17, 69177, Heidelberg, Germany [email protected] Abstract and OGLE-TR-182 b, which does not help educators convey the message that these planets are quite similar to Jupiter. Extrasolar planets are not named and are referred to only In stark contrast, the sentence“planet Apollo is a gas giant by their assigned scientific designation. The reason given like Jupiter” is heavily - yet invisibly - coated with Coper- by the IAU to not name the planets is that it is consid- nicanism. ered impractical as planets are expected to be common. I One reason given by the IAU for not considering naming advance some reasons as to why this logic is flawed, and sug- the extrasolar planets is that it is a task deemed impractical. gest names for the 403 extrasolar planet candidates known One source is quoted as having said “if planets are found to as of Oct 2009. The names follow a scheme of association occur very frequently in the Universe, a system of individual with the constellation that the host star pertains to, and names for planets might well rapidly be found equally im- therefore are mostly drawn from Roman-Greek mythology. practicable as it is for stars, as planet discoveries progress.” Other mythologies may also be used given that a suitable 1. This leads to a second argument. It is indeed impractical association is established. to name all stars. But some stars are named nonetheless. In fact, all other classes of astronomical bodies are named.
    [Show full text]
  • Hesiod Theogony.Pdf
    Hesiod (8th or 7th c. BC, composed in Greek) The Homeric epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, are probably slightly earlier than Hesiod’s two surviving poems, the Works and Days and the Theogony. Yet in many ways Hesiod is the more important author for the study of Greek mythology. While Homer treats cer- tain aspects of the saga of the Trojan War, he makes no attempt at treating myth more generally. He often includes short digressions and tantalizes us with hints of a broader tra- dition, but much of this remains obscure. Hesiod, by contrast, sought in his Theogony to give a connected account of the creation of the universe. For the study of myth he is im- portant precisely because his is the oldest surviving attempt to treat systematically the mythical tradition from the first gods down to the great heroes. Also unlike the legendary Homer, Hesiod is for us an historical figure and a real per- sonality. His Works and Days contains a great deal of autobiographical information, in- cluding his birthplace (Ascra in Boiotia), where his father had come from (Cyme in Asia Minor), and the name of his brother (Perses), with whom he had a dispute that was the inspiration for composing the Works and Days. His exact date cannot be determined with precision, but there is general agreement that he lived in the 8th century or perhaps the early 7th century BC. His life, therefore, was approximately contemporaneous with the beginning of alphabetic writing in the Greek world. Although we do not know whether Hesiod himself employed this new invention in composing his poems, we can be certain that it was soon used to record and pass them on.
    [Show full text]
  • Xanadu - Character Descriptions
    XANADU - CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS Sonny Malone - is the young male lead from the beaches of California. He is wide-eyed, full of ​ dreams and can be a bit sensitive; after all, he is an artist! While Sonny may not be the brightest, he is very sincere and earnest. Actor with excellent comedic timing and singing voice. Kira - Kira is the Greek heroine and loveable, young ingénue. She begins the play as Clio, the ​ youngest and the most idealistic of the Muses. With the addition of leg warmers and an Australian accent, she quickly becomes Kira to help Sonny realize his dreams. She is ambitious, smart and like Sonny, pure of heart. Must be a strong actor, singer, dancer. Danny Maguire - Danny Maguire is a real estate magnate and owner of the Xanadu theater. He ​ should be a malleable actor who can evolve from being guarded about protecting the theater to becoming partners with Sonny and then betraying him. Danny should be an experienced singer. The Andrews Sisters - The Andrews Sisters (Maxene, Patty and Laverne) are an exact duplicate of ​ the Andrews Sisters that were famous in the 1940s. Great singers - might double with other ensemble roles. The Tubes - The Tubes is an iconic, hard-rockin' new-wave band of the 80s. Band members can be ​ ANY GENDER. Must have a lot of energy and sing with character. Melpomene - Muse of Tragedy, is the eldest of the Muses and is most responsible for plotting ​ against Kira. Strong acting and singing required. Calliope - Calliope, Muse of Epics, is Melpomene's "Wing-Muse." She is equally devious and listens ​ closely to her sister's direction.
    [Show full text]
  • Zeus in the Greek Mysteries) and Was Thought of As the Personification of Cyclic Law, the Causal Power of Expansion, and the Angel of Miracles
    Ζεύς The Angel of Cycles and Solutions will help us get back on track. In the old schools this angel was known as Jupiter (Zeus in the Greek Mysteries) and was thought of as the personification of cyclic law, the Causal Power of expansion, and the angel of miracles. Price, John Randolph (2010-11-24). Angels Within Us: A Spiritual Guide to the Twenty-Two Angels That Govern Our Everyday Lives (p. 151). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. Zeus 1 Zeus For other uses, see Zeus (disambiguation). Zeus God of the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order, justice [1] The Jupiter de Smyrne, discovered in Smyrna in 1680 Abode Mount Olympus Symbol Thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak Consort Hera and various others Parents Cronus and Rhea Siblings Hestia, Hades, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter Children Aeacus, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Dardanus, Dionysus, Hebe, Hermes, Heracles, Helen of Troy, Hephaestus, Perseus, Minos, the Muses, the Graces [2] Roman equivalent Jupiter Zeus (Ancient Greek: Ζεύς, Zeús; Modern Greek: Δίας, Días; English pronunciation /ˈzjuːs/[3] or /ˈzuːs/) is the "Father of Gods and men" (πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε, patḕr andrōn te theōn te)[4] who rules the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father rules the family according to the ancient Greek religion. He is the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. Zeus is etymologically cognate with and, under Hellenic influence, became particularly closely identified with Roman Jupiter. Zeus is the child of Cronus and Rhea, and the youngest of his siblings. In most traditions he is married to Hera, although, at the oracle of Dodona, his consort is Dione: according to the Iliad, he is the father of Aphrodite by Dione.[5] He is known for his erotic escapades.
    [Show full text]
  • Free Script Sample
    DANCING WITH THE OLYMPIANS By Lavinia Roberts Copyright © 2011 by Lavinia Roberts, All rights reserved. ISBN: 1-60003-590-6 CAUTION: Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that this Work is subject to a royalty. This Work is fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America and all countries with which the United States has reciprocal copyright relations, whether through bilateral or multilateral treaties or otherwise, and including, but not limited to, all countries covered by the Pan-American Copyright Convention, the Universal Copyright Convention and the Berne Convention. RIGHTS RESERVED: All rights to this Work are strictly reserved, including professional and amateur stage performance rights. Also reserved are: motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio broadcasting, television, video or sound recording, all forms of mechanical or electronic reproduction, such as CD-ROM, CD-I, DVD, information and storage retrieval systems and photocopying, and the rights of translation into non-English languages. PERFORMANCE RIGHTS AND ROYALTY PAYMENTS: All amateur and stock performance rights to this Work are controlled exclusively by Brooklyn Publishers, LLC. No amateur or stock production groups or individuals may perform this play without securing license and royalty arrangements in advance from Brooklyn Publishers, LLC. Questions concerning other rights should be addressed to Brooklyn Publishers, LLC. Royalty fees are subject to change without notice. Professional and stock fees will be set upon application in accordance with your producing circumstances. Any licensing requests and inquiries relating to amateur and stock (professional) performance rights should be addressed to Brooklyn Publishers, LLC. Royalty of the required amount must be paid, whether the play is presented for charity or profit and whether or not admission is charged.
    [Show full text]
  • Honor Roll 2006
    i annual report Jennifer Rodriquez, age 3 gifts Childrens hospiTal los angeles honor roll of donors for the time period of January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2006 in gratitude and recognition The patients, families, staff and Board of Trustees of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles are grateful to the many people who help us build for the future and provide clinical care, research and medical education through their financial support. We recognize esteemed individuals, organizations, corporations and foundations for their generosity during the 2006 calendar year. This Honor Roll lists donors who contributed at least $1,000 in cash gifts, pledges or pledge payments. To view the Red Wagon Society Honor Roll of Donors, which lists gifts of $150 to $999, please visit the electronic version of the Honor Roll at www.ChildrensHospitalLA.org/honorroll2006.pdf. Foregoing individual recognition, we also extend thanks to those who made generous contribu- tions directly to one of our Associate and Affiliate, or allied groups. Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) gifts to CMN National will be recognized in the next issue of Imagine. In spite of our best efforts, errors and omissions may occur. Please inform us of any inaccuracies by contacting Marie Logan, director of Donor Relations, at (323) 671-1733, or [email protected]. • | imagine spring 07 $10,000,000 and above The Sharon D. Lund Foundation Confidence Foundation Randy and Erika Jackson Anonymous Friend The Harold McAlister Charitable Corday Foundation Foundation i Foundation Kenneth and Sherry Corday Johnson & Johnson $4,000,000 to $9,999,999 Mrs. J. Thomas McCarthy Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • A Theology of Memory: the Concept of Memory in the Greek Experience of the Divine
    A Theology of Memory: The Concept of Memory in the Greek Experience of the Divine Master’s Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Brandeis University Department of Classical Studies Leonard Muellner, Advisor In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For Master’s Degree by Michiel van Veldhuizen May 2012 ABSTRACT A Theology of Memory: The Concept of Memory in the Greek Experience of the Divine A thesis presented to the Department of Classical Studies Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Brandeis University Waltham, Massachusetts By Michiel van Veldhuizen To the ancient Greek mind, memory is not just concerned with remembering events in the past, but also concerns knowledge about the present, and even the future. Through a structural analysis of memory in Greek mythology and philosophy, we may come to discern the particular role memory plays as the facilitator of vertical movement, throwing a bridge between the realms of humans and gods. The concept of memory thus plays a significant role in the Greek experience of the divine, as one of the vertical bridges that relates mortality and divinity. In the theology of Mnemosyne, who is Memory herself and mother of the Muses, memory connects not only to the singer-poet’s religiously efficacious speech of prophetic omniscience, but also to the idea of Truth itself. The domain of memory, then, shapes the way in which humans have access to the divine, the vertical dimension of which is expliticly expressed in the descent-ascent of the ritual passage of initiation. The present study thus lays bare the theology of Memory.
    [Show full text]
  • Mythology in Poetry
    Mythology in AP Poetry Andromeda sorrowing father was close at hand, and her mother too. They were Andromeda was the princess of Ethiopia, daughter of Cepheus and both in deep distress, though the mother had more cause to be so Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia was a boastful woman, and foolishly bragged (Metamorphoses IV 674-692) Perseus said to her parents that he that she was more beautiful than Juno, the queen of the gods, and the would kill the monster if they agree to give him their daughter's hand Nereids. In order to avenge the insult to his nymphs, Neptune sent a in marriage. They of course gave their consent, and Perseus killed the sea monster to ravage the Ethiopian coast. (Some accounts state that monster. (His exact method of doing so varies in different versions of the constellation Cetus represents the sea monster, but a more the myth. Ovid has Perseus stab the monster to death after a drawn- common view of Cetus is that he is a peaceful whale.) out, bloody battle, while other versions have the hero simply hold up the head of Medusa, turning the monster to stone.) Andromeda was The horrified king consulted Ammon, the oracle of Jupiter, who said freed, and the two joyously marry. that Neptune could be appeased only by sacrificing Cassiopeia's *Andromeda is represented in the sky as the figure of a woman with beautiful virgin daughter, Andromeda, to the monster. Andromeda her arms outstretched and chained at the wrists. was duly chained to a rock on the coast, fully exposed to the monster.
    [Show full text]
  • Of Memory and Muses: the Wellsprings of Creativity
    OF MEMORY AND MUSES: THE WELLSPRINGS OF CREATIVITY by Alissa Michelle Cook A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY Bozeman, Montana April 2013 © COPYRIGHT by Alissa Michelle Cook 2013 All Rights Reserved ii APPROVAL of a thesis submitted by Alissa Michelle Cook This thesis has been read by each member of the thesis committee and has been found to be satisfactory regarding content, English usage, format, citation, bibliographic style, and consistency, and is ready for submission to The Graduate School. Michael Sexson Approved for the Department of English Philip Gaines Approved for The Graduate School Dr. Ronald W. Larsen iii STATEMENT OF PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master’s degree at Montana State University, I agree that the Library shall make it available to borrowers under rules of the Library. If I have indicated my intention to copyright this thesis by including a copyright notice page, copying is allowable only for scholarly purposes, consistent with “fair use” as prescribed in the U.S. Copyright Law. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this thesis in whole or in parts may be granted only by the copyright holder. Alissa Michelle Cook April 2013 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 2. THE MYTHOLOGICAL MUSE ................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Greek Gods/Mythology Notes - Information on the Greek Belief System Comes from Many Sources
    Greek Gods/Mythology Notes - Information on the Greek belief system comes from many sources. Unlike followers of religions such as Christianity, Judaism, & Islam, the Greeks did not have a single sacred text, such as the Bible or Koran from which their beliefs and religious practices derived. Instead, they generally used oral traditions, passed on by word of mouth, to relate sacred stories. Priest and priestesses to various gods would also guide people in worship in various temples across Greece. We know something about these beliefs because Greek poets such as Homer, Hesiod and Pindar, and Greek dramatists such as Euripides, Aristophanes & Sophocles mention the myths in their various works. Greek mythology, however, was not static- it was constantly changing and evolving. Thus, there are often many different versions (and some that are contradictory toward one another) of the various Greek myths. Thus, some of the example myths you read in here may differ from ones you have previously heard. It does not necessarily make either version “wrong”- simply different. - The Greeks had many Gods & Goddesses- over three thousand if one were to count the many minor gods and goddesses. These deities made up the Greek pantheon, a word used to mean all the gods and goddesses (from the Greek word “pan” meaning all, and “theos” meaning gods). However, throughout Greece, there were always twelve (called the Twelve Olympians) that were the most important. They are: 1. Zeus 2. Hera 3. Poseidon 4. Athena 5. Apollo 6. Artemis 7. Hephaestus 8. Ares 9. Hermes 10. Aphrodite 11. Demeter 12. Dionysus 13.
    [Show full text]
  • Euterpe 2018
    EUTERPE 2018 A Doublepipe School led by Callum Armstrong & Barnaby Brown with Marco Sciascia & Chrēstos Terzēs (instrument & reed makers) Mirco Mungari (frame drum) Antonella Carpegna (hatha yoga) Tarquinia, Italy, 3-6 May Roman mosaic (c. 240 CE). Vichten, Luxembourg The doublepipe was the most popular musical instrument of ancient Greece and Rome. This inaugural Euterpe school, organised by the European Music Archaeology Project, is named after the Greek muse of music, the “Giver of delight”. It caters for all levels, from beginners to professionals. Beginners will make simple Sumerian Ur pipes to take home, which are ideal for learning circular breathing and practising quietly. Students of Louvre, Berlin, Pydna, Poseidonia or Elgin auloi must bring their own instruments (see below). Sheet music will be provided for solo and ensemble music- making on these six varieties of doublepipe. Repertoire for auloi will include the Athenaios paean, the Euripides Orestes chorus, Pindar’s 12th Pythian Ode (on the invention of the aulos), and exercises based on the Aristides scales and anonymous Bellermanni. The final concert will involve all participants in an ensemble composition inspired by the Pythikos nomos with five sections: 1) Apollo surveys the ground; 2) he challenges the serpent; 3) they fight and we hear the dying serpent’s hissing and teeth grinding; 4) a libation song; and 5) a victory dance. Singers, lyre players Etruscan painting (c. 470 BCE). Tomba dei Leopardi, Tarquinia and composers are welcome too. The four-day programme includes small-group teaching, vocabelising (to-a ta-e te-o), gentle stretching to mitigate the dangers of practising, rehearsals, talks, Skype conversations (with Stefan Hagel and other experts), informal performances and collegiate conversations over meals: a wholesome programme designed to energise and equip students to develop as doublepipe players back home, supported year- round by strong connections with fellow learners.
    [Show full text]