Between 1600 and 1100 B.C. the Mycenaean culture was a dominant force in the Mediterranean. Centered on the northeastern side of the Peloponnese peninsula, they were a warrior favoring people who conquered many neighboring cultures in their expansion. There are not many direct records from their culture, however more famous texts such as Theogony by Hesiod, the Iliad and the Odyssey tell part of their story. In particular Hesiod tells the story of Greek Mythology, frequently referencing the Muses who aid in his story telling. |
| A Muse sarcophagus with the nine Muses depicted |
Music was such an integral part of Greek life that it played into nearly every important event. According to John G. Landels, music was engrained into events such as public gatherings, private dinner parties, ceremonies, worship, comedies, tragedies, sports and athletic events, at schools, on the battlefield and on the ships (see page 1 in "Music in Ancient Greece and Rome", Routledge 1999.) It would be easy in today's world of music how this is possible and the effects that it has at bringing forward emotions within the people. To illustrate that, the 100,000 Watt sound system at the football stadium can easily sway the cheery fans to start stomping and yelling for their team with a couple of favorite songs.
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| Muses dancing with Apollos |
The word music (mousike - the realm of the Muses) is derived from the muses of ancient Greece along with the words amuse and museum (Murray and Wilson, "Music and the Muses". p. 1. Oxford, 2004.). The ancient art of telling stories through the media of music, poetry and song was very popular among these peoples. Their origin is told well in the story of Theogany where Hesiod attributes his successes to the mighty Muses who help in telling the story.
Described as divine daughters of Zeus who "arise and go abroad by night, veiled in thick mist, and utter their song with lovely voice", Hesiod lavishly praises these heroines. These are the most gifted tellers of all who bestow their blessings to those they find favorable.
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| Kithara |
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| Aulos |
- The Kithara is, like it sounds, similar to the modern day guitar with a sound board and strings on a bridge. It differs in the fact that the strings are upright and by a knot to the crossbar on top.
- The Aulos is thought to be a double reeded instrument with a sound not unlike a clarinet but with overtones like a bag-pipe.
- Finally the Lyre is actually an instrument that everyone has seen somewhere but no one knows what it is (until now!). This instrument first shows up in Mycenaean culture where the word is closely connected to a lyrist (now you know where the word comes from!).
Lyre
A muse is an inspiration to all artists, an enlightenment of mind and soul. In today's context the scope of the muse is a broad one enveloping any type of creative spark or moment of genius. In english, this may also refer to meditation or seeking divine guidance. For example, if you are seriously pondering or seeking guidance you "muse" over something. Joseph Smith for example referred to seeking revelation as "musing" over things of significance.
In all contexts, we have a strong history of music to which we may thank the influence of the Muses from our little island in the Mediterranean.
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| A Greek Theater which claims impeccable acoustics for its size. Perfect for music and song! |
Wow! Look at the size of that Greek theatre! It's crazy! I would love to perform there. Anyway, I cannot believe it never occured to me that music comes from the root word, muse. It makes perfect sense, but I just never really thought about it before. That's so neat!
ReplyDeleteI had this ballet teacher who would often refer to the music. He would always say things like, "The muses spoke to me!" And then he'd whip out some brilliant choreography. Eventually, his frequent mention of the muses became a bit of an inside joke in the class and we would ask him on a weekly basis if the muses had spoken to him. :D Does anyone else have a story about the muses?
Well, when I was little, my friends and I would act out Disney movies, and we used to fight over who was the lead muse in Hercules, but I don't think that really counts.
ReplyDeleteMy English teacher would always say that we couldn't wait for the muse to strike to write poetry, we just had to work through it. It was good advice because I never was struck by any creative inspiration.
Those Greek amphitheaters are so amazing. The actors didn't even have to yell to be heard in the farthest seats. The Greeks designed these architectural wonders to have the perfect place to convey oral knowledge to a large group of people.
I love the quote you threw in from Theogony: "For though a man have sorrow and grief in his newly-troubled soul... yet, when a singer...chants the glorious deeds of men of old and the blessed gods who inhabit Olympus, at once he forgets his heaviness and remembers not his sorrows at all."
ReplyDeleteDuring especially heavy times, many people turn to escapism by attending movies more frequently (ie during the Great Depression and World War II). Do you think the ancients also put their arts to similar use during troubled times?
One of the purposes of Greek drama (and tragedy in particular) was to facilitate catharsis, or a purging/cleansing of the emotions. Was this an early form of escapism?