Elven
Hail Symbollers Hows things.
I thought I'd explore the 'Harp' issue. Being a mad harpist myself I thought this would be interesting - but of course in relevance to the Symbols.
CAPRICORN 9: AN ANGEL CARRYING A HARP - Creating Harmony.
this symbol obviously hasn't seen or heard me play!! lol
There is some History of Harps in the days of Mesopotamia also - please correct me if I am wrong here and I will edit the post, but it was in this area where the 'Sabians' were from. I will try to post some info about them soon.
This comes from the History and folklore of the Harp by Gary Garrita. The information was very comprehensive so not all of it is in the thread - please read more from the site if you like. Enjoy - I hope this text adds to the quality of your view of the Symbol.
http://www.harps.com/history_expanded.html
INTRODUCTION
The history of the harp goes back thousands of years. The harp is the oldest known stringed instrument. The piano, the guitar, the violin and all other string instruments evolved from the harp. Throughout the ages, the harp has had an impact on almost every culture. Harps have been regarded as sacred and have been instrumental in the healing process, in celebration of birth, as comfort in passing, and to make people feel better. No other instrument has been so closely associated with so many positive things - with a profound sense of beauty, with peace and tranquility, with love, with enchantment, with goodness and with heaven. The word "harp" comes from Anglo-Saxon, Old German, and Old Norse words whose root means "to pluck". Scholars disagree as to what exactly a harp is. The names early musicians gave their instruments are not be the names we give those instruments today and the names of instruments in the ancient world were interchanged. Harps in my definition are multi-stringed-instruments, with open strings (no frets), where each string plays one note and where the strings are plucked with the fingers. This would include medieval harps, baroque harps; Irish harps, Celtic harps, Spanish harps; Chinese harps, African Harps; as well as related instruments like lyres, zithers, charach, citharas, psalteries, arpas, yahz, cheng, kotos, koras and other stringed instruments. The evolution of the harp conformed to paths of human migration and also coincided with the development of musical scales in each culture. The harps' development reflected physical, cultural and economic environments such as trade, religion, environmental changes, and technology at the time.
PREHISTORIC TIMES
No one really knows where the harp originated and we will never know what music sounded like at the dawn of civilization. One of the earliest musical instrument relics discovered showed a harp-like instrument on rock paintings dating back to 15,000 BC, which were found in France at the caves of Les Trois Freres. Many believe that the earliest harps came from the hunter's bow. Perhaps while hunting, prehistoric man liked the sound of the vibrating bowstring. Then a second string was added to the bow, then a third. In the course of time, more and more strings were added. Eventually, a gourd or a hollow area at one end of the bow was added which became a sound box. This came to be known as the arched harp of which the Egyptians later perfected.
ANCIENT EGYPT
Of all the musical instruments in ancient Egypt, the harp seems to have been the most popular. In Egypt, some of the earliest depictions of harps are from the Pharaoh's tombs dating some 5,000 years ago. The hieroglyphs show that there were many harps in ancient Egypt. Music played a great part in ancient Egyptian life. They regarded musical instruments and music itself as originating from the gods. Harps were used in harp ensembles, in festivities, banquets, funerals and temple worship. The Egyptians played mostly Arched Harps - where the neck and body form a bow-like curve or "C"-shaped arched" soundbox (the soundbox is the body and resonator of the instrument.) The harps were mostly played in a vertical position. The Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses III (1198-1166 BC) had many harps depicted among paintings in his tomb. In the New Kingdom, harps measured up to 6-1/2 feet in height with 19 strings and had to be played standing up. Many illustrations show the hands are on different strings with wide gaps between the hands. In my latest recording "Qualities", the actual acoustics from the Pyramids at Giza, Egypt were used on my harps to make them sound as if they were actually played inside these pyramids of ancient times.
MESOPOTAMIA
Harps were very popular in ancient Mesopotamia as they were in Egypt. One of the earliest illustrations of a harp in early Mesopotamia was on a vase found during an excavation of a Babylonian temple near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. These harps were arched harps with 12 to 15 strings; like the instruments that were played in Egypt at about the same time. Mesopotamian arched harps were played with the soundbox held uppermost, whereas in Egypt, the resonator was held below. The Mesopotamians later developed other types of harps. The angle harp differed from the Egyptian arched harps in that the neck and the body form right angles. Vertical harps also known as lyre harps (or just "lyres") also began appearing in ancient Sumeria by 2800 BC. A lyre usually had two arms (usually wood) extend out of the instrument's body. The arms are connected at the top with a stick or crossbar to which strings are wound. The strings are stretched from the stick crossbar to the instrument's body. In box lyres, the body and belly form a hollow wooden box; in bowl lyres, the body may be a tortoise shell, gourd or carved bowl", and the belly is usually an animal skin.
PALESTINE & BIBLICAL TIMES
Much of the imagery and concepts of harps we have come from the Bible. The harp is the first instrument mentioned in the bible. One of the earliest archaeological finds showing a harp was near Jerusalem. A cave drawing from the 3rd to 4th millennium BC, was discovered in Megiddo that depicts a man playing a frame harp known as a "nevel". Legend has it that the sound of the nevel is so sweet that when all the other musical instruments heard it they became ashamed. In the Bible, Jubal was "the ancestor of all who play the harp" (Genesis 4:21). The bible mentions that King David was "skilled in playing the harp". David played his harp as a shepherd while sitting in the fields and composing his psalms. Although no one knows exactly what David's harp(s) looked like, the Bible does say that David played very well and prevented King Saul from going mad. "And David would take the harp and play with his hand. Saul would find relief and feel better and the evil spirit departed from Saul" (Samuel 16: 23). This seems to be the oldest recorded case of harp therapy. Harp lyres were used in the Temple of Jerusalem as a regular part of the worship service. One depiction of a harp that existed close to the time of Jesus was shown on a coin called the "Bar Kochba coin". On this coin is shown a small harp called a kinnor, the kind that was probably used in the Temple Service. Legend has it that the Jews refused to play the harp when they were exiled in Babylon. Instead the Harp of David was hung upon the willow trees. The harp of the Temple was forever silenced and disappeared. Ancient Talmudic prophesy (Mas. Arachin 13b) says that harps will usher in the coming of the Messiah. "The harp of the ten strings is reserved for the day when the world that is to come (the Olam Haba) is united in one harmonious whole." In the last book of the New Testament, Revelation 14:2 states "And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps. "
Please add any more interesting bits and pieces about the Harp!
Blessings
Elven x
I thought I'd explore the 'Harp' issue. Being a mad harpist myself I thought this would be interesting - but of course in relevance to the Symbols.
CAPRICORN 9: AN ANGEL CARRYING A HARP - Creating Harmony.
this symbol obviously hasn't seen or heard me play!! lol
There is some History of Harps in the days of Mesopotamia also - please correct me if I am wrong here and I will edit the post, but it was in this area where the 'Sabians' were from. I will try to post some info about them soon.
This comes from the History and folklore of the Harp by Gary Garrita. The information was very comprehensive so not all of it is in the thread - please read more from the site if you like. Enjoy - I hope this text adds to the quality of your view of the Symbol.
http://www.harps.com/history_expanded.html
INTRODUCTION
The history of the harp goes back thousands of years. The harp is the oldest known stringed instrument. The piano, the guitar, the violin and all other string instruments evolved from the harp. Throughout the ages, the harp has had an impact on almost every culture. Harps have been regarded as sacred and have been instrumental in the healing process, in celebration of birth, as comfort in passing, and to make people feel better. No other instrument has been so closely associated with so many positive things - with a profound sense of beauty, with peace and tranquility, with love, with enchantment, with goodness and with heaven. The word "harp" comes from Anglo-Saxon, Old German, and Old Norse words whose root means "to pluck". Scholars disagree as to what exactly a harp is. The names early musicians gave their instruments are not be the names we give those instruments today and the names of instruments in the ancient world were interchanged. Harps in my definition are multi-stringed-instruments, with open strings (no frets), where each string plays one note and where the strings are plucked with the fingers. This would include medieval harps, baroque harps; Irish harps, Celtic harps, Spanish harps; Chinese harps, African Harps; as well as related instruments like lyres, zithers, charach, citharas, psalteries, arpas, yahz, cheng, kotos, koras and other stringed instruments. The evolution of the harp conformed to paths of human migration and also coincided with the development of musical scales in each culture. The harps' development reflected physical, cultural and economic environments such as trade, religion, environmental changes, and technology at the time.
PREHISTORIC TIMES
No one really knows where the harp originated and we will never know what music sounded like at the dawn of civilization. One of the earliest musical instrument relics discovered showed a harp-like instrument on rock paintings dating back to 15,000 BC, which were found in France at the caves of Les Trois Freres. Many believe that the earliest harps came from the hunter's bow. Perhaps while hunting, prehistoric man liked the sound of the vibrating bowstring. Then a second string was added to the bow, then a third. In the course of time, more and more strings were added. Eventually, a gourd or a hollow area at one end of the bow was added which became a sound box. This came to be known as the arched harp of which the Egyptians later perfected.
ANCIENT EGYPT
Of all the musical instruments in ancient Egypt, the harp seems to have been the most popular. In Egypt, some of the earliest depictions of harps are from the Pharaoh's tombs dating some 5,000 years ago. The hieroglyphs show that there were many harps in ancient Egypt. Music played a great part in ancient Egyptian life. They regarded musical instruments and music itself as originating from the gods. Harps were used in harp ensembles, in festivities, banquets, funerals and temple worship. The Egyptians played mostly Arched Harps - where the neck and body form a bow-like curve or "C"-shaped arched" soundbox (the soundbox is the body and resonator of the instrument.) The harps were mostly played in a vertical position. The Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses III (1198-1166 BC) had many harps depicted among paintings in his tomb. In the New Kingdom, harps measured up to 6-1/2 feet in height with 19 strings and had to be played standing up. Many illustrations show the hands are on different strings with wide gaps between the hands. In my latest recording "Qualities", the actual acoustics from the Pyramids at Giza, Egypt were used on my harps to make them sound as if they were actually played inside these pyramids of ancient times.
MESOPOTAMIA
Harps were very popular in ancient Mesopotamia as they were in Egypt. One of the earliest illustrations of a harp in early Mesopotamia was on a vase found during an excavation of a Babylonian temple near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. These harps were arched harps with 12 to 15 strings; like the instruments that were played in Egypt at about the same time. Mesopotamian arched harps were played with the soundbox held uppermost, whereas in Egypt, the resonator was held below. The Mesopotamians later developed other types of harps. The angle harp differed from the Egyptian arched harps in that the neck and the body form right angles. Vertical harps also known as lyre harps (or just "lyres") also began appearing in ancient Sumeria by 2800 BC. A lyre usually had two arms (usually wood) extend out of the instrument's body. The arms are connected at the top with a stick or crossbar to which strings are wound. The strings are stretched from the stick crossbar to the instrument's body. In box lyres, the body and belly form a hollow wooden box; in bowl lyres, the body may be a tortoise shell, gourd or carved bowl", and the belly is usually an animal skin.
PALESTINE & BIBLICAL TIMES
Much of the imagery and concepts of harps we have come from the Bible. The harp is the first instrument mentioned in the bible. One of the earliest archaeological finds showing a harp was near Jerusalem. A cave drawing from the 3rd to 4th millennium BC, was discovered in Megiddo that depicts a man playing a frame harp known as a "nevel". Legend has it that the sound of the nevel is so sweet that when all the other musical instruments heard it they became ashamed. In the Bible, Jubal was "the ancestor of all who play the harp" (Genesis 4:21). The bible mentions that King David was "skilled in playing the harp". David played his harp as a shepherd while sitting in the fields and composing his psalms. Although no one knows exactly what David's harp(s) looked like, the Bible does say that David played very well and prevented King Saul from going mad. "And David would take the harp and play with his hand. Saul would find relief and feel better and the evil spirit departed from Saul" (Samuel 16: 23). This seems to be the oldest recorded case of harp therapy. Harp lyres were used in the Temple of Jerusalem as a regular part of the worship service. One depiction of a harp that existed close to the time of Jesus was shown on a coin called the "Bar Kochba coin". On this coin is shown a small harp called a kinnor, the kind that was probably used in the Temple Service. Legend has it that the Jews refused to play the harp when they were exiled in Babylon. Instead the Harp of David was hung upon the willow trees. The harp of the Temple was forever silenced and disappeared. Ancient Talmudic prophesy (Mas. Arachin 13b) says that harps will usher in the coming of the Messiah. "The harp of the ten strings is reserved for the day when the world that is to come (the Olam Haba) is united in one harmonious whole." In the last book of the New Testament, Revelation 14:2 states "And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps. "
Please add any more interesting bits and pieces about the Harp!
Blessings
Elven x