A Mythological Lyre - RECREATED! The Tortoise Shell Lyre of Hermes...
47An inspirational demonstration, of another Luthieros magnificent recreation of the iconic tortoise shell lyre of classical Greece:
https://en.luthieros.com/product-category/music-instruments/ancient-lyres
Although their commercially available tortoise shell lyres use 3D scanning technology to make an exact replica in epoxy resin, of a tortoise shell resonator (scanned from one of the abundant, naturally occurring land tortoise shells they regularly find in the forests near Thessaloniki - from long deceased tortoises who have died of natural causes only!), for this custom made model, for authenticity, an actual tortoise shell was used, complete with carved bone plectrum, unpolished gut strings and leather soundboard.
In short, this lyre is the nearest thing we can probably get, to the mythological lyre of Hermes himself...
The Homeric hymn to Hermes gives us the mythology which explains why we have the lýra:
"For it was Hermes who first made the tortoise a singer. The creature fell in his way at the courtyard gate, where it was feeding on the rich grass before the dwelling, waddling along. When he saw it, the luck-bringing son of Zeus laughed and said:
'An omen of great luck for me so soon! With joy I meet you! Where got you that rich gaud for covering, that spangled shell --- a tortoise living in the mountains? But I will take and carry you within: you shall help me and I will do you no disgrace, though first of all you must profit me. It is better to be at home: harm may come out of doors. Living, you shall be a spell against mischievous witchcraft; but if you die, then you shall make sweetest song.'
"Thus speaking, he took up the tortoise in both hands and went back into the house carrying his charming toy. Then he cut off its limbs and scooped out the marrow of the mountain-tortoise with a scoop of grey iron. As a swift thought darts through the heart of a man when thronging cares haunt him, or as bright glances flash from the eye, so glorious Hermes planned both thought and deed at once. He cut stalks of reed to measure and fixed them, fastening their ends across the back and through the shell of the tortoise, and then stretched ox hide all over it by his skill. Also he put in the horns and fitted a cross-piece upon the two of them, and stretched seven strings of sheep-gut. But when he had made it he proved each string in turn with the key, as he held the lovely thing. At the touch of his hand it sounded marvelously..."
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