Episode 8: Music and Dance

Music is something that we as humans have used to express ourselves for millennia – and it works its way into many of the stories we tell, too! Many myths speak to the power of music to change minds, charm beasts, and even create magic. In this episode, we explore some famous and some less-well-known tales about mythological musicians and dancers.

This episode's interview features Kelly Branco, child of the Muses and a demigod with quite a bit of experience bringing music to others! You can find Kelly on her website, www.kellybranco.com, or on Instagram @kellybranxo. You can also find her epic playlists on Spotify and listen to "The Sound" on 89.1WFDU-HD3 Mondays and Thursdays 7-9pm.

If you'd like to submit a story or artwork to be featured on Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!).

[Transcript for Episode 8]

Stuff to Read:

• Orpheus on Mythopedia and World History Encyclopedia
• More on Ancient Greek music and dance
• Information about the Irish harp and how it symbolizes a nation
• More about the Norse god Bragi
• The fantastic adventures of Vainamoinen from the Kalevala
• The world's most ancient music: 
  • the Australian bullroarer
  • the Vietnamese lithophone
  • 19 of the world's oldest instruments

Stuff to Watch: 

• Our YouTube Playlist for Episode 8: Featuring demonstrations of ancient Greek dance, the apsara dance of Cambodia, the Vietnamese lithophone, the Finnish kantele, and many stories about myths and music!

Cool Images: 

Euterpe and Terpsichore from a fresco in Pompeii, c. 70 CE

Euterpe, by Simon Voulet, c. 1640: 

Greek vase with muse playing the phorminx, a type of lyre, c. 440 BCE

Recreations of Greek lyres from Luthieros:

1845 calotype photograph of the Irish harper Pádraig Dall Ó Beirn

A modern Celtic harp: 

Two modern five-string kanteles: 

"The Kantele Player" by Pekka Halonen, 1892:

Apsara dancers at the Bassac Theatre in 2012: