The Mythic Harp

by Sarajane Williams

Book by Williams, Sarajane

78 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Cecily Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My harp teacher lent me this little book and now I want a copy of my own! We've seen harps associated with Greek gods and medieval times, but this book covers even more of its ancient, mystical history. I admit it's poorly organized with break-out myths interrupting the narrative, but it's so short it hardly matters. I've felt drawn to the harp since I was a kid, so I loved learning some of the instrument's ancient lore. One of the things that interested me most throughout the book was the harp's connection with death and transition--the description of the harp as a "mystical ladder."

Other bits I really enjoyed:
-The origin of harpies as the destructive feminine
-How the instrument evolved from a hunter's bow
-Sappho's poems were accompanied by her lyre!
-Mermaids & harps: "After arising from the sea as a water nymph, a shape-changing fairy transforms herself into a harp-to enchant her lover forever through music."
-Court harpers in Keros, Ur, and Egypt were sometimes buried with kings to ensure safe journey to the next world
-Cupid's bow and arrow was originally a harp!
-The Irish Legend of "singing bones": a man's wife was soothed by the sound of wind blowing through the bones of a beached whale, so he created the harp to mimic the sound.
-The Scottish song "Twa Sisters" about how a harper made a harp from a young maiden's bones, played at her sister's wedding feast, and the harp revealed that her sister was her killer.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This includes some fun historical and mythical information about the importance of the harp over thousands of years. However, it's very poorly organized, and that made it difficult to read.

[Kat McMullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully packaged "gift book" style book that gives a cursory glimpse of the history and mythos of the harp in multiple ancient cultures. The illustrations and occasional musical scores in brown, black, and gold illuminate the off-white, textured paper. This is not an instructional book or historical textbook, but instead, an easy, coffee-table-style read that celebrates the beauty and legendary associations of the harp. There is a valuable source list/bibliography in the back for those who might want to go deeper into historical research of the harp.