Lyra

Authors: Susanne M Hoffmann, Doris Vickers, Youla Azkarrula

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Lyra star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).

Lyra, The Lyre, one of the 88 IAU constellations.

Cyg, Lyr, Del, Aql and Sge on the Kugel Globe (1st century BCE), SMH 2024.

Etymology and History

Note: In some languages, the translation may be ambiguous but it is by no means a barrel organ. The lyre is a musical instrument used in Greek folk music, surrounded by an opulent mythology. According to legend, Hermes invented the instrument when he strung a turtle shell with strings. In original Greek depictions, the sound box of the heavenly lyre therefore has the shape of a turtle – e.g. on the globe of the Farnese Atlas.

Origin of Constellation

The myths surrounding the lyre contain numerous topoi from Greek culture: Hermes is the son of one of the Pleiades, the seven daughters of Atlas. That is why his lyre has seven strings. Orpheus is the son of one of the nine Muses, which is why his lyre has nine strings. This alludes to a piece of music history, as the number of strings developed from three to as many as 18.

Orpheus' journey with his lyre into the underworld is topical for the characteristic of music to overcome the limits of mortality and attain immortality.

The name of the brightest star, Vega, is of Arabic origin. It comes from an-naṣr al-waqi, the Arabic expression for a ‘diving eagle’ on the hunt. This is a constellation that is probably of Arabic origin and differs from the Greek eagle. Knowledge of this origin of the star's name has been passed down to this day, which is why modern star charts sometimes depict an eagle holding a lyre in its beak. This representation has a heraldic effect. Joh. E. Bode also depicts the constellation in this way in his trilingual Uranographia (1801), but then writes in German ‘der Geyer mit der Leyer’ (the eagle with the lyre) or in Latin: Vulture et Lyra. It is quite possible that he renamed the constellation because of the amusing rhyme.

However, depictions of the Greek instrument vary greatly: sometimes the foot is at the top, sometimes at the bottom. In the drawings from Bode's two star charts – the Anleitung zur Kenntniß des gestirnten Himmels (Guide to the Knowledge of the Starry Sky) from 1782 and the Uranographia from 1801 – we find both variants even from the same author.

Babylonian

The constellation has no precursors in Babylon. In Mesopotamia, the constellation of the Sumerian deity Gula was located at this point in the sky. She is one of the most important goddesses because, among other things, she is responsible for medicine. Since the 3rd millennium, depictions of Gula have been handed down in the form of reliefs and statues: she is often seated on a throne (or symbolically on a temple building). She is usually accompanied by her attribute animal, the dog, which occupies parts of the neighbouring constellation Hercules.

The star Vega is called ‘goat star’ in Babylonian and is of great importance in the cult of medicine. Recipes for medicines often state that a mixture should be irradiated by the goat star before being administered to the patient, i.e. it should be placed outside at night.

Greco-Roman

Aratus

The Tortoise too is small; when Hermes was actually still in his cradle, he hollowed out the shell and bade it be called a Lyre. [270] He set it down in front of the unknown figure, when he had brought it to the sky. The figure, as he crouches, comes near it with his left knee, while the Bird’s head at one extremity circles opposite it: the Lyre is set fast between the Bird’s head and the knee. (Kidd 1997)

Ovid, Fasti

[1, 315] Should the Nones be at hand, showers discharged from sable clouds will be your sign, at the rising of the Lyre.

[1, 653] When the seventh sun, reckoned from that day, shall have set in the sea, the Lyre will shine no longer anywhere in the sky.

[1, 655] After the setting of that constellation (the Lyre), the fire that glitters in the middle of the Lion’s breast will be sunk below the horizon at nightfall. (James George Frazer 1931)

Hipparchus

Rising (Lib II Cap V §10)

The Rising of ...

	east		south
	lam1	lam2	lam1	lam2
	Sco 8 1/2	Sco 18	Leo 12 1/2	Leo 26
star	the one north of the bright one (eps)	the eastern one of the three on the jetty
duration	4/5 hours = 48 min = 12 degree

Setting (Lib II Cap VI §10)

	west		south
	lam1	lam2	lam1	lam2
	Aqr 4	Aqr 12	Ari 12 1/2	Tau 3
star	the front one of the two bright on the jetty (beta)	the one north of the bright one (eps)
duration	2/3 hours = 40 min = 10°

Stars Mentioned

	Greek	German	English	ident.	src		lam_culm
					Lib II Cap V §10	rising, east, first
					Lib II Cap V §10	rising, east, last
					Lib II Cap VI §2	setting CrB, south, last	Psc 13.5
					Lib II Cap VI §13	setting Aql, south, first	Ari 2
					Lib III Cap I §9	rising Ori, south, last	Psc 13

Hyginus, Astronomica

The Lyre was put among the constellations for the following reason, as Eratosthenes says. Made at first by Mercury from a tortoise shell, it was given to Orpheus, son of Calliope and Oiagrus, who was passionately devoted to music. It is thought that by his skill he could charm even wild beasts to listen. When, grieving for his wife Eurydice, he descended to the Lower World, he praised the children of the gods in his song, all except Father Liber; him he overlooked and forgot, as Oineus did Diana in sacrifice. Afterwards, then, when Orpheus was taking delight in song, seated, as many say, on Mt. Olympus, which separates Macedonia from Thrace, or on Pangaion, as Eratosthenes says, Liber is said to have roused the Bacchanals against him. They slew him and dismembered his body. But others say that this happened because he had looked on the rites of Liber. The Muses gathered the scattered limbs and gave them burial, and as the greatest favour they could confer, they put as a memorial his lyre, pictured with stars, among the constellations. Apollo and Jove consented, for Orpheus had praised Apollo highly, and Jupiter granted this favour to his daughter.

Others say that when Mercury first made the lyre on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia, he made it with seven strings to correspond to the number of Atlantides, since Maia, his mother, was of their company. Later, when he had driven away the cattle of Apollo and had been caught in the act, to win pardon more easily, at Apollo's request he gave him permission to claim the invention of the lyre, and received from him a certain staff as reward. When Mercury, holding it in his hand, was journeying to Arcadia and saw two snakes with bodies intertwined, apparently fighting, he put down the staff between them. They separated then, and so he said that the staff had been appointed to bring peace. Some, in making caducei, put two snakes intertwined on the rod, because this seemed to Mercury a bringer of peace. Following his example, they use the staff in athletic contests and other contests of this kind.

But to return to the subject at hand. Apollo took the lyre, and is said to have taught Orpheus on it, and after he himself had invented the cithara, he gave the lyre to Orpheus.

Some also have said that Venus and Proserpina came to Jove for his decision, asking him to which of them he would grant Adonis. Calliope, the judge appointed by Jove, decided that each should posses him half of the year. But Venus, angry because she had not been granted what she thought was her right, stirred the women in Thrace by love, each to seek Orpheus for herself, so that they tore him limb from limb. His head, carried down from the mountain into the sea, was cast by the waves upon the island of Lesbos. It was taken up and buried by the people of Lesbos, and in return for this kindness, they have the reputation of being exceedingly skilled in the art of music. The lyre, as we have said, was put by the Muses among the stars.

Some say that because Orpheus first favored love for youths, he seemed to insult women, and for this reason they killed him. (Mary Ward 1960)

Almagest Δύρα.

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Λόρας ἀστερισμός.	Constellation of Lyra
1	ὁ λαμπρὸς ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὀστράκου καλούμευος Δύρα.	The bright star on the shell, called Lyra	alf Lyr
2	τῶν παρακειμένων αὐτῷ β συνεχῶν ὁ βόρειος	The northernmost of the 2 stars lying near the latter, close together	eps Lyr
3	ὁ νοτιώτερος αὐτῶν.	The southernmost of them	zet Lyr
4	ὁ τούτοις ἐπόμενος καὶ μέσος τῆς ἐκφύσεως τῶν κεράτωυ	The one to the rear of these, in between the points where the horns [of the lyre] are attached	del Lyr
5	τῶν ἐν τῷ πρὸς ἀνατολὴν τοῦ ὀστράκου β συνεχῶν ὁ βόρειος.	The northernmost of the 2 stars close together in the region to the east of the shell	eta Lyr
6	ὁ νοτιώτερος αὐτῶν	The southernmost of them	tet Lyr
	τῶν ἐν τῷ ξυγώματι προηγουμένων β ὁ βορειότερος.	The northernmost of the two advance stars in the bridge	bet Lyr
	ὁ νοτιώτερος αὐτῶν	The southernmost of them	nu Lyr
	τῶν ἐν τῷ ζυγώματι ἐπομένων β ὁ βορειότερος αὐτῶν.	The northernmost of the two rear stars in the bridge	gam Lyr
	ὁ ροτιώτερος αὐτῶν.	The southernmost of them	lam Lyr
	ἀστέρες ἱ, ὥρ α μεγέθους ἄ, γ’ β, δ’ ὅ	10 stars, I of the first magnitude, 2 of the third, 7 of the fourth

Convex Hull for the stars inside Lyra (CC BY Youla Azkarrula).

Stars within the Constellation Area

id	Label	IAU design.	description	Vmag
1	Vega	HIP 91262	Constellation lines (Vertex)	0.03
2	Sulafat	HIP 93194	Constellation lines	3.25
3	Sheliak	HIP 92420	Constellation lines	3.42
4	NAME del Lyr Cluster	NAME del Lyr Cluster	Inside the hull	3.8
5	δ 2 Lyrae	HIP 92791	Constellation lines	4.3
6	ζ 1 Lyrae	HIP 91971	Constellation lines	4.36
7	θ Lyrae	HIP 94713	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.38
8	Aladfar	HIP 94481	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.398
9	λ Lyrae	HIP 93279	Constellation lines	4.93
10	* eps01 Lyr A	HIP 91919	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.991
11	17 Lyr	HIP 93917	Constellation lines	5.22
12	ν 2 Lyrae	HIP 92405	Constellation lines	5.226
13	* eps02 Lyr A	HIP 91926	Inside the hull	5.23
14	ι Lyrae	HIP 93903	Constellation lines	5.253
15	-	HR 7162	Inside the hull	5.277
16	-	HIP 91235	Constellation lines (Vertex)	5.41
17	-	HIP 93718	Inside the hull	5.56
18	δ 1 Lyrae	HIP 92728	Constellation lines	5.573
19	ζ 2 Lyrae	HIP 91973	Inside the hull	5.585
20	-	HIP 91883	Constellation lines (Vertex)	5.682
21	V542 Lyr	HIP 93104	Inside the hull	5.883
22	ν 1 Lyrae	HIP 92398	Inside the hull	5.91
23	-	HIP 92833	Inside the hull	6.03
24	Xihe	HIP 91852	Inside the hull	6.037
25	-	HIP 93354	Inside the hull	6.038
26	-	HIP 92243	Inside the hull	6.054
27	-	HIP 93720	Constellation lines (Vertex)	6.06
28	-	HIP 92551	Inside the hull	6.082
29	-	HIP 93437	Inside the hull	6.381
30	-	HIP 93210	Inside the hull	6.403
31	-	HIP 91820	Inside the hull	6.44
32	-	HIP 91707	Inside the hull	6.473
33	-	HIP 91552	Inside the hull	6.489

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

• 
  Lyra in Bayer (1603)
• 
  Lyra in Hevelius (1690)
• 
  Lyra in Flamsteed (1776)
• 
  Lyra in Fortin's Atlas Céleste, 3rd edition (1795).
• 
  Lyra in Bode (1801)
• 
  Lyra in Young (1807): A Course of Lectures on Natural Philosophy and the Mechanical Arts.
• 
  Lyra in Hall (1825)

Mythology

The god Hermes tended Apollo's cattle – a rather idle occupation, during which a quick-witted fellow like him could easily come up with brilliant ideas. He strung seven strings across a turtle shell and coaxed sounds from it. Since he then stole Apollo's cattle, he gave Apollo the lyre as compensation. Apollo composed a song with it and then passed the lyre on to Orpheus. Orpheus added two strings and became a famous singer. He was reputed to be able to charm animals and even stones with his singing.

However, Orpheus' story is tragic: after his wife died, he descended into the underworld to bring her back. There are two versions of the story: In Plato's version, he fails because the gods only show him a shadow image of his wife; in Diodorus' version, he succeeds. Roman versions describe a near success, i.e. a meeting with his wife, but failure to bring her back at the last minute.

In any case, after his visit to the underworld, Orpheus is no longer the same, changes his way of life and worships other gods. After his death, the Muses ask Zeus to place his lyre in the sky. It stands there in memory of the Muses themselves and their offspring Orpheus. According to Eratosthenes, it is also a symbol of the singer's tragic death. For today's viewer, it is a symbol of the immortality of music and of excellent musicians, whose works live on after their death and are interpreted in new ways.

• 
  Ainter of Agora 393 - ARV extra - standing boy with lyra and hare - Athens Agora Museum
• 
  Achilles Painter ARV 990 41 youth with lyra
• 
  Cartellino Painter - ARV 452 5 - youth with lyra - Athens NAM 12803
• 
  symbol of an ancient lyra
• 
  symbol of an ancient lyra
• 
  Kalymna - 560-540 BC - silver stater - head of warrior - lyra - Berlin MK BM 18200148
• 
  Statue of Erato (with lyre)

References

• References (general)
• References (Babylonian)
• References (ancient Greco-Roman)
• References (medieval)