The Cretan Lyre and its “soul” (VIDEO)

The sound of each musical instrument is distinct. In any case, it soothes the soul and the spirit, giving pleasure and good mood.

Τhe melody of the Cretan lyre, is unique and known all around the world.  Whenever an artist of the Cretan music catches the bow, the tradition of Crete, directly interwoven with the Cretan lyre, "wakes up" and becomes dance and song.

The Cretan’s lyre history is lost in the depths of the years, as always it was accompanying, and still does, the inhabitants of the island, in both, their joys and sorrows.

The Cretan lyre is believed that has been brought to Crete, by the Arabs, who remained as conquerors on the island, from 823-961 AD.

According to another version, the existence of the lyre in Crete, is coming from Constantinople, by the army of Nikiphoros Phokas, in the years 1101-1200 AD. As the history has shown, there is no evidence of using another name, for this particular musical instrument.

The lyre in its first form was based on its turtle - shell speaker. Later it was made of wood and preserved exactly the same shape. Almost all of them, were made by the instrumentalists themselves, mainly in the villages, without paying any special attention to the materials used or the way of their making.

In recent history and nowadays, lyre is usually made of walnut wood, aged at least 10-15 years. The process of making it takes about 7-9 days. Each lyre is manufactured and adjusted separately in order to produce the desired sound.

The musicians of the island, accompany the so called “mandinades”, by the lyre expressing their feelings.