The Lyre

• According to Greek myth, the god Hermes invented the lyre by pulling strings of sinew across a turtle's shell. He traded the instrument to Apollo in exchange for a herd of stolen cattle, and the instrument came to symbolize Apollo's patronage of music. The lyre also appeared in the myth of Orpheus, a mortal who received the instrument as a gift from Apollo, and could play music on it sweeter than the world had ever heard. He could charm any monster or animal with it. He even charmed Hades, the lord of the underworld, with it and Hades agreed to bring Orpheus's wife back from the dead in exchange. Sadly, Orpheus turned back to look at his bride before he had returned to the mortal realm--something he'd been told not to do--and she vanished again, this time for good.
  
  

The Aulos

• The Greeks maintained that Athena, goddess of wisdom, first invented the aulos, a sort of double-reeded flute. She threw it away because she thought it was frivolous and distorted the features of the face. A satyr named Marsyas found it and was so taken with it that he challenged the god Apollo himself to a battle of music. He lost the contest and Apollo killed him for his insolence. Many other myths depict satyrs playing the aulos, and the instrument is often associated with them.
  
  

Pan Pipes

• Pan pipes, or syrinx, consist of five or more hollow reeds bound together. Each reed plays a specific note when blown through; by alternating reeds, the player can create music. The pan pipes are (naturally) associated with the god Pan, who looks similar to a satyr with goat's feet and goat-like horns. The myths hold that he fell in love with a nymph named Syrinx, and pursued her to the ends of the earth when she fled. Her sisters transformed her into a reed to protect her. When the wind blew across the reed, it created a mournful sound. Pan was so taken with it that he cut it and several other nearby reeds into lengths to create the instrument.
  
  

The Conch

• The god Triton was the son of Poseidon, a sea deity who possessed the tail of a fish and served as the herald for his father. He blew upon a conch shell to signal Poseidon's arrival, and he could also use it to silence the waves and produce calm seas.