It
's almost superfluous to recall the particular role that music holds
within the Traditional Roman Spirituality, as well as in
the so-called "ancient religions".
You might first think about the close connection that exists in Pythagoreanism between mathematics, astrology, geometry and music. Similarly, one could cite the relationships between colors, planets, metals, Gods/Goddesses and musical notes.
The
music therefore connects us with a divine dimension, causes us pleasure
for its ability to give us the perception of the divine harmony of the Universe.
I remind that I exclude here the discussion about the use of music fro military aims. It
was carried out with wind instruments firstly because
they had to be heard by the soldiers. Signals for maneuvering were made in battle from these instruments . In
addition, wind instruments are typical instruments inspired by Celestial and "Superi" Gods and
Goddesses: the support of these forces was crucial in
the battle. The wind instruments, also for their symbolism connected to wind, speed, to logos, are instruments that "announce" and are therefore associated with Mercury.
It is however possibile to highlight two main sides related to music and instruments. The first side is connected to Apollo. The music in the Apollonian sense is the representation of the harmony of the universe. But the music is not only this. There is also a side connected to Dionysus that is completely different from the Apollonian side. The
music is Dionysian when it transports us into a whirlwind of ecstasy
and frenzy, when we are out of control, when we abandon rationality and
enter into irrationality. See
how any musician (whatever the genre of music that is playing) to
appear as if in ecstasy, as held, as driven and motivated by an
invisible force: let's observe a dancer caught in the maelstrom of dance (dance is another peculiar expression of the divine) as he/she may seem moved
by an invisible divine force.
Apollonian and Dionysian musics are both sublime expressions of the divine. Both at the same time
contribute to make us feel the presence of the Gods and Goddesses in the World, in Nature, in the Universe: the first mainly with the harmony, the second mainly with the rhythm.
Similarly musical instruments become tools of symbolic expression of the divine. The Apollonian music is more closely related to string instruments
as the vibration of the string is a symbolic expression of the
underlying strength of the Universe and its harmonic architecture and
geometry. The most amazing thing is that modern science seems to suggest that the basis of the material existence is just a vibration. The
Apollonian music, as well as stringed instruments, is therefore a Celestial and "supera" music with a higher content of masculine energy.
The Dionysian music is more expressed with percussion instruments. These
are tools that are "move your body", generating possession: it is a "underworld", "underground" music, with a high prevalence of female energy. From the depths of the Earth comes a sound swing, a rhythm of drums of underground and chthonic deities. The
Arval brothers and sisters accompany their rites connected with the
Earth with the drums performing a ritual dance "undulating" because the rhythm of the drum is pleasing to Mother Earth and all the
Deities generating underground the plant and animal life on our planet on
the basis of natural "rhythms" (not incidentally).
It
is therefore not a coincidence that the monotheistic religions were is strong opposition against the Dionysian music and
instruments, against the rhythm, also because crucial expression of the
feminine energy.
A survival of the ancient traditional dionysian music in Italy is the taranta ballad mainly by women where the main instrument is the "tamburello".
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