HARP SYMBOLISM
AUTOR(ES)
Marcelo Penido Silva
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO
2000
RESUMO
The idea to write about harp symbolism came after accidentally finding, in a dictionary of symbols, entries about the harp and harpists. There, the author pictured the harp as a bridge between the earthly and the spiritual worlds, but also the harpist as a personification of deatha quite unusual interpretation if compared to the general image people have of the harp and its player. The original idea of writing on harp symbolism and its relation to death was further enlarged to embrace all other possible symbolic meanings of the instrument. As harpists, we are accustomed to associating our instrument with angels and heaven. We often see harps decorated with carvings and gold, but few of us question the reasons behind these facts. It is the purpose of this work to evaluate how symbolism affects the construction and perception of the harp today. Supported by Jung=s theory on the archetypes and the collective unconsciousexplained in chapter 2I will demonstrate how and why gold, angels, heaven, and other symbolic images play such an important role in harp symbolism. It is hoped that this will lead to a better understanding of the harp, the harp world, and the instrument=s effect on harpists and people in general in present time. The document is divided in two parts. The first part comprises a brief overview of the development of the harp in various continents (Chapter 1), as well as an introduction to the language of symbols (Chapter 2). The second part of the document consists of data analysis from a harp symbolism survey on how people perceive the harp today (Chapter 3). An Appendix with the most significant survey entries is provided at the end of the document.
ASSUNTO(S)
símbolos harpa harp symbolism musica symbol
