Cretan Lyra: Experience the beauty of the spirit of Crete

No one plays the Lyra like the Cretans. Hearing the Cretan Lyra is an incredible way to experience the boldness and the beauty of the spirit of Crete.

What is the Cretan Lyra?

The Cretan lyra is a traditional stringed instrument from Crete, descended from the Byzantine lyra. It is pear-shaped or oval, carved from a single piece of wood, and traditionally made from plane tree, walnut, or mulberry. It has three strings, played with a bow, and is held upright on the lap. Similar lyres exist across the former Byzantine Empire.

Instruments like the Cretan lyra appear across the former Byzantine Empire, including the “Politiki” lyra of Constantinople and the Calabrian lyra of Southern Italy.

Instruments like the Cretan lyra are found throughout the former Byzantine Empire, such as the “Politiki” lyra – the lyra of Constantinople, and the Calabrian lyra of Southern Italy.

What is the difference of Cretan Lyra and Pontic Lira?

The main difference between the Cretan Lyra and the Pontic Lyra lies in their origin, design, and musical style. The Cretan Lyra, originating from Crete, typically features a pear-shaped body and is associated with traditional Cretan folk music. The Pontic Lyra, from the Pontus region, has a more elongated body and is used in Pontic Greek music styles. Both are bowed string instruments but differ in construction and cultural significance.

Cretan Music

Every region in Greece has its own folk music traditions, instruments, and songs. Of these, the Cretan musical tradition is one of the most popular throughout Greece. Cretan music is deeply stirring, exciting music. The tempos increase, and famous lyra players are known both for the speed of their playing and for the sheer endurance, keeping up the high emotional pitch of song.

To hear such a player live is an exciting emotional experience, not to be forgotten. It is truly a privileged glimpse, on what it means to be a Cretan. Cretan lyra at its best is a window onto to Cretan psyche.

The Origins of Cretan Music

The roots of Cretan music are varied and deep. The melodic, hypnotic and singsong chanting have their roots in Mantinades – traditional couplets of fifteen syllables that have their roots in the Byzantine era. The Erotokritos, a famous epic love story of the 17th century, written by the Cretan poet Vitsentzos Kornaros, uses this same pattern of rhyming. Mantinades are a living part of Cretan culture today. After a meal and some raki, some Mantinades are not at all uncommon, in villages especially.

As for the form of Cretan music, Arabic music plays a role, too. Some Cretan songs, like Rebetiko songs, will begin with a Taksim or Taksimi, an improvisational introduction that brings listeners into the mood of the song. The Taksim is a mode of Arabic music.

Cretan Lyra and Traditional Dances

The music of the Cretan lyra is rhythmic and exciting. You will find it impossible to sit still. In the heat of the moment, you may even wish to dance. Some dances enjoyed in Crete and common to Greece – like the Kalamatianos – are not difficult to pick up.

Other Cretan lyra songs accompany dances of great complexity and significance, such as the Pentozali. The dance- which means “five step” (pente is ‘five’) takes its name from the 5th uprising of the Cretans against the Ottomans. “Zali” also means dizziness though – appropriate for the speed and complexity of the dance. The dancers, like the lyra players, have great skill and stamina.

Where to listen the Cretan Lyra?

The Cretan lyra can be heard at restaurants, cafes, and cultural events in Crete, especially in tourist areas. Folk dancing events featuring traditional costumes enhance the experience, showcasing the lyra’s cultural significance through live music and synchronized dance performances. These venues provide an authentic experience of Cretan musical traditions.

If there is a folk dancing event, this will be an even better opportunity to listen to the Cretan lyra. The steps of the dancers – wearing beautiful folkloric costumes – will bring you into the mood, and you will have a sense of the music’s meaning in context.

But, saving the best for last, the ideal setting to hear Cretan lyra is at a festival in Crete. All villages have a main church, and this church will have a patron Saint. The feast day of this Saint is celebrated by the whole of the village. Chairs and tables transform the square and the surrounding streets, and there will be superb music and dancing into the night, accompanied by wine flowing freely and excellent traditional foods.

As you drive around the island, take notice of posters advertising festivals or concerts.You don’t need to read much Greek – just look for a black shirted musician with a lyra on his lap, and read the date. Snap a photo on your phone and ask at a cafe for details of where the village is.

Traditional Cretan weddings and baptisms provide ideal opportunities to experience the Cretan lyra’s music. Invitations to these events offer unforgettable experiences.

Are There Any Villages Famous for Cretan Lyra?

Anogia, a mountain village on Mt. Psiloritis, is renowned for the Cretan lyra, deeply embedded in its cultural life. Anogia is located over 700 meters high and offers a scenic drive of about 1 hour 15 minutes from Heraklion or 1 hour 30 minutes from Rethymnon.

One of Crete’s most legendary musicians, named Nikos Xylouris but popularly called Psaronikos, was from Anogia. He passed away in 1980, but both of his brothers – Antonis Xylouris, or Psarantonis, and Yiannis Psilouris, or Psarayiannis -also became popular Cretan lyra players.

Psaronikos became a famous composer as well. One of his beloved works is the adaptation of the Erotikritos (mentioned above), the beloved Cretan epic poem.

Anogia is a famous village even without its cultural heritage. First of all, it is near the Ideon Cave, one of two caves that the honor of being the birthplace of Zeus. But it is Anogia’s rugged terrain, and its equally rugged inhabitants that give the village its legendary reputation. The people of Anogia are famous for bravery, throughout both the Ottoman occupation of Crete and during WWII. This is a town of famous rebels, and rebellion. The village was burnt twice by the Ottomans. More recently, in retaliation for Anogia’s role in the kidnapping of a German general, the village was razed entirely to the ground.

Anogia, therefore, is the logical birthplace for a famous Cretan lyra player, as the village embodies the bold spirit of Crete, reflected so deeply in the music.

Cretan Lyra in the Contemporary Era

One of the things that marks the significance of the Cretan lyra is the fact that it is very much a living tradition. This is not the music of older Cretans, but of all Cretans. You will see many young people learning to play the lyra and dancing with great spirit to its music.

The Cretan lyra also serves as inspiration for contemporary musicians.The vibrant rhythms of the music of Crete and the traditional lyra are completing elements in the more experimental works of contemporary musicians. The Cretan lyra is not just a vital part of Cretan traditional culture, but of contemporary Greek culture as well.

Last updated on January 8th, 2025