Orpheus is one of the most mysterious figures in world history, about whom very little information has reached that can be called reliable, but at the same time there are a lot of myths, fairy tales, legends. Today it is difficult to imagine world history and culture without Greek temples, without classical examples of sculpture, without Pythagoras and Plato, without Heraclitus and Hesiod, without Aeschylus and Euripides. All of this is the root of what we now call science, art, and culture in general. If we turn to the origins, then the entire world culture is based on Greek culture, the impulse for development brought by Orpheus: these are the canons of art, the laws of architecture, the laws of music, etc. Orpheus appears in a very difficult time for the history of Greece: people plunged into a semi-savage state, the cult of physical strength, the cult of Bacchus, the most base and gross manifestations.

At this moment, and this was about 5 thousand years ago, the figure of a man appears, whom the legends called the son of Apollo, blinding his physical and spiritual beauty. Orpheus - his name is translated as "healer with light" ("aur" - light, "rfe" - to heal). In myths, he is described as the son of Apollo, from whom he receives his instrument with a 7-string lyre, to which he subsequently added 2 more strings, making it an instrument of 9 muses. (muses are like nine perfect forces of the soul, leading along the path and with the help of which this path can be traversed. According to another version, he was the son of the king of Thrace and the muse Calliope, the muse of epic and heroic poetry. According to myths, Orpheus participated in the journey of the Argonauts for the golden fleece, helping out your friends during trials.

One of the most famous myths is the myth of the love of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus's beloved, Eurydice dies, her soul goes to the underworld to Hades, and Orpheus, led by the power of love for his beloved, descends after her. But when the goal had seemingly been achieved, and he had to unite with Eurydice, he was overcome by doubts. Orpheus turns around and loses his beloved, great love unites them only in heaven. Eurydice represents the divine soul of Orpheus, with which he unites after death.

Orpheus continues to fight against the lunar cults, against the cult of Bacchus, he dies torn to pieces by the Bacchantes. The myth also says that the head of Orpheus prophesied for some time, and this was one of the most ancient oracles in Greece. Orpheus sacrifices himself and dies, but before his death he accomplished the work that he must accomplish: he brings light to people, heals with light, brings an impulse for a new religion and a new culture. A new culture and religion, the revival of Greece is being born in the hardest struggle. At the moment when brute physical strength prevailed, one comes who brings the religion of purity, beautiful asceticism, the religion of high ethics and morality, which served as a counterbalance.

The doctrine and religion of the Orphic brought the most beautiful hymns, through which the priests conveyed grains of Orpheus' wisdom, the doctrine of the Muses, who help people through their mysteries to discover new powers in themselves. Homer, Hesiod and Heraclitus relied on the teachings of Orpheus, Pythagoras became a follower of the Orphic religion, who became the founder of the Pythagorean school as the revival of the Orphic religion in a new capacity. Thanks to Orpheus, the mysteries are reborn in Greece - in the two centers of Eleusis and Delphi.

Eleusis or “the place where the goddess came” is associated with the myth of Demeter and Persephone. The essence of the Eleusinian mysteries is in the sacraments of purification and rebirth, they were based on the passage of the soul through trials.

Another component of the religion of Orpheus is the mysteries at Delphi. Delphi, as a combination of Dionysus and Apollo, represented the harmony of opposites that the Orphic religion carried. Apollo, characterizing the order, proportionality of everything, gives the basic laws and principles for the construction of everything, the construction of cities and temples. And Dionysus, as a reverse side, as a deity of constant change, constant overcoming of all emerging obstacles. The Dionysian principle in a person is a constant inexhaustible enthusiasm, makes it possible for constant movement, striving, for the new, and the Apollonian principle strives at the same time for harmony, clarity and proportion. These two beginnings were united in the Delphic Temple. The holidays that took place in it were associated with the combination of these two principles. In this temple, on behalf of Apollo, the soothsayers of the Delphic oracle, the pythia, speak.

Orpheus brought the doctrine of muses, the nine powers of the human soul, which appear in the form of 9 most beautiful muses. Each of them has its own component as a principle, like notes in divine music. Muse of history Cleo, muse of oratory and hymns of Polyhymnia, muse of comedy and tragedy Thalia and Melpomene, muse of Euterpe's music, muse, heavenly vault of Urania, muse of the divine dance of Terpsichore, muse of love Erato, and muse of heroic poetry.

The teaching of Orpheus is the teaching of light, purity and Great unlimited love, it was received by all of humanity, and a part of the light of Orpheus was inherited by every person. This is a kind of gift of the gods that lives in the soul of each of us. And through him you can comprehend everything: the forces of the soul, hidden inside, and Apollo and Dionysus, the divine harmony of beautiful muses. Maybe this is what will give a person the feeling of a real life, filled with inspiration and the light of love.

The myth of Eurydice and Orpheus

In Greek myths, Orpheus finds Eurydice and with the power of his love touches even the heart of the lord of hell, Hades, who allows him to lead Eurydice out of the underworld, but with the condition: if he looks back and looks at her, before Eurydice comes out into the light of day, he will lose her forever and ever. And in the drama, Orpheus loses Eurydice, he can not stand and not look at her, she disappears and his whole life is spent in hopeless grief.

In fact, the end of this story is different. Yes, the great heavenly Love of Orpheus evoked compassion in the heart of Hades. But he does not lose Eurydice. The heart of the underworld stands for sacraments. Orpheus finds Eurydice, because he is approaching the mysteries of heaven, the mysteries of Nature, the innermost. And every time he tries to look at her, Eurydice runs away from him - as the Star of the Magi appears to show the way, and then disappears to wait for the person to reach the distance that she showed him.

Eurydice goes to heaven and from heaven inspires Orpheus. And every time Orpheus approaches heaven through his beautiful music, inspired, he meets Eurydice. If he is too attached to the ground, Eurydice cannot sink so low, and this is the reason for their separation. The closer he is to the sky, the closer he is to Eurydice.

Orpheus about Eurydice

At this time, the Bacchantes had already begun to enchant Eurydice with their charms, seeking to take possession of her will.

Attracted by some obscure premonition to the valley of Hecate, I walked one day in the middle of the thick grass of the meadow, and the terror of the dark forests, visited by the Bacchantes, reigned all around. saw Eurydice. She walked slowly, not seeing me, heading towards the cave. Eurydice stopped, indecisive, and then resumed her path, as if impelled by magical power, closer and closer to the mouth of hell. But I made out the sleeping sky in her eyes. I called her, I took her hand, I shouted to her: “Eurydice! Where are you going? " As if awakened from sleep, she let out a cry of horror and, freed from the spell, fell on my chest. And then Divine Eros conquered us, we exchanged glances, so Eurydice - Orpheus became spouses forever.

But the Bacchantes did not reconcile, and one of them once offered Eurydice a cup of wine, promising that if she drank it, the science of magic herbs and love drinks would be revealed to her. Eurydice, in a fit of curiosity, drank it and fell, as if struck by lightning. The bowl contained a deadly poison.

When I saw the body of Eurydice, burned at the stake, when the last traces of her living flesh disappeared, I asked myself: where is her soul? And I went in unspeakable despair. I wandered all over Greece. I prayed to the priests of Samothrace to summon her soul. I looked for this soul in the bowels of the earth and wherever I could penetrate, but in vain. At the end I came to the Trophonian cave.

There, the priests lead the brave visitor through the crack to the lakes of fire, which boil in the bowels of the earth and show him what is happening in these bowels. Having penetrated to the end and seeing what no mouth should utter, I returned to the cave and fell into a lethargic sleep. During this dream, Eurydice appeared to me and said: “For my sake you were not afraid of hell, you were looking for me between the dead. I heard your voice, I came. I dwell on the edge of both worlds and cry just like you. If you want to free me, save Greece and give it light. And then my wings will be returned to me, and I will rise to the luminaries, and you will again find me in the bright realm of the Gods. Until then, I must wander in the kingdom of darkness, anxious and mournful ... "

Three times I wanted to grab her, three times she disappeared from my embrace. I heard the sound as if from a broken string, and then a voice, weak as a breath, sad as a kiss goodbye, whispered: "Orpheus !!"

At this sound, I was awakened. This name, given to me by her soul, transformed my whole being. I felt the sacred thrill of boundless desire and the power of superhuman love penetrate into me. Living Eurydice would give me bliss of happiness, dead Eurydice led me to the truth. Out of love for her, I put on linen and attained great initiation and the life of an ascetic. Out of love for her, I penetrated the secrets of magic and the depths of divine science; out of love for her, I went through the caves of Samothrace, through the wells of the Pyramids and through the crypts of Egypt. I penetrated the bowels of the earth to find life in it. And on the other side of life, I saw the facets of the worlds, I saw souls, luminous spheres, the ether of the Gods. The earth opened before me its abysses, and the sky - its flaming temples. I plucked the secret science from under the mummies. The priests of Isis and Osiris have revealed their secrets to me. They had only their Gods, while I had Eros. By his power I penetrated the verbs of Hermes and Zoroaster; by his power I uttered the verb of Jupiter and Apollo!

E. Shure "The Great Initiates"

Once upon a time, a famous singer and musician lived in Thrace, his name was Orpheus. So skillfully he could play the lyre and sing unusually beautiful songs that Apollo heard him, descended from Olympus and presented him with his golden lyre. With this lyre, the art of Orpheus became truly divine - under his singing the birds calmed down and wild animals bowed their heads, and they remained standing after the end of the song.

Rumors about the greatest musician spread throughout Greece, someone even said that Apollo himself was Orpheus's father, but still his father was the river god Eager, and his mother was the muse Calliope. He wandered around the world a lot, was in Egypt, where he improved his skills, he was among the Argonauts, when they went on a campaign for the Golden Fleece, until he met his beloved, the beautiful dryad Eurydice.

Listen carefully to what I have to say. Your beloved will follow you herself, but you must not look back until you step out into the sunlight. Turn around and destroy her, you will never be able to meet again.

The singer headed away from the dark kingdom, rejoicing in his luck, Kerber dutifully let him go by the order of Hades. The way back took half the time, only now Orpheus did not hear the steps of his beloved behind his back. With every step he more and more doubted that Hades had not deceived him. A bright point appeared in the distance - an exit from the cave, but the singer was tormented by doubts.

Unable to resist any longer, Orpheus turned around. He saw Eurydice for a moment, she looked sadly and melted like morning mist. Screaming in despair, the great musician rushed back.

For a long time he wandered along the banks of the Acheron River, trying to find the pier of Charon, where the souls of the dead set off on their last journey, but he could not find and Eurydice was forever lost to him. Orpheus returned to earth, but since then no one else has heard a single cheerful song from him, only his lyre could now cry.

Ancient Greek myth "Orpheus and Eurydice"

Genre: Ancient Greek myth

The main characters of the fairy tale "Orpheus and Eurydice" and their characteristics

1. Orpheus, a talented singer. Faithful, in love, fearless, impatient.
2. Eurydice, young, beautiful, shy.
3. Hades, the dark god of the underworld. Harsh, but fair and a little romantic.
4. Charon, carrier across the Styx. Gloomy, stern, unsociable.

1. Orpheus and his wife Eurydice
2. Tragedy in the forest
3. Orpheus is looking for a way to the underworld
4. Orpheus charms Charon
5. Orpheus in the palace of Hades
6. Orpheus sings for Hades
7. Orpheus's request
8. Hades condition
9. Haste of Orpheus
10. Loneliness of Orpheus.

1. The beauty Eurydice fell in love with the singer Orpheus and became his wife.
2. Once in the forest she was bitten by a snake and Eurydice was carried away by the god of death.
3. Orpheus went to look for the kingdom of the dead and found the river Styx.
4. Charon did not want to transport Orpheus, but he sang and no one dared to refuse him.
5. Orpheus came to the palace of Hades, sang his song, and Hades released the shadow of Eurydice.
6. Orpheus turned around at the exit from the cave and the shadow of Eurydice flew away.

What the tale "Orpheus and Eurydice" teaches
The tale teaches faithful and selfless love. It teaches to strive to always be with your loved one, teaches you not to part with your loved ones. Teaches you not to be afraid of obstacles, a long journey, night shadows. Teaches you to be brave, even fearless. Teaches that talent is honored everywhere. It teaches you not to be hasty, and to observe the agreements with the one who is stronger than you exactly.

Review of the fairy tale "Orpheus and Eurydice"
I liked this romantic story, although of course it is a pity that Orpheus, having made such a long and dangerous journey, could not resist and endure a couple of minutes more. Then Eurydice would be free. But excessive haste spoiled the whole business. But Orpheus himself managed to descend into the kingdom of the dead and return alive.

Proverbs to the fairy tale "Orpheus and Eurydice"
The quieter you go, the further you'll get.
Speed ​​is needed, but haste is harmful.
For a dear, seven miles is not a outskirts.
Great love is not quickly forgotten.
The master's work is afraid.

Read a summary, a short retelling of the tale "Orpheus and Eurydice"
The famous singer Orpheus lived in Ancient Greece. Everyone really liked his songs and the beautiful Eurydice fell in love with him for the songs. She became the wife of Orpheus, but they were not together for long.
It so happened that soon, Eurydice was frightened by the noise in the forest, ran and inadvertently stepped on the snake's nest. She was bitten by a snake and Orpheus, who ran to the cries of his wife, saw only the black wings of the bird of death, which carried Eurydice with him.
Orpheus's grief was immeasurable. He retired to the woods and there in songs he poured out his longing for his beloved.
And his grief was so great, his songs were so piercing that the animals came out to listen to them, and the trees surrounded Orpheus. And Orpheus prayed for death in order to meet Eurydice at least in the halls of death. But death did not come.
And then Orpheus himself went in search of death. In the Tenara cave, he found a brook that flowed into the underground river Styx, and went down the stream bed to the banks of the Styx. The kingdom of the dead began beyond this river.
Behind Orpheus, the shadows of the dead crowded, waiting for their turn to cross the Styx. And now a boat moored to the shore, driven by the carrier of dead souls Charon. The souls began to get into the boat and Orpheus asked Charon to transport him to the other side.
But Charon pushed Orpheus away, saying that he only carried the dead. And then Orpheus sang. He sang so well that dead shadows were heard, Charon himself heard him. And Orpheus entered the boat and demanded to be taken to the other side. And Charon obeyed, enchanted by the music.
And Orpheus crossed into the land of the dead, and walked along it in search of Eurydice, continuing to sing. And the dead parted before him. So Orpheus got to the palace of the god of the underworld.
In the palace, Hades himself and his wife Persephone sat on the throne. Behind them stood the God of Death, folding black wings, Kera crowded nearby, taking the lives of soldiers on the battlefield. There and then the judges judged the souls.
In the corners of the hall, Memories were hiding in the shadows, whipping souls with whips of living snakes.
And I saw many other monsters in the Underworld Orpheus - Lamy, who steal children at night, Empusa, with donkey legs, who drinks the blood of people, Stygian dogs.
Only the young god of sleep, Hypnos, ran around the hall joyful .. He gave everyone a wonderful drink, from which everyone fell asleep.
And now Orpheus began to sing. The gods listened in silence, bowing their heads. And when Orpheus finished, Hades asked him what he wanted for his singing, and promised to fulfill any of his wishes.
And he began to ask Orpheus to release Hades to Eurydice, because sooner or later she will still return to the kingdom of the dead. And Orpheus began to beg Persephone to intercede for him before Hades.
Hades agreed to return Orpheus to Eurydice, but set one condition. I shouldn't have seen Orpheus with his beloved while she follows him like a shadow. Only after leaving the kingdom of the dead into the sunlight, could Orpheus look back. Orpheus agreed and ordered Hades of the shadow of Eurydice to follow the singer.
So they passed the kingdom of the dead and Charon transported them across the Styx. They began to ascend in the cave, and already there was daylight ahead. And then Orpheus could not resist and turned around, he wanted to check whether Eurydice was really following him. For a moment he saw the shadow of his beloved, but she immediately flew away.
Orpheus rushed back and sobbed for a long time on the banks of the Styx, but no one answered his pleas. Then Orpheus returned to the world of the living and lived one long life. But he remembered his beloved and sang her in his songs.

Drawings and illustrations for the fairy tale "Orpheus and Eurydice"

The beautiful love story of the ancient Greek youth Orpheus, the son of the god Apollo, and the beautiful nymph Eurydice still thrills the hearts of people. Legend has it that Orpheus had a special talent. He was fluent in playing the lyre, and his works made the stones move in the direction of sounding enchanting melodies.

Once he met the wondrous Eurydice, and love took possession of his heart. They got married, but their happiness was short-lived. While walking through the forest, Eurydice was bitten by a snake. The young man did not have time to help his beloved. He could only watch how death carries her on its wings to the kingdom of the dead.

Life without Eurydice had no meaning for Orpheus. He gave up music and singing, giving his heart to pain. Time passed, but the young man did not get any easier. And then he decided to go to the kingdom of the dead to persuade Hades to let Eurydice go. The young man was even ready to stay there if the god of the underworld refused his request.

For a long time Orpheus was looking for a way to the kingdom of the dead, until he found himself in a deep cave. Here he found a stream that flowed into the Styx River. The black waters of the Styx washed the domain of Hades, where Eurydice was located.

Coming to the banks of the Styx, Orpheus waited for Charon, the carriers of dead souls. Finally he saw the rook. She swam to the shore, and the souls of the dead filled her. Orpheus also hurried to take a place in it, but the carrier did not let him in. There is no place for the living in Hades. And then Orpheus took the cithara in his hands and began to sing. His voice was so full of melancholy that the waters of the Styx calmed down, and Charon was filled with the musician's pain and took him with him.

All the way Orpheus sang and played the cithara, until the boat reached the shores of the kingdom of the dead. The further path of the young man was full of chilling horror and encounters with monsters. But he overcame everything and with a song approached the god Hades. Bowing to him, Orpheus sang about his unhappy love and melted the hearts of the gods with his talent. Hades was so fascinated by the young man's music that he decided to fulfill any of his wishes. Orpheus wanted only one thing - that Eurydice would become alive again.

Hades decided to fulfill his promise, but with one condition: the lovers could meet only when they were among living people. Until this moment, Eurydice will follow her husband as a shadow, who in no case should look back. Otherwise, the girl will forever remain in the kingdom of Hades.

And now Orpheus has already overcome the kingdom of the dead, crossed the Styx - a very short distance remains to the world of the living. At the last moment, he decided to look around and make sure that Eurydice's shadow was indeed following him. As soon as he held out his hand to her, the girl disappeared.

Distraught with grief, Orpheus decided to again ask Hades to return his beloved. But no matter how much he stood on the banks of the Styx, Charon never sailed. The young man had to return to the world of living people alone. But the rest of his life was filled with longing for Eurydice. He walked around the world and composed songs, telling about his beautiful wife and tragic love.

This is how the ancient Greek legend says, in which music became a vessel for sincere and lively emotions.

Still, there is something mystical in music. Something unknown and unlearned that can change everything around. The melody, words and voice of the performer, joining together, can change the world and human souls. Once they talked about the great singer Orpheus, that birds fell silent from his songs, animals came out of holes, trees and mountains huddled closer to him. Whether this is reality or fiction is unknown, but the myths about Orpheus have survived to this day.

Who is Orpheus?

There were many legends and legends about the origin of Orpheus. Someone even said that there were two Orpheus. According to the most common version, the legendary singer was the son of the god Eagra (Thracian river deity) and the muse of epic poetry, science and philosophy Calliope. Although some myths of Ancient Greece about Orpheus say that he was born from the muse of solemn hymns Polyhymnia or from the muse of history - Cleo. According to one version, he was generally the son of Apollo and Calliope.

According to a Greek dictionary compiled in the 10th century, Orpheus was born 11 generations before the outbreak of the Trojan War. In turn, Herodorus, the famous ancient Greek writer, assured that there were two Orpheus in the world. One of them is the son of Apollo and Calliope, a skilled singer and lyre player. The second Orpheus is a disciple of Musey, the famous ancient Greek singer and poet, the Argonaut.

Eurydice

Yes, Orpheus figured in many legends, but there is one myth that tells about the tragic life of the protagonist. This is a story about Orpheus and Eurydice. The myths of Ancient Greece say that Eurydice was a forest nymph. She was fascinated by the work of the legendary singer Orpheus and eventually became his wife.

The Orpheus myth does not tell of her origin. The only difference between different legends and tales is the situation that caused her death. Eurydice stepped on the snake. According to some myths, this happened when she was walking with her nymph friends, while according to others, she was running away from the god Aristeus. But no matter what happens, the content of the myth "Orpheus and Eurydice" does not change from this. What is the sad story about?

Orpheus myth

Like most stories about spouses, the myth begins with the fact that the main characters loved each other very much. But no happiness is cloudless. One day, Eurydice stepped on a snake and died from its bite.

Orpheus was left alone with his sorrow. For three days and three nights he played the lyre and sang sad songs. It seemed that the whole world was crying with him. He could not believe that he would now live alone, and decided to return his beloved.

Visiting Hades

Gathering his spirit and thoughts, Orpheus descends into the underworld. He believes that Hades and Persephone will listen to his pleas and release Eurydice. Orpheus easily gets into the dark kingdom, without fear passes by the shadows of the dead and approaches the throne of Hades. He began to play his lyre and said that he had come only for the sake of his wife Eurydice, who was bitten by a snake.

Orpheus did not stop playing the lyre, and his song moved everyone who heard it. The dead cried with compassion, the wheel of Ixion stopped, Sisyphus forgot about his hard work and, leaning on a stone, listened to a wonderful melody. Even the cruel Erinyes could not hold back their tears. Naturally, Persephone and Hades complied with the request of the legendary singer.

Through the gloom

Perhaps the story would have had a happy ending if it were not for the myths of Greece. Hades allowed Orpheus to take his wife. Together with Persephone, the ruler of the underworld led the guests to a steep path that led to the world of the living. Before taking their leave, they said that Orpheus should never turn around and look at his wife. Do you know what happened? Yes, it's not hard to guess here.

Orpheus and Eurydice walked a long, winding and deserted path for a long time. Orpheus walked in front, and now, when there was very little left for the bright world, he decided to check whether his wife was following him. But as soon as he turned around, Eurydice died again.

Obedience

Those who have died cannot be returned. No matter how many tears you shed, no matter how many experiments you make, the dead do not return. And there is only one tiny chance, one in a billion, that the gods will have mercy and perform a miracle. But what will they demand in return? Complete obedience. And if this does not happen, then they are taking their gift back.

Eurydice dies again and turns into a shadow, the eternal inhabitant of the underworld. Orpheus hurries after her into the depths of darkness, but the indifferent carrier Charon did not listen to his groans. The same chance is not given twice.

Now the Acheron River flowed between the lovers, one of its banks belonged to the dead, and the other to the living. The carrier left Orpheus on the shore that belonged to the living, and the inconsolable singer sat by the underground river for seven days and seven nights, and only bitter tears brought him fleeting consolation.

Without meaning

But the myth of Orpheus does not end there. When seven days passed, the singer left the land of the dead and returned to the valley of the Thracian mountains. He spent three infinitely long years in grief and sorrow.

His only consolation was the song. He could sing and play the lyre all day long. His songs were so mesmerizing that even the mountains and trees tried to get closer to him. The birds stopped singing, as soon as they heard the music of Orpheus, the animals left their holes. But no matter how much you play the lyre, there will be no meaning in life without a loved one. It is not known how long Orpheus would have played his music, but his days have come to an end.

The death of Orpheus

There are several stories about the reasons for the death of the legendary singer. In the texts of Ovid, it was said that Orpheus was torn to pieces by the admirers and companions of Dionysus (maenads) because he rejected their love confessions. According to the records of the ancient Greek mythographer Canon, Orpheus was killed by women from Macedonia. They were angry with him for not letting them into the temple of Dionysus to the mysteries. However, this version does not really fit into the general atmosphere of the Greek myth. Although Orpheus had a strained relationship with the god of wine Dionysus, he spent the last three years of his life in mourning for his deceased wife, he clearly had no time to prevent women from entering the temple.

There is another version according to which he was killed because in one of his songs he praised the gods and missed Dionysus. They also say that Orpheus became an unwitting witness to the mysteries of Dionysus, for this he was killed and turned into the constellation of the Kneeling. Also in one of the versions it was said that he was struck by lightning.

According to one of the myths of Greece ("Orpheus and Eurydice"), the cause of the death of the singer was angry faction women. During the noisy festival of Bacchus, they saw Orpheus in the mountains and began to throw stones at him. Women have long been angry with the handsome singer because he, having lost his wife, did not want to fall in love with someone else. At first, the stones did not reach Orpheus, they were fascinated by the melody of the lyre and fell at his feet. But soon the loud sounds of tambourines and flutes that were involved in the holiday drowned out the tender lyre, and the stones began to reach their goal. But this was not enough for the women, they pounced on poor Orpheus and began to beat him with sticks entwined with vines.

All living things mourned the death of the legendary singer. The Thracians threw the lyre and the head of Orpheus into the Gebr River, but they did not stop for a second. The singer's lips were still singing the song, and the musical instrument made quiet and mysterious sounds.

According to one of the legends, the head and lyre of Orpheus washed up on the shores of the island of Lesbos, on which Alkei and Sappho sang songs at one time. But only nightingales, singing more tenderly than anywhere else on earth, remember those distant times. The second story says that Orpheus's body was buried, and the gods keep his lyre among the stars.

Which of these options is closer to the truth, it is difficult to say, but one thing is certain: the shadow of Orpheus ended up in the kingdom of Hades and was reunited with his beloved Eurydice. They say that true love should be to the grave. Nonsense! For true love, even death is not an obstacle.