A modern audio exploration of the Symbolic Archetypes of the Flute

Abstract

In this paper, I discuss audio explorations of the modern interpretation of the symbolic archetypes of the flute that have evolved since antiquity. With the flute’s existence dating from 35,000 ago (National Geographic, 2009), the evidence for the development of the flute has been largely derived from artwork and mythology. Early evidence of flutes existed in tombs in ancient Egypt, in Sanskrit depictions in temple reliefs in India and on coins from the Indus civilisation. From these earliest artworks and artifacts, indications of the extra-musical associations of the flute are apparent. Religious icons such as Krishna (India), Osiris (Egypt), Athene and Eros (Greece) have all been depicted playing it and its Japanese relative, the Shakuhachi, is integrally linked to Zen Buddhism. Show more