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Music is as integral to the human experience as anything else， perhaps even predating language itself. Mythology has been similarly ubiquitous throughout human history. As such， myths have built up to explain various aspects of music， including its very creation. Here are eight of them.
8 Tezcatlipoca And Quetzalcoatl
Culture： Aztec
Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl， the sky god and wind god， respectively， are two of the more widely known of the Aztec deities. Quetzalcoatl， colloquially known as the “Feathered Serpent，” was also the god of wisdom， and he and Tezcatlipoca had a love-hate relationship. One day， while Quetzalcoatl was busy making hurricanes， Tezcatlipoca noticed a distinct lack of singing or music on the part of the humans. He developed a plan which would resolve the problem： have his brother take music from the Sun.
After an arduous journey， Quetzalcoatl finally made it to the House of the Sun， guided there by the lovely sound of music carried through the air. Face-to-face with the god of the wind， the Sun commanded the singers and musicians to be quiet， for fear they would be taken down to Earth. After displaying the frightful majesty of his powers， Quetzalcoatl convinced them to come with him. As he neared Earth， fruits began to ripen， flowers began to bloom， and it appeared as if the whole planet had awakened from a deep slumber. Happy with what they had accomplished， Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl basked in the harmonious glow of the music which has existed ever since.
7 Various
Culture： Greek
Better known as the herald1 for the rest of the Olympian gods， Hermes was also the god of thieves， merchants， and literature. As a baby of sorts， he escaped his swaddling bands and ran off to where his brother Apollo grazed his cattle. Hermes caught a tortoise， killed it， and hollowed out its shell. Using some entrails from one of Apollo’s cows， he crafted the first lyre. Later， while under interrogation for stealing the cattle， he played the lyre so beautifully that Apollo traded the cattle for the lyre. Hermes is credited with inventing the flute and the panpipes as well.
Another character heavily involved with the creation of music in Greek mythology is Orpheus， who was said to have played so beautifully that animals， trees， and rocks would dance around him. After his death， his lyre was placed among the heavens as a constellation， playing its sweet music for the rest of eternity. 6 Heaven’s Angels
Culture： Christianity
Saint Ignatius was the second bishop of Antioch， an early Christian position allegedly founded by the apostle Saint Peter. To him is attributed the practice of antiphonal singing （by two choirs） during church services. He had seen a vision of the angels in heaven alternately singing praises to God， and divided his church choir to follow this example.
5 Apollo
Culture： Roman
Apollo was venerated as the god of the Sun， truth， healing， and music. He received his lyre from the infant thief Hermes， future father of the sylvan god Pan and learned to play the most beautiful music ever heard by man or god.
The god Pan thought he could beat Apollo with a double flute. Playing in front of the legendary King Midas， Pan was judged to be the winner. Angry that Midas had chosen Pan and his double flute， Apollo turned the king’s ears into those of a donkey.
4 Uzume
Culture： Japanese
Otherwise known as Amenouzume No Mikoto， Uzume is the Japanese Shinto goddess of joy and happiness. With a nickname like “Heaven’s Forthright Female，” she is also seen as the embodiment of the perfect female.
As for the musical side of her nature， Uzume expressed it most beautifully in a story involving Amaterasu， the Sun goddess. Amaterasu had hidden herself in a cave， driven there out of anger at the storm god Susanoo. Unfortunately， this covered the world in darkness， leaving nothing able to grow anymore. While all of the gods tried in vain to convince Amaterasu to leave the cave， Uzume covered herself with moss and leaves and began singing and dancing wildly， leading Amaterasu to leave the cave in curiosity.
The Shinto religious music and dancing， known as kagura， is said to be modeled after Uzume’s singing and dancing.
3 Jubal
Culture： Judaism
The son of Lamech， himself said to be the most ancient poet of the world before the Flood2， Jubal is said to have invented various stringed and wind instruments， chief among them being the harp.
Rabbinical writings take note that the music he introduced to the world can have a deleterious effect， often when used in an act of seduction. Later Christian and Muslim writers associated music with Satan himself， believing it had a pseudo-magical influence over human beings.
2 Odin/Bragi
Culture： Norse
In Norse mythology， there was a legendary drink known as the Mead of Poetry， which had been created by the dwarves. Depending on the version of the myth， it either turned one into a poet or granted one the ability to speak with wisdom. For ages， it was guarded with secrecy until the giant Suttung came and stole it， hiding it in a mountain cave under the protection of his daughter. The great Norse god Odin believed that being a good poet was as crucial as being a good warrior， so after an arduous journey， he managed to convince Suttung’s daughter to allow him to drink the mead. He later escaped， turning into an eagle， and poured the mead over the whole world. 1 Ling Lun
Culture： Chinese
Though some myths attribute the creation of music to a mythical beast named Kui， more sources cite Ling Lun as the legendary founder of music for ancient China. The Yellow Emperor， a deity in Chinese religion， is said to have ordered Ling Lun to create music. Ling Lun’s first attempt was a flute made out of bamboo， which was said to be unpleasant. In fact， when the Yellow Emperor was passing by on his horse， the noise startled the animal， and the emperor was thrown to the ground.
When he arose， Ling Lun fell to his knees， embarrassed and ready to accept death. However， the Yellow Emperor was astounded the flute made any noise at all and told him to continue his efforts. Eventually， Ling Lun ended up at Mount Phoenix， named after the mythical birds which frequented the area. The males and females each sang six distinct tones， and he carved his flute to match their pitches.
音乐对于人类经历而言是不可或缺的，它甚至比语言本身还要早。神话在人类历史上也同样是普遍存在的。由此，解释音乐方方面面（包括其源起）的神话传说应运而生了。本文介绍其中八个。
8泰兹卡特里波卡和克查尔科亚特尔
文化源起：阿兹特克
泰兹卡特里波卡和克查尔科亚特尔分别是天空神和风神，是阿兹特克文化中较为出名的两位神祇。克查尔科亚特尔俗称“羽蛇神”，也是智慧神，他和泰兹卡特里波卡有着相爱相杀的关系。一天，正当克查尔科亚特尔忙着制造狂风时，泰兹卡特里波卡发现人类显然缺少了歌唱和音乐。他想出一条妙计来解决这个问题：让他的兄弟去太阳那里求取音乐。
经过了一段艰苦的旅程，循着空中传来的优美乐声，克查尔科亚特尔终于到达了太阳的居所。太阳与风神正面对峙，生怕歌者、乐者被带去人间，命令他们收声。在克查尔科亚特尔展现出慑人的神武之威后，他们心悦诚服地与他同行。当他快到地球时，果实逐渐成熟，花朵逐渐绽放，整个地球仿佛从酣睡中苏醒了。泰兹卡特里波卡和克查尔科亚特尔对自己的成就很满意，陶醉在曼妙的音乐氛围里，而音乐自此诞生了。
7 各显神通
文化源起：希腊
以众神使者著称的赫尔墨斯也是小偷、商人的保护神，还司管文学。尚在婴儿之时，他就挣脱襁褓，跑到哥哥阿波罗的放牛地。赫尔墨斯抓住一只乌龟并且杀死了它，把龟壳掏空。他用阿波罗一头牛的几根肠子制作出了第一把七弦琴。后来他因偷牛而遭到质问，就弹起了七弦琴，弹得美妙至极，于是阿波罗就用牛交换了这把琴。人们还把长笛和排箫的发明归功于赫尔墨斯。
在古希腊神话中，与创造音乐密切相关的另一个人物是俄耳甫斯。据说他演奏得极为优美，动物、树木、石头都会在他周围起舞。他死后，他的七弦琴被悬于天际，成了一个星座，永远弹奏着动人的音乐。
6 天堂里的天使
文化源起：基督教
圣伊格内修斯是第二任安提俄克主教，这是基督教的一个早期神职，据说是使徒圣彼得创立的。教堂礼拜时的轮唱活动（由两组唱诗班演唱）就是圣伊格内修斯创设的。他曾看到天堂中的天使轮流对上帝唱赞歌的异象，为了效仿这一做法，他把教堂的唱诗班分成了两组。
5 阿波罗
文化源起：罗马
阿波罗被尊为太阳、真理、治疗和音乐之神。他从婴儿时的小偷、日后森林神潘的父亲赫尔墨斯那里得到了七弦琴，学会了演奏人与神耳中最为优美的音乐。
森林神潘自信能用双管笛胜过阿波罗。潘在传奇的米达斯王面前演奏，被判定胜出。因为米达斯王选择了潘和他的双管笛，阿波罗很生气，把米达斯王的耳朵变成了驴耳朵。
4 钿女
文化源起：日本
钿女即天钿女命，是日本神道教中的快乐幸福女神。别名“天之骄女”的她也被视为完美女性的化身。
至于钿女的音乐天性，在一个与太阳女神——天照大神有关的故事里，以最为美妙的方式得以展现。因为对风暴神素盏鸣尊很生气，天照大神躲进了一个洞穴中。不幸的是，整个世界因此陷入了黑暗，万物再也无法生长。众神劝说天照大神离开洞穴无果，而钿女则用苔藓和叶子遮身，纵情歌舞，引得天照大神出于好奇而离开了洞穴。
神道教的音乐舞蹈称为“神乐”，据说就是模仿钿女的歌舞而成。
3 犹八
文化源起：犹太教
犹八是拉麦之子，而拉麦本人据说是大洪水灭世前最早的诗人。据说犹八发明了各种弦乐器和管乐器，其中最主要的是竖琴。
犹太教文献记述道，他带给世界的音乐可能会起到毒害作用，在被用于引诱之举时往往如此。后来基督教、伊斯兰教的作家都把音乐跟撒旦本身关联起来，认为音乐对于人类有一种伪魔幻的影响。
2 奥丁/布拉基
文化源起：古斯堪的纳维亚
北欧神话里有一种名为“诗之蜜酒”的神奇饮品，是矮人族发明的。根据神话故事的各种版本，它要么能让人变成诗人，要么能使人有谈吐睿智的本领。多年来，诗之蜜酒一直被秘密看守着，直到巨人苏图恩过来偷走了它，藏在一个山洞中，由他的女儿守着。伟大的北欧之神奥丁认为，成为优秀的诗人跟成为优秀的勇士同等重要，所以他在一场苦旅之后，成功说服苏图恩的女儿让他喝了诗之蜜酒。他后來逃走了，变成一只雄鹰，把蜜酒洒遍了全世界。
1 伶伦
文化源起：中国
虽说有些神话故事把创造音乐归功于一位名叫夔的神兽，但更多文献还是把伶伦称为远古中国创造音乐的传奇人物。据说，中国宗教的一位神祇黄帝命令伶伦创造音乐。伶伦的首次尝试是用竹子制成的笛子，据说不太悦耳。实际上，当黄帝骑马路过时，笛声惊扰了马匹，黄帝被甩到了地上。
当黄帝站起身时，伶伦双膝跪地，羞愧不已，准备受死。然而，黄帝对笛子竟然能发出声音大为惊讶，命他继续努力。后来，伶伦来到了凤岭，这座山以经常出没此地的神鸟命名。这里的凤和凰各唱六种不同的调子，他在笛子上凿孔，以匹配它们的音调。 □
（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者）
8 Tezcatlipoca And Quetzalcoatl
Culture： Aztec
Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl， the sky god and wind god， respectively， are two of the more widely known of the Aztec deities. Quetzalcoatl， colloquially known as the “Feathered Serpent，” was also the god of wisdom， and he and Tezcatlipoca had a love-hate relationship. One day， while Quetzalcoatl was busy making hurricanes， Tezcatlipoca noticed a distinct lack of singing or music on the part of the humans. He developed a plan which would resolve the problem： have his brother take music from the Sun.
After an arduous journey， Quetzalcoatl finally made it to the House of the Sun， guided there by the lovely sound of music carried through the air. Face-to-face with the god of the wind， the Sun commanded the singers and musicians to be quiet， for fear they would be taken down to Earth. After displaying the frightful majesty of his powers， Quetzalcoatl convinced them to come with him. As he neared Earth， fruits began to ripen， flowers began to bloom， and it appeared as if the whole planet had awakened from a deep slumber. Happy with what they had accomplished， Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl basked in the harmonious glow of the music which has existed ever since.
7 Various
Culture： Greek
Better known as the herald1 for the rest of the Olympian gods， Hermes was also the god of thieves， merchants， and literature. As a baby of sorts， he escaped his swaddling bands and ran off to where his brother Apollo grazed his cattle. Hermes caught a tortoise， killed it， and hollowed out its shell. Using some entrails from one of Apollo’s cows， he crafted the first lyre. Later， while under interrogation for stealing the cattle， he played the lyre so beautifully that Apollo traded the cattle for the lyre. Hermes is credited with inventing the flute and the panpipes as well.
Another character heavily involved with the creation of music in Greek mythology is Orpheus， who was said to have played so beautifully that animals， trees， and rocks would dance around him. After his death， his lyre was placed among the heavens as a constellation， playing its sweet music for the rest of eternity. 6 Heaven’s Angels
Culture： Christianity
Saint Ignatius was the second bishop of Antioch， an early Christian position allegedly founded by the apostle Saint Peter. To him is attributed the practice of antiphonal singing （by two choirs） during church services. He had seen a vision of the angels in heaven alternately singing praises to God， and divided his church choir to follow this example.
5 Apollo
Culture： Roman
Apollo was venerated as the god of the Sun， truth， healing， and music. He received his lyre from the infant thief Hermes， future father of the sylvan god Pan and learned to play the most beautiful music ever heard by man or god.
The god Pan thought he could beat Apollo with a double flute. Playing in front of the legendary King Midas， Pan was judged to be the winner. Angry that Midas had chosen Pan and his double flute， Apollo turned the king’s ears into those of a donkey.
4 Uzume
Culture： Japanese
Otherwise known as Amenouzume No Mikoto， Uzume is the Japanese Shinto goddess of joy and happiness. With a nickname like “Heaven’s Forthright Female，” she is also seen as the embodiment of the perfect female.
As for the musical side of her nature， Uzume expressed it most beautifully in a story involving Amaterasu， the Sun goddess. Amaterasu had hidden herself in a cave， driven there out of anger at the storm god Susanoo. Unfortunately， this covered the world in darkness， leaving nothing able to grow anymore. While all of the gods tried in vain to convince Amaterasu to leave the cave， Uzume covered herself with moss and leaves and began singing and dancing wildly， leading Amaterasu to leave the cave in curiosity.
The Shinto religious music and dancing， known as kagura， is said to be modeled after Uzume’s singing and dancing.
3 Jubal
Culture： Judaism
The son of Lamech， himself said to be the most ancient poet of the world before the Flood2， Jubal is said to have invented various stringed and wind instruments， chief among them being the harp.
Rabbinical writings take note that the music he introduced to the world can have a deleterious effect， often when used in an act of seduction. Later Christian and Muslim writers associated music with Satan himself， believing it had a pseudo-magical influence over human beings.
2 Odin/Bragi
Culture： Norse
In Norse mythology， there was a legendary drink known as the Mead of Poetry， which had been created by the dwarves. Depending on the version of the myth， it either turned one into a poet or granted one the ability to speak with wisdom. For ages， it was guarded with secrecy until the giant Suttung came and stole it， hiding it in a mountain cave under the protection of his daughter. The great Norse god Odin believed that being a good poet was as crucial as being a good warrior， so after an arduous journey， he managed to convince Suttung’s daughter to allow him to drink the mead. He later escaped， turning into an eagle， and poured the mead over the whole world. 1 Ling Lun
Culture： Chinese
Though some myths attribute the creation of music to a mythical beast named Kui， more sources cite Ling Lun as the legendary founder of music for ancient China. The Yellow Emperor， a deity in Chinese religion， is said to have ordered Ling Lun to create music. Ling Lun’s first attempt was a flute made out of bamboo， which was said to be unpleasant. In fact， when the Yellow Emperor was passing by on his horse， the noise startled the animal， and the emperor was thrown to the ground.
When he arose， Ling Lun fell to his knees， embarrassed and ready to accept death. However， the Yellow Emperor was astounded the flute made any noise at all and told him to continue his efforts. Eventually， Ling Lun ended up at Mount Phoenix， named after the mythical birds which frequented the area. The males and females each sang six distinct tones， and he carved his flute to match their pitches.
音乐对于人类经历而言是不可或缺的，它甚至比语言本身还要早。神话在人类历史上也同样是普遍存在的。由此，解释音乐方方面面（包括其源起）的神话传说应运而生了。本文介绍其中八个。
8泰兹卡特里波卡和克查尔科亚特尔
文化源起：阿兹特克
泰兹卡特里波卡和克查尔科亚特尔分别是天空神和风神，是阿兹特克文化中较为出名的两位神祇。克查尔科亚特尔俗称“羽蛇神”，也是智慧神，他和泰兹卡特里波卡有着相爱相杀的关系。一天，正当克查尔科亚特尔忙着制造狂风时，泰兹卡特里波卡发现人类显然缺少了歌唱和音乐。他想出一条妙计来解决这个问题：让他的兄弟去太阳那里求取音乐。
经过了一段艰苦的旅程，循着空中传来的优美乐声，克查尔科亚特尔终于到达了太阳的居所。太阳与风神正面对峙，生怕歌者、乐者被带去人间，命令他们收声。在克查尔科亚特尔展现出慑人的神武之威后，他们心悦诚服地与他同行。当他快到地球时，果实逐渐成熟，花朵逐渐绽放，整个地球仿佛从酣睡中苏醒了。泰兹卡特里波卡和克查尔科亚特尔对自己的成就很满意，陶醉在曼妙的音乐氛围里，而音乐自此诞生了。
7 各显神通
文化源起：希腊
以众神使者著称的赫尔墨斯也是小偷、商人的保护神，还司管文学。尚在婴儿之时，他就挣脱襁褓，跑到哥哥阿波罗的放牛地。赫尔墨斯抓住一只乌龟并且杀死了它，把龟壳掏空。他用阿波罗一头牛的几根肠子制作出了第一把七弦琴。后来他因偷牛而遭到质问，就弹起了七弦琴，弹得美妙至极，于是阿波罗就用牛交换了这把琴。人们还把长笛和排箫的发明归功于赫尔墨斯。
在古希腊神话中，与创造音乐密切相关的另一个人物是俄耳甫斯。据说他演奏得极为优美，动物、树木、石头都会在他周围起舞。他死后，他的七弦琴被悬于天际，成了一个星座，永远弹奏着动人的音乐。
6 天堂里的天使
文化源起：基督教
圣伊格内修斯是第二任安提俄克主教，这是基督教的一个早期神职，据说是使徒圣彼得创立的。教堂礼拜时的轮唱活动（由两组唱诗班演唱）就是圣伊格内修斯创设的。他曾看到天堂中的天使轮流对上帝唱赞歌的异象，为了效仿这一做法，他把教堂的唱诗班分成了两组。
5 阿波罗
文化源起：罗马
阿波罗被尊为太阳、真理、治疗和音乐之神。他从婴儿时的小偷、日后森林神潘的父亲赫尔墨斯那里得到了七弦琴，学会了演奏人与神耳中最为优美的音乐。
森林神潘自信能用双管笛胜过阿波罗。潘在传奇的米达斯王面前演奏，被判定胜出。因为米达斯王选择了潘和他的双管笛，阿波罗很生气，把米达斯王的耳朵变成了驴耳朵。
4 钿女
文化源起：日本
钿女即天钿女命，是日本神道教中的快乐幸福女神。别名“天之骄女”的她也被视为完美女性的化身。
至于钿女的音乐天性，在一个与太阳女神——天照大神有关的故事里，以最为美妙的方式得以展现。因为对风暴神素盏鸣尊很生气，天照大神躲进了一个洞穴中。不幸的是，整个世界因此陷入了黑暗，万物再也无法生长。众神劝说天照大神离开洞穴无果，而钿女则用苔藓和叶子遮身，纵情歌舞，引得天照大神出于好奇而离开了洞穴。
神道教的音乐舞蹈称为“神乐”，据说就是模仿钿女的歌舞而成。
3 犹八
文化源起：犹太教
犹八是拉麦之子，而拉麦本人据说是大洪水灭世前最早的诗人。据说犹八发明了各种弦乐器和管乐器，其中最主要的是竖琴。
犹太教文献记述道，他带给世界的音乐可能会起到毒害作用，在被用于引诱之举时往往如此。后来基督教、伊斯兰教的作家都把音乐跟撒旦本身关联起来，认为音乐对于人类有一种伪魔幻的影响。
2 奥丁/布拉基
文化源起：古斯堪的纳维亚
北欧神话里有一种名为“诗之蜜酒”的神奇饮品，是矮人族发明的。根据神话故事的各种版本，它要么能让人变成诗人，要么能使人有谈吐睿智的本领。多年来，诗之蜜酒一直被秘密看守着，直到巨人苏图恩过来偷走了它，藏在一个山洞中，由他的女儿守着。伟大的北欧之神奥丁认为，成为优秀的诗人跟成为优秀的勇士同等重要，所以他在一场苦旅之后，成功说服苏图恩的女儿让他喝了诗之蜜酒。他后來逃走了，变成一只雄鹰，把蜜酒洒遍了全世界。
1 伶伦
文化源起：中国
虽说有些神话故事把创造音乐归功于一位名叫夔的神兽，但更多文献还是把伶伦称为远古中国创造音乐的传奇人物。据说，中国宗教的一位神祇黄帝命令伶伦创造音乐。伶伦的首次尝试是用竹子制成的笛子，据说不太悦耳。实际上，当黄帝骑马路过时，笛声惊扰了马匹，黄帝被甩到了地上。
当黄帝站起身时，伶伦双膝跪地，羞愧不已，准备受死。然而，黄帝对笛子竟然能发出声音大为惊讶，命他继续努力。后来，伶伦来到了凤岭，这座山以经常出没此地的神鸟命名。这里的凤和凰各唱六种不同的调子，他在笛子上凿孔，以匹配它们的音调。 □
（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者）