The Little Angel Playing a Lyre
is 4.25 inches tall and hangs on your Christmas tree by a gold cord. These Little Angel Ornaments wings are ivory lined with gold and have touches of sparkly gold glitter. She is wearing a long burgundy and gold dress with long ivory sleeves. These Unique Christmas Ornaments dress has a gold glittery hem and collar with a gold and silver design on the front. The resin angel ornaments have long brown hair. This musical instrument ornaments angel is playing a small burgundy and gold Lyre with both hands. Select to see a complete listing of our Christmas Decorations Ideas.

The Lyre.
A classical lyre has a hollow body also known as sound box or resonator. Extending from this sound chest are two raised arms, which are sometimes hollow and are curved both outward and forward. They are connected near the top by a crossbar or yoke. An additional crossbar, fixed to the sound chest, forms the bridge which transmits the vibrations of the strings. The deepest note was that farthest from the player's body. The strings were of gut. They were stretched between the yoke and bridge, or to a tailpiece below the bridge. There were two ways of tuning: one was to fasten the strings to pegs which might be turned; the other was to change the place of the string upon the crossbar; probably both expedients were used simultaneously.
According to ancient Greek mythology, the young god Hermes created the lyre from a large tortoise shell which he covered with animal hide and antelope horns. Lyres were associated with Apollonian virtues of moderation and equilibrium, contrasting with the Dionysian pipes and aulos, both of which represented ecstasy and celebration. Select this link to view our Violin Ornament.

Christmas Music.
Music was an early feature of the Christmas season and its celebrations. But the first chants, litanies, and hymns were in Latin and too theological for popular use. The 13th century found the rise of the carol written in the vernacular under the influence of Francis of Assisi. Select this link to view our Mandolin Ornament.
In the Middle Ages, the English combined circle dances with singing and called them carols.
Later, the word carol came to mean a song in which a religious topic is treated in a style that is familiar or festive. From Italy, it passed to France and Germany, and later to England. Music in itself soon became one of the greatest tributes to Christmas, and Christmas music includes some of the noblest compositions of the great musicians. Select this link to view our Silver Metal Ornament Trees.

Angels.
According to many religions an angel is a spiritual being created by God. The word angel comes from a Greek word meaning messenger or one who is sent. According to religious tradition, angels live in heaven and act as God’s servants and as messengers between God and human beings. They also serve as guardians of individuals and nations. Angels traditionally are pictured as having a human body and wings. Poets and artists have portrayed angels as symbols of innocence or virtue.
In some religions, legends tell of bright, powerful spirits that appear in dreams and visions and protect people or tribes. In Hinduism and Buddhism, many major gods are accompanied by a band or court of spiritual beings.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam developed the most elaborate doctrines about angels. These religions recognize an order of beings in which angels rank above human beings but under God. God is all powerful and the human is sometimes portrayed as in Gods image. The concept of angels with a human body and wings began in the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament, and in Christianity. Later tradition refers to many archangels, angels of high rank, including Saint Michael.
Christian doctrine regarding angels reached full development during a AD 1100’s and 1200’s especially in the teachings of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas believed angels were necessary to fill the gap between God and human beings. He taught that countless numbers of angels existed and that they were immortal. According to Aquinas, angels knew everything except what depended on human choice and what was known only to God. The Islamic belief in angels resembles that of Judaism and Christianity. These three faiths place angels near God and give special duties to some.