This is the ancient chelys lyre, inspired by Hermes, her mythical inventor. According to Greek mythology, the young god crafted the first lyre from a tortoise shell, animal skin, and strings. Apollo was so enchanted by her sound that he offered Hermes his stolen cattle in exchange for the instrument.

Handcrafted in ancient Europos, Northern Greece, by the LUTHIEROS family of musicians and luthiers, the Lyre of Hermes brings this myth into the present. Her design emerged from years of studying archaeological evidence and ancient depictions, followed by extensive prototyping and testing with accomplished musicians.

Crafted from natural materials known in antiquity, she features carefully selected tonewoods, a soundbox inspired by an actual tortoise shell, ebony and mulberry tuning pegs, an animal-skin tailpiece, and a wooden plectrum. Modern tools such as 3D modeling were also used during the instrument’s university-based development to achieve the ideal balance between historical accuracy and modern playability.

The traditional 7-string model is an ideal starting point for beginners, with intuitive tuning and remarkable expressive potential. The enhanced 9-string version offers an expanded chromatic range and an upgraded soundbox producing fuller projection, greater tonal depth, longer sustain, and a wider dynamic range.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced musician, the Lyre of Hermes invites you to encounter the sounds of ancient Greece not as a silent museum artifact, but as a living instrument ready to be played again.