[sunbug]

In answer to this:

I’d add to your list the Homeric hymns to Hermes, Aphrodite, and the other Olympians, not to mention the Psalms of scripture, and the tales of the troubadours (aka Minnesingers, in German) of the Middle Ages, which were performed as song.

Yes, yes yes!
And I love The Spell of the Sensuous!

I have been savoring it…as well as feeling appreciation for the More than Human world woven all around me.;-)

The rhythms certainly help with memorization! Found that out when memorizing poetry…and dance steps as well (though it took a little time to learn the synchronicity of movement in time with the music when I was little. Eventually the right brain and body mind took over and now it’s hard not to move when I hear music:-) It awoke that something inside I guess…those primal and mythic rhythms of life!

And then when singing along to Beatles songs even years since I’ve sung those songs the memory of the words are still there… and when I experimented putting out an imaginative folk music CD, (my music and lyrics) I found that it was even clearer to memorize the lyrics written even than memorizing oral spoken poetry.
It is very fascinating! And I do remember my Mother loved the poetry of the Psalms. Think she was also intrigued by the different translations of the Bible. For example The Moffit bible (Scottish) translates the “shadow of the valley of death” as “the glens of gloom.” And God is translated as “The Eternal ” or The Eternal One? (not to be confused with Marvel shenanigans these days heh heh.
It surprises me when I hear talks from spiritual people within certain traditions (very wonderful talks/sharing inclusive open) that this other Avenue seems to remain in the background as a secondary or separate topic…but I suppose that is because of the emphasis of WORD being the whole KEY to the story. And funny that key relates to Song! Well other traditions certainly have the Song woven deeply within them!

And no apologies on the Rhapsodies of Homer! I love that idea to “stitch a song together.”
I think another reason the Song of God appeals to me is The Music of the Spheres…

And there are recordings on Soho of sounds from the Sun.

my Mom used to play both classical and Beatles music when she taught astronomy.
It just seems like everything does weave together.
We live in a fascinating Universe!