Enter into a realm beyond mortal constraints, where the magical and mystical transcend the laws of nature and challenge human imagination.
Now through February 15 | Miller Nichols Library, Ground Floor
Nearly every culture has manifestations of beings who navigate a world outside of human perception, from angels to alebrejis, fairies to firebirds, sirens to sphinxes. Music is called on in ritual and historical performance, preserving and furthering a culture’s traditions and beliefs. Depicting these beings expands composers’ creativity, inspiring otherworldly timbres both ethereal and bold.
The UMKC Music/Media Library staff and students delved into the vaults of our collection to find the selections from around the world and throughout time, including scores from our Shining a Light collection.
Musical Deities
In many traditions, music was created by gods, not an invention of humanity. Music is used to honor and communicate, in ritual and celebration, and to demonstrate the deities’ power. We discuss the Muses and Apollo in Greek mythology, the goddess Oshun in Yoruba tradition, the angel Gabriel from the Abrahamic religions, and Hathor, the Egyptian goddess.
Celestial Beings & Spirit Guides
The ability to travel between dimensions, mysteriously appearing and disappearing while changing fates, is a common feature of immortal beings, whether they are depicted in folklore, fairy tales, or fables. There are many examples of protectors and guides who appear in various guises to assist humans. Learn about the Chickasaw legend of the white deer, a Chinese phantasm, and nuhual, a Mesoamerican spirit guide.
Mythological Beasts
Many cultures tell stories of mighty and terrifying animals, mysteriously hard to find and in possession of unfathomable powers. We have music inspired by the Loch Ness monster, unicorns, and the phoenix.
Here Be Dragons: Dangerous Entities
The unexplained terrifies us and generations have sought answers to the mysteries of the world. Harsh realities were made comprehensible through tales of predatory creatures – Big Bad Wolves existed in many guises. A beast or being may be considered luck in one culture and be a source of terror in another. Fairies, dragons and naga (the sacred dragon), nymphs and Siren are all powerful beings, but viewed with fear or reverence, depending on the context.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see more collection highlights. We also partner with the Marr Sound Archives to highlight LPs from their collection. Click the button below to see the resource list for the Beyond the Mortal Realm collection display.
Collection display curated by UMKC Music/Media Library Staff Libby Hanssen and Bryanna Beasley, and student assistant Erin Gehlbach, with assistance from Marr’s Derek Long.
