As Rhapsode, especially in antiquity, a moving singer was called, who mostly spoke epic poetry (see literary genres) to the accompaniment of a string instrument. Often such rhapsoids were accompanied on the Phorminx, ie on a lyre from the first half of the first millennium BC, Which had six strings. They were particularly prominent in solemn ceremonies or festivals, and were characteristic of Homeric poetry, most of which were opened by an anthem supported by rhapses, dedicated to various gods. They were organized in so-called Rhapsodenschulen, but lost their importance in late-antiquity.
The term is derived from the Greek verb ῥάπτω, which can be translated with sewing together and the noun ᾠδή, which means singing. As a result, the translation already refers to the fundamental point: namely, a person who makes a singing song together.
It is important, however, that the so-called Rhapsoden sang less, but rather wrote poetically, ie epic texts. They thus succeeded in dissolving the so-called aodes, which, above all, were singing a song to the lyre. Thus, in the work of the Rhapsoden, it is above all the recitation of various works.
It is important that they were partly responsible for the fact that the great epics were distributed to broad sections of the population. In ancient Athens, even competitions were made, and rhapsoas competed against each other. Sometimes it was a question of reciting the Homeric verses in a flawless, unabridged and correct order, although they were also mocked, as they merely recited the individual verses of great poets without self-service.
The art of a rhapso was, therefore, to be able to memorize the works – especially of Homer – and to perform them. These lectures were often used as introductions to celebrations, but they were marked by repetitions or were marked by Stegreifdichtung. In ancient German poetry, the skop is the skop, the medieval age of the Spielmann, and in the nineteenth century Rhapsode understood the reciters of famous works. The word rhapsody is also derived from this.