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Helicon

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Helicon (hĕl`ĭkŏn), Gr. Elikón, mountain group, c.20 mi (30 km) long, central Greece, in Boeotia; it rises to 5,736 ft (1,748 m). Helicon formed part of the border between ancient Boeotia and Phocis. In Greek legend it was the abode of the Muses and sacred to Apollo. The fountains of Hippocrene and Aganippe are on the slopes of Mt. Helicon. The temple of the Muses was situated in the eastern part of the mountain, at the foot of which were Thespiae and Ascra, home of Hesiod.

sousaphone

 or helicon

Spiral circular bass or contrabass tuba. Traditionally made of brass, it is now often made of fibreglass for lightness. The helicon was probably first developed in Russia but was perfected in Vienna in 1849 by Ignaz Stowasser, who manufactured it in various sizes. John Philip Sousa designed a removable and rotatable bell for the instrument in 1892, giving the new design his own name. Designed for portability, the instruments have become standard in marching bands.


Helicon
a mountain in Greece, in Boeotia: location of the springs of Hippocrene and Aganippe, believed by the Ancient Greeks to be the source of poetic inspiration and the home of the Muses. Height: 1749 m (5738 ft.)

helicon [′hēl·ə‚kän]
(electromagnetism)
A low-frequency, circularly polarized electromagnetic wave that is propagated in a metal in the presence of an external magnetic field.

Helicon 

a wind instrument of the bugle family. It is a modification of the bass and contrabass tuba. It was constructed in the 1840’s in Russia. The helicon is used primarily in brass bands. The pipe is curved in the shape of a ring so that the instrument can be carried comfortably over the shoulder.



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Helicon and `taught him a glorious song' -- doubtless the "Works and Days".
At this point, under their feet, rose Mount Helicon, 1,520 feet high, and round about the left rose moderate elevations, enclosing a small portion of the "Sea of Rains," under the name of the Gulf of Iris.
* There be tears of perfect moan Wept for thee in Helicon.
 
 
 
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