Lethe is the fourth piece in the Schwinden series, in which one instrument is added every seven years, starting with the Trio d-is-appear. This version supplements the previous one with a percussion part.
According to Greek mythology, Lethe (from the Greek λήθη, meaning ‘forgetfulness’) is one of the rivers in the underworld.
The name comes from the ancient Greek language and literally means forgetfulness or concealment. The Greek word for truth is a-lethe-ia, which means unforgettable or unconcealed: It was believed that anyone who drank water from the Lethe would forget their memories. Some also believed that souls had to drink from the river before they were reborn so that they would not remember their previous lives.
Some private mystery religions also taught the existence of another river, the Mnemosyne. Those who drank from this river remembered everything and were endowed with the gift of omniscience. New members of these religions were told that after death they would have the choice of drinking from one of the two rivers – Lethe or Mnemosyne – and that they should drink from the Mnemosyne instead of the Lethe. On some gold tablets from the 4th century BC and later, found at Thurii in southern Italy and other places that once belonged to ancient Greece, these two rivers are immortalised in a few verses.