The Lyre (a stringed instrument like a harp) was invented by Hermes as a gift to his half-brother Apollo, who gave it to Orpheus, the musician of the Argonauts.
Vega, along with Deneb and Altair form the well-known Summer Triangle.
About 4000 years ago, the star Thuban was the North Star. Since then, precession of the Earth's axis has changed where the North Pole points, so the North Star is now Polaris. In another 10,000 years or so, the North Star will be Vega.
See also Star Facts for June 1995