  The origin of electromagnon excitations in cycloidal \textit{R}MnO$_3$ is
explained in terms of the Heisenberg coupling between spins despite the fact
that the static polarization arises from the much weaker Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya
(DM) exchange interaction. We present a model that incorporates structural
characteristics of this family of manganites that is confirmed by far infrared
transmission data as a function of temperature and magnetic field and inelastic
neutron scattering results. A deep connection is found between the
magnetoelectric dynamics of the spiral phase and the static magnetoelectric
coupling in the collinear E-phase of this family of manganites.
