Greek Muses

Greek Muses-

The Nine Sister Muses

The Nine Muses of Greek Mythology. I have always been curious about the Muses. They
are very close to the Nymphs in importance. I thought I would do another short post on these
Nine Greek Goddesses Muses who ruled over the arts and sciences who offered inspiration in all those area's in the ancient times the the Gods of Zeus. They actually were the daughters of the great God Zeus and Mnemosyne who represented memory. Memory was an important for the Muses because in the ancient times, when there were not books, only the poets at that time had to carry their works in their memories.  
The Nine Muses were:
Calliope- who was the muse of Epic Poetry~
Clio- who was the muse of History~
Erato- who was the muse of Love Poetry~
Euterpe- who was the muse of Music~
Melpomene- who was the muse of Tragedy~
Polyhymnia- who was the muse of Sacred Poetry~
Terpsichore- who was the muse of Dance~
Thalia- who was the muse of Comedy~
Urania- who was the muse of Astronomy~

Calliope was the eldest of the Muses-sister Goddesses of Music, Song and dance of Epic Poetry. She
was also the Goddesses of eloquence who bestowed her gift on Kings and Princes. In the Greek

Calliope -Muse of Music,Song
Dance and Epic Poetry.

Mythology the Muse Calliope which meant 'beautiful-voiced' was the muse of epic poetry, also was the
daughter of the Mighty Zeus and Mnemosyne and is believed to be Homer's muse, the inspiration for the
Odysssey and the Iliad. It is said that in one account the Muse Calliope was the lover of the war God Ares, and bore him several sons; Mygdon, Edonus, Biston and Odomantus, who were respectively the founders of the Thracian tribes known as the Mygdones, Edones, Bistones, and Odomantes too. Calliope Muse had two
famous sons, Orpheus and Linus, by either Apollo or the King Oeagrus of Thrace. Calliope taught her son
Orpheus verses for singing. And according to Hesiod, Calliope was also the wisest of all the sister Muses, as well as the most assertive. This could be because she was the eldest sister muse who had to set an example for her sisters. Calliope is always seen with a writing tablet in her hand. At times she can be depicted caring a roll of paper, book or even wearing a gold crown.
In Classical times, when the Muses were assigned specific artistic spheres, Calliope was named Muse of Epic Poetry. So she was guise she was always portrayed holding a tablet and stylus or even a scroll.


Clio- who was the muse of History- Like that of her sisters Muse

Muse Clio in the National Statuary
Hall in the Capitol in Washington D.C.

Her name was derived from the Greek verb kleô, "to make famous" or "celebrate." 
In Classical times, when the Mousai were assigned specific literary and artistic spheres, Kleio was named Muse of history. In this guise she was represented holding an open scroll or seated beside a chest of books.
Clio was the muse of history and therefore a kind of “patron saint” of history for modern historians.Fittingly, Clio was shown with an open scroll, which in more modern representations might be replaced by a bound book, on which she is recording information for a succeeding generation or from which she is reading information from a previous generation. She usually wears a laurel wreath and may be carrying a trumpet.
That I found to be the most striking representation of the Muse Clio is in the National Statuary Hall in the Capitol in Washington, D. C. The hall, just south of the Rotunda, was the meeting place for the House of Representatives from 1807 to 1857 and is sometimes called the Old Hall. Over the doorway that leads from the hall into the Rotunda is Carlo Franzoni’s Car of History, in which Clio is shown riding in the vehicle that represents the movement of history through the ages. Clio is standing in her car (there was no Department of Transportation rule requiring seat belts in those days), holding her traditional book of remembrance. The car is moving along a globe which has the signs of the Zodiac on it to represent the passage of time. The wheel of her car is a clock, which also represents the passage of time. 

Erato- who was the muse of Love Poetry~ Erato was another of the nine daughters Muses of Zeus,the King of the Gods and Mnemosyne the Goddesses of Memory. The names of the Muses were starting with the first and the Oldest Calliope,Thalia, Euterpe,  Polyhymnia, Clio,Terpsichore, Urania,and Melpomene. And of course Erato.It is said that Erato & her sisters were believed to reside above the Golden clouds that covered sacred  Greek mountains peaks above the summits of Mount Olympus, Helicon,Parnassus, and Pindus.They entertained and joined the Olympian Gods in their feasts drinking water, milk and honey, but never wine. The sisters were originally the patron Goddesses of poets and musicians, but over time their roles extended to included comedy, tragedy,history, poetry, music, dancing, singing, rhetoric,sacred hymns, and harmony. Erato was the Muse Lyric,Love and Poetry who inspired the development of Lyric and Love

of Poetry. Erato was the muse of

liberal and fine arts of the world
of ancient Greece.
I found that Erato name in Greek
mythology meant 'desire or lovely'.
There is a love story that I found
about Erato with Rhadine on a
supposed tomb on the island of
Samos.



Euterpe- who was the muse of Music~
Euterpe was the muse of Music. Her name means 'rejoicing well' or delight'. She was one of the nine sisters

born from Zeus and Mnemosyne the goddess of memory. Euterpe is the muse that bring joy and pleasure
through that of her flute playing. She is said to have invented the double flute & was accompany by Apollo 
in his role as God of the arts. I tried very hard to find more on this beautiful Muse, but there just wasn't any
to be found. I did find this wonderful poem by Robert Rexdale that I wanted to share with you all.
Euterpe The Muse of Music
by Robert Rexdale
This hour so beautiful with bloom
Is sacred to the muse of song! 
Its glowing sunset heights illume
The hopes o'er shadowed by the tomb,
And bid the fainting soul be strong.
And now Euterpe's harp is crowned
With gems that flash like morning rays
She gives us music for each wound,
And 1)ids the spirit lift its gaze

To skies blue-arched above the mound.

If olden memories of tears,

The ghosts of unforgotten pain,

Rise through the mournful mists of years!

She sings of undiscoverd spheres,

And solace brings the weary brain.

O sentient Lyre! O breathing Shell!

Thy mission to the world we own;

Since in the light of thy sweet spell,

That star-like o'er the desert shone,

New scenes of beauty rise and dwell.

So heavenward, on triumphant wings,

Take flight, tired heart! and end thy quest,

Where Music's wand hath touched the springs.

And love is in the songs she sings,

There flow the crystal streams of Rest.

Melpomene- who was the muse of Tragedy~
Well the next Muse is Melpomene of Tragedy and I was able to find a bit more information on 

Melpomene than her sister Euterpe of Music. Like her sisters Melpomene was one of the beautiful 
young maidens muse sisters of the God Zeus and Goddess Mnemosyne of Memory that lived on Mount
Olympian. They would entertain and join all the Gods & Goddesses in their feasts drinking of spring
water, milk and honey but the Muse's would never drink wine. It is said that Melpomene was usually
represented with a tragic mask and wearing the cothurnus - the boots traditionally worn by tragic actors. 
And she would sometime be show holding a knife or club in one hand & the mask in the other. There 
are other variation's of how they would depicted the Muse Melpomene and I will go thru those 
in this short discussion of the Muse Melpomene. From what i could find, the ancient traditions and beliefs of the Greeks would would always ask for the aid of  
Melpomene in any dramatic writing tragedy type of playwright or works in Ancient Greece. What Melpomene would do is a prayer for divine inspiration for the theatre which was very
important because in the day of the ancient Greeks they did many of Greek theatre.  In the Greek theatre 
they were often combined with music, dance and drama or tragedy. The types of plays often done in
the ancient Greek plays drama; comedy, tragedy and satyr plays too. When ever they would put on a
Tragedy type of play, whose patrons that were in the play would work with the Muse Melpomene and one or more of the major characters in the play would always suffer a terrible ending. The Satyr's would 
make fun of mortal legends and of real humans. In the comedy plays there was always had a happy ending.
It seemed that in the ancient Greek plays they would consist of three major parts; 1) the prologue,
2) the chorus 3) finally the scenes...I also found out that in the day! the actors would use gestures and masks
just as we do in modern day 21th century... But the masks had much more meaning back in the 
ancient Greece. They were the symbols of the Muses names Thalia and Melpomene. Thalia was the 
Muse of Comedy - the laughing face - while Melpomene was the Muse of the Tragedy - the weeping face.
The Greek actors - probably , gods, goddess, nymphs satyrs would all ware boots - called cothurni that would elevated them above the other actors - in the Tragedy plays. In the comedic plays they would ware
a more thinner soled shoe called a sock - silly Eh! And the Muse Melpomene would always even in the
comedy plays was associated with the mask of tragedy and was wearing the cothurni boots too.
It seems that Melpomene didn't have as much fun as maybe her other nine sisters...
Polyhymnia- who was the muse of Sacred Poetry~

Polyhymnia Muse of Sacred Poetry

The next of the Muses is that of Polyhymnia who is the Muse of Sacred Poetry. She is 
also the youngest of the Nine Greek Muses. They were all born in
Pieria, at thee foot of Mount Olympus. and resided
on Mount Olympus all of their days. Polyhymnia is also known as the Muse of song,sacred hymn, poetry, oratory and eloquence as well as sometimes mine dance meditation,
agriculture and geometry too. Polyhymnia is usually shown looking up into the sky pensively or meditating with a her finger to her mouth or occasionally waring veiled/robe. She is also depicted with a lyra. Either holding a lyre or conservatively wrapped in a veil with a lyre. It is believed that Polyhymnia was the one who invented the lyre. This of course brought her great
praises at the times. And of course in turn Polyhymnia would bring
great distinction to all writers in ancient Greece that even had achieved some of them immortal fame. The lyra - [is a stringed 
musical instrument having a yoke or two arms and a crossbar, projecting our from its body. The strings run from a tailpiece on the bottom or front of the instrument to the crossbar. It is said that most the lyres are plucked, on the lyra, but a few are bowed. Box lyres are instruments having a boxlike wooden like body to them with a wooden soundboard; in some instances the arms of the instruments are hollow extension of the body; as in the ancient Greek kithara. How the bowl lyres 
have a rounded body with a curved back and are often of tortoiseshell and a skin belly; the arms 
are invariably constructed separately, as the Lyra's in Greece.]
In most of Polyhymnia' painting she appears as a very young girl, which make sense since she was the youngest of the eight muses. Yet she seemed to always have huge sad eyes. They were wise beyond her years but sad, but that is only my own opinion.
Terpsichore- who was the muse of Dance~
Terpsichore is another of the nine sisters muses of the daughters of Zeus, who live on Mount Olympias. 

Terpsichore Muse of Dance

Terpsichore is the Muse of Choral Song and Dance.  She, like her sister Erato, is always shown holding a lyre too.  Terpsichore is mentioned specifically by name in several passages of ancient literature, including in works by Plato and Pindar.  While she is the Muse of two arts, in modern days she is mostly influential in the world of dance.
Terpsichore is another of the nine Muses of ancient Greece. And she is the Muse of dancing and the dramatic chorus, lyric poetry and in even later versions, of flute playing. Hence the word terpsichorean, pertaining to dance. She is usually represented seated, and holding a lyre.  Muses of music cannot stand alone without dance to accompany them.
I have found in doing these sisters that they all have many similarity
in their talent's and their inspirations that they give to the gods,goddesses and mortals too. I didn't go into their Private lives because it would have be to long of an post .. as I found it is going to be Hesse already it is...I hope that you you will still find this post fun reading and fascinating without the added personal touch to each of the nine personal lives...  As for Terpsichore she was very much like her sister Erato ...
Thalia-  who was the muse of Comedy~

Thalia Muse of Comedy

The last few Muses were a bit hard to get info on. So my dears I am sorry that I don't have
as much as I would like on each of the nine muse sisters.. Thalia was the second to the last of the nine 
sisters muses and is the Muse of Comedy and Idyllic Poetry. She is also known fro her cheerful nature.
Thalia was portrayed as a younger woman with a joyous air about her. She is the eighth-born of the nine
Muse of Zeus and  Mnemosyne, so that would make Polyhymnia her sister Muse of Sacred Poetry only one year younger than herself.  She is usually depicted holding an theatrical Comedy Mask. Since she is the muse of Comedy. What I have found is that each of the nine sister muses carry something that distinctions them from one and other .... I wonder if they really did this in the days of the ancient times in their home of mount Olympian with the father Zeus and all the Gods and Goddesses? How that would be a great thing to be able to see! Anyway. Sometime Thalia is shown as a young woman with a crown with ivy, wearing boots or holding a comic mask in her hand.. Some have said she has had bugle or even a trumpet to support the actor's voices in ancient comedy..
Urania- who was the muse of Astronomy~

Urania Muse of Astronomy

Finally the last of the muse Urania Muse of Astronomy. She was the muse of Astronomy and
astrological writings. Urania would inspire man to look up at the stars and ask WHY? She was always
shown with a globe in her left hand and a pencil in her right hand. Her name in Greek meant Heavenly and

religion  all in one.Urania dresses in a cloak embroidered with stars and keeps her eyes and attention focused on the Heavens. Those who are most concerned with philosophy and the heavens are dearest to Urania. Those who have been instructed by her Urania raises aloft to heaven, for it is a fact that imagination and the power of thought lift men's souls to heavenly heights. Urania is able to foretell the future by the arrangement of the stars. Urania is often associated with Universal Love and the Holy Spirit. Eldest of the divine sisters, Urania inherited Zeus' majesty and power and the beauty and grace of her mother Mnemosyne. In mythology, the muses were nine goddesses who symbolized the arts and sciences which I have just gone over with the nine sisters. They were born by the only reason to inspire man mortal man. And lived  with their father The father of all Gods Zeus. Today if  a muse is a person who serves as an artist that inspiration flows Thur everyone that sees his/her art. Often these modern day muses are Writers, painters, filmmakers who talk about certain actors being a muse to inspire the the making of a movie, musicians, computer designers, actually anyone can be a muse to inspire someone. A muse can also refer to a deep thinker people with many ideas divine and so much more. And muse is a person that inspires anyone at anything. YOU my dears could be a Muse to your friends and family..  Well I hope that you all Enjoyed this post I have worked long and hard on this one. 

but I think you all will Enjoy the informations and the fun stories behind each Muses...

I thought you might have so fun with these Muses! 

Love you all my dear friends & followers

Yur Wendy 

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