The Muses
The Goddesses of the Arts
Who are they?
The muses are the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the Titaness of memory. They are the companions of the Graces, the personifications of beauty. Lead by Apollo, their gifts of song, dance, and joy allowed the gods and mankind to forget their troubles.
Which is Which?
Meet the Muses
Calliope is the Muse of Epic Poetry.
- Homer called on her to help write the tales of Odysseus.
Clio is the Muse of History.
- If anything big happens, she'll know in an instant, and write it down on her scroll.
Erato is the Muse of Lyric and Love Poetry.
- You'll normally find her sitting under a tree daydreaming or fawning over some stranger.
Euterpe is the Muse of Music.
- You can't find a time when she's not singing. Her turn in the shower is an opera.
Melpomene is the Muse of Tragic Poetry.
- If she went to the underworld, she'd fit right in. She's always moping about something.
Polyhymnia is the Muse of Scared Hymns.
- Quite, polite, and only sings for special occasions.
Terpsichore is the Muse of Dance and Song.
- Can't sit still with a long weekend a few hours away? Terpsichore is the same. When the drum starts to beat, she's on the dance floor dancing until they stop.
Thalia is the Muse of Comic Poetry.
- When she's not telling jokes, she's laughing at them. Thalia was made for the comedy stage.
Urania is the Muse of Astronomy.
- She never looks down. Her eyes are glued to the heavens wherever she goes.
These goddesses were the mothers of several famous mortals such as Orpheus, Linus, Hyacinthus, and Rhosus. They were also the mothers of the Sirens and the Corybantes.
The Corybantes
These priests served the goddess Cybele.
Orpheus
Orpheus had a beautiful voice that was said to tame beasts and move stones. He was able to lull the three-headed dog Cerberus to sleep and melt the heart of Hades.
The Sirens
These beings sang a haunting melody that lured sailors to their deaths
Watch Out!
These Muses will smite anyone who opposes them. Take the daughters of Pierus for example. The boastful girls were turned into birds for competing with the Muses in music.
Many poets and artisans prayed to the Muses for inspiration. William Shakespeare started some of his plays with a prayer to them.
Works Cited
Bryant, Megan E. "Muses." She's All That!: A Look-it-up Guide to the Goddesses of Mythology. New York: Franklin Watts/Scholastic, 2010. N. pag. Print.
"Muse." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.
"Muses." Muses. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.
"Nine Muses." ABC-CLIO. ABC-CLIO, n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.