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The name 'μουσ̃α' seems to be a pre-Greek word of unknown origin. The connection to Indo-European is easy to reject because the similar words like mum, mouse, and midge all seem to have quite a different meaning. In the first line of the Odyssey the word 'μου̂σα' appears. Originally the word seems to have been singular. The first word of the Theogony is 'μουσάων. Here the Muses are plural. Hesiod even names them in the Theogony line 75. Though the Muses are not assigned to fields of endeavor, the names are suggestive.
A Muse with a lyre
Muses: (Presided over the arts and sciences and inspired those who excelled in these pursuits). A picture of the Muses is at: Athens, National Museum 1241
Since every Muse is translatable as an Indo-European word it might be assumed that these goddesses were part of the Indo-European pantheon after they arrived in Greece and before they were influenced by the Minoans or other culture local to Greece. But notice that the name 'Muse' is not necessarily tranlatable as an Indo-European word
A Muse with a Barbiton
Hesiod, in his Works and Days says the following about the Muses:
(ll. 1-10) Muses of Pieria who give glory through song, come hither, tell of Zeus your father and chant his praise. crossed over to Chalcis, to the games of wise Amphidamas where the sons of the great-hearted hero proclaimed and appointed prizes. And there I boast that I gained the victory with a song and carried off an handled tripod which I dedicated to the Muses of Helicon, in the place where they first set me in the way of clear song. Such is all my experience of many-pegged ships; nevertheless I will tell you the will of Zeus who holds the aegis; for the Muses have taught me to sing in marvellous song.
Hesiod, in his Theogony says the following about the Muses: (ll. 1-25) From the Heliconian Muses let us begin to sing, who hold the great and holy mount of Helicon, and dance on soft feet about the deep-blue spring and the altar of the almighty son of Cronos, and, when they have washed their tender bodies in Permessus or in the Horse's Spring or Olmeius, make their fair, lovely dances upon highest Helicon and move with vigorous feet. Thence they arise and go abroad by night, veiled in thick mist, and utter their song with lovely voice, praising Zeus the aegis- holder and queenly Hera of Argos who walks on golden sandals and the daughter of Zeus the aegis-holder bright-eyed Athene, and Phoebus Apollo, and Artemis who delights in arrows, and Poseidon the earth-holder who shakes the earth, and reverend Themis and quick-glancing (1) Aphrodite, and Hebe with the crown of gold, and fair Dione, Leto, Iapetus, and Cronos the crafty counsellor, Eos and great Helius and bright Selene, Earth too, and great Oceanus, and dark Night, and the holy race of all the other deathless ones that are for ever. And one day they taught Hesiod glorious song while he was shepherding his lambs under holy Helicon, and this word first the goddesses said to me -- the uses of Olympus, daughters of Zeus who holds the aegis:
(ll. 26-28) `Shepherds of the wilderness, wretched things of shame, mere bellies, we know how to speak many false things as though they were true; but we know, when we will, to utter true things.'
(ll. 29-35) So said the ready-voiced daughters of great Zeus, and they plucked and gave me a rod, a shoot of sturdy laurel, a marvellous thing, and breathed into me a divine voice to celebrate things that shall be and things there were aforetime; and they bade me sing of the race of the blessed gods that are eternally, but ever to sing of themselves both first and last. But why all this about oak or stone? (2)
(ll. 36-52) Come thou, let us begin with the Muses who gladden the great spirit of their father Zeus in Olympus with their songs, telling of things that are and that shall be and that were aforetime with consenting voice. Unwearying flows the sweet sound from their lips, and the house of their father Zeus the loud-thunderer is glad at the lily-like voice of the goddesses as it spread abroad, and the peaks of snowy Olympus resound, and the songs, telling of things that are and that shall be and that were aforetime with consenting voice. Unwearying flows the sweet sound from their lips, and the house of their father Zeus the loud-thunderer is glad at the lily-like voice of the goddesses as it spread abroad, and the peaks of snowy Olympus resound, and the homes of the immortals. And they uttering their immortal voice, celebrate in song first of all the reverend race of the gods from the beginning, those whom Earth and wide Heaven begot, and the gods sprung of these, givers of good things. Then, next, the goddesses sing of Zeus, the father of gods and men, as they begin and end their strain, how much he is the most excellent among the gods and supreme in power. And again, they chant the race of men and strong giants, and gladden the heart of Zeus within Olympus, -- the Olympian Muses, daughters of Zeus the aegis-holder.
(ll. 53-74) Them in Pieria did Mnemosyne (Memory), who reigns over the hills of Eleuther, bear of union with the father, the son of Cronos, a forgetting of ills and a rest from sorrow. For nine nights did wise Zeus lie with her, entering her holy bed remote from the immortals. And when a year was passed and the seasons came round as the months waned, and many days were accomplished, she bare nine daughters, all of one mind, whose hearts are set upon song and their spirit free from care, a little way from the topmost peak of snowy Olympus. There are their bright dancing-places and beautiful homes, and beside them the Graces and Himerus (Desire) live in delight. And they, uttering through their lips a lovely voice, sing the laws of all and the goodly ways of the immortals, uttering their lovely voice. Then went they to Olympus, delighting in their sweet voice, with heavenly song, and the dark earth resounded about them as they chanted, and a lovely sound rose up beneath their feet as they went to their father. And he was reigning in heaven, himself holding the lightning and glowing thunderbolt, when he had overcome by might his father Cronos; and he essed gods who inhabit Olympus, at once he forgets his heaviness and remembers not his sorrows at all; but the gifts of the goddesses soon turn him away from these.
(ll. 104-115) Hail, children of Zeus! Grant lovely song and celebrate the holy race of the deathless gods who are for ever, those that were born of Earth and starry Heaven and gloomy Night and them that briny Sea did rear. Tell how at the first gods and earth came to be, and rivers, and the boundless sea with its raging swell, and the gleaming stars, and the wide heaven above, and the gods who were born of them, givers of good things, and how they divided their wealth, and how they shared their honours amongst them, and also how at the first they took many-folded Olympus. These things declare to me from the beginning, ye Muses who dwell in the house of Olympus, and tell me which of them first came to be.
Notice that though Hesiod names the Muses, he does not assign to each an individual task. During the Roman period tasks were given to the individual Muses.
Also interesting is the type of material that the Muses are involved with. The Muses have som similarity with the Maenads who also sing and dance. Euripides in The Bacchae has Teiresias say "This god too hath prophetic power, for there is no small prophecy inspired by Bacchic frenzy; for whenever the god in his full might enters the human frame, he makes his frantic votaries foretell the future." Prophesy does not seem to be in the realm of the Muses. Rather they focus on history, and the stories of the deities.
Clio, Greek muse of history. [Latin Clio, from Greek Kleio, "teller," from kleiein, kleein, to tell, praise.]
Name Meaning of Name Domain Symbols Calliope The Fair Voiced Epic Poetry Writing Tablet Clio The Proclaimer History Scroll Erato The Lovely Love Poetry Lyre Euterpe The Giver of Pleasure Music Flute Melpomene The Songstress Tragedy Tragic Mask Polyhymnia She of Many Hymns Sacred Poetry Pensive Look Terpsichore The Whirler Dancing Dancing with Lyre Thalia The Flourishing Comedy Comic Mask Urania The Heavenly Astronomy Celestial Globe
To ask a question about this topic note the topic (Muses) and Click here
Question: how do the muses dress?
Answer: For a picture of the Muses: Click here They are dressed in their party clothes because they are always singing and dancing.
Question: Is there a woman named Caliope anywhere in the books or is she from somewhere else?
Answer: Calliope is one of the Muses. And Hesiod says: "(ll. 75-103) These things, then, the Muses sang who dwell on Olympus, nine daughters begotten by great Zeus, Cleio and Euterpe, Thaleia, Melpomene and Terpsichore, and Erato and Polyhymnia and Urania and Calliope (3), who is the chiefest of them all, for she attends on worshipful princes: whomsoever of heaven-nourished princes the daughters of great Zeus honour, and behold him at his birth, they pour sweet dew upon his tongue, and from his lips flow gracious words."
Question: which of the muses would be considered the muse of art, as in painting or sculpture?
Answer: During the ancient Greek period the Muses were taken as a group. During the Roman period the Muses were separated out as follows:
Johannes Vermeer felt the Muse of history was the the muse of painting. See a discussion at: Click here
William Hogarth felt the Muse of Comedy was the the muse of painting. See a painting at: Click here
For Francisco Goya his muse was Leocadia Zorrilla. See a discussion at: Click here
For William Wegmen a muse is anything that gives you the idea of what to paint. See a discussion at: Click here
Question: What is the name of the greek god or goddess of music.....and can i see a picture??
Answer: Apollo is the God of Music and the 9 muses collectively were the goddesses of music. Images follow:
Question: Do any of the muses have their own stories(myths)?
Answer:
Question: pictures
Answer: Click on the underlined links above to see the pictures.
Question: muses are said to give ideas to writers or musicians by their presence....is that true??
Answer: Yes, except they do not have to be present.
Question: what does the name Muse mean???
Answer: The mindful ones.
Question: Whowhere they and what did they do
Answer: They were goddesses who provided artistic and poetic inspiration.
Question: Why are muses considered myths?
Answer: The first writings about the Muses came from early poets. Though the early Greeks recognized that these writings were not literally true still they preserved them because of their reference to actions and behaviors that were desirable. Strictly myths are stroies that originate in a pre-literate society. They include stories of ancestors, heroes, and even supernatural beings that describe appropriate behavior in the society in which they are preserved. The ancient Greeks recognized that these stories, for them, were contained in poetry that had been passed down from previous generations. From this observation came the notion of poetic license where a poet is allowed to deviate from facts and conventions to make a better sounding poem.
Question: Can you tell me more about Erato?
Answer: Here is a modern picture of her: Click here
Here is a recent poem and another picture: Click here
Question: Can you tell me more about Terpsichore and the myth of choreography?
Answer: The Muses were not dealt with separately until Roman times.
Question: Terpsichore
Answer: Terpsichore
Question: I need some info on Thalia and a picture of her
Answer: Thalia was the mother of Corybantes. a web page about Thalia is at: Click here
Another web page about Thalia: Click here
Question: Which Muse is mentioned in one of Homer's works?
Answer: Homer references Muses as follows:
Sometimes he references one, and sometimes he references them all, but he never calls one by name.
Question: Apollo was said to have had affairs with some of his Muses. True or false?
Answer: I find no evidence of it.
Question: In one of Homer's hymns to Artemis, he said she goes to Apollo's house in Delphi to order the Muses but i thought the Muses were supposed to live on Olympus?
Answer: Hesiod refers to them as the Muses of Helicon. Helicon is a mountain in southwestern Boetia, Greece. This mountain is believed to be the home of the Muses.
Question: What are the roman names of the muses?
Answer: The Romans kept the same names
Answer: Pegasus was the winged horse in Greek mythology that caused the stream Hippocrene, the fountain of the Muses, to spring from Mount Helicon with a blow of his mighty hoof.
Question: In the Iliad,what does evoking the Muse entail?
Answer: An artist evokes the Muse when that artist is in a situation to produce great art. Homer evoked the Muse and he produced the Iliad. If you can sit down and write a song that people will sing 3000 years from now then you have evoked the Muse. Perhaps the Muse whispers it in your ear, or perhaps she implants it in your dreams, or it appears out of thin air. Or most likely it is plodded out word by word with many corrections and the Muse reveals it only a word at a time. Worse yet, you may have to write many songs, all failures, until, in a fit of extreme desperation the Muse finally comes to you, but all you get is the words for a song that everyone forgets after a year. I like to do visual art. Many peaople say they cannot do art, and the Muse never comes. Every once in a while I do a piece of art and someone likes it and buys it and treasures it in their house, and I see the Muse, and she is one of the most beautiful creatures there is.
Question: was there more than 9 muses
Answer: The ancient Greeks only admitted to 9. Plato said that Sappho was the tenth Muse as a tribute to this ancient poet's ability.
Question: I have to do a school report on Clio. I can not find any good reasources on her personally, can you recomend any?? Thanks
Answer: Apollodorus has some information about Kleio at: Click here.
Question: why are they describes as "forteiings of evils'?
Answer: I cannot find any association of the muses with foretellings or evils. But as goddesses they were supposed to have the gift of prophesy.
Question: What cities were important in the life and loves of the muses?
Answer: Of all the cities of ancient Greece they favored Athens the most. Mt. Helicon was sacred to them.
Question: galetea
Answer: Homer refers to the "famous sea-nymph Galatea" in the Iliad as one who accompanies Thetis in Book XVIII. In the Theogony, Hesiod speaks of her as the comely daughter of Nereus and Doris(ll. 240-264). The Roman poet Ovid speaks at length about this Galatea, but, though he talks about Pygmalion, He never metions that his sculpted wife is also named Galatea.
Question: favouriet haunts on mount hellicon
Answer: A spring named Aganippe and another named Hippocrene are both on Helicon. At the foot of Mt. Helicon was Thespiae where they had a temple and statues.
Question: How can Thalia be both a Muse and a Grace? Why is she name as both?
Answer: There are four different Thalias in mythology:
'Thalia' means abundance and so was a popular name.
Question: can you find ne some info on erato, The Muses?
Answer: There is very little information about the individual Muses in Greek literature because the Greeks did not distinguish them.
Question: What kind of clothes did they wear during alexander the greats life-we need pictures?
Answer: The relevant dates are 356-323 BCE.
Question: How are their names pronunced
Answer: Cal-LI-o-pe, CLI-o, ER-a-to, Eu-TER-pe, Mel-POM-e-ne, Pol-y-HYM-ni-a, Terp-SICH-o-re, Tha-LI- a, U-RA-ni-a
Question: Is there just one muse for memory or are all of them?
Answer: Mnemnosyne, a titanides, is the goddess of memory and the mother of the Muses.
Question: What is the function of the Muses invocation throughout the illiad?
Answer: Normally one cannot know of the deities because to do so would make one like a deity. Information of the deities must be encrypted for mortals. But truth about the deities is required by mortals. Invocation of the Muse allows some truth about the deities to be known. The Muse reveals just as much truth as is appropriate to the invoker and his/her situation. An invocation is a calling upon a divine being for assistance. This is quite an old concept since the root of the word 'invoke' is the Indo-European 'wekw-', 'To speak'.
Question: I want to know more about Euterpe.Thanks!
Answer: Click here.
The Muses: Clio, Euterpe and Thalia
Question: I would like to know how to write urania in ancient greek
Answer: Ὀὐρανίη
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