The Muses are the Greek goddesses who preside over the arts and sciences. They were believed to inspire artists, especially poets, philosophers, and musicians. The Muses were the daughters of Zeus, conceieved with Mnemosyne, the goddess of Memory. The name of the Muses denotes "memory" or "a reminder", since early poets had no books to read from and thus relied on memory alone.

(From the Krewe of Muses Website. www.kreweofmuses.org)