Who Art The Muses?

"Dwelling in Olympus, the Gods are happy all their days, rejoicing in all-glorious Apollo as he strikes his golden lyre and the sweet voices of the Muses sing while they dance with the Graces, Hebe, and Aphrodite.
And they eat Ambrosia and drink Nectar, and all else is forgotten."

THE MUSES (the "Reminders")- Daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne("Memory"). Sometimes they are said to be the daughters of Uranus("Sky") and Gaia("Earth"). Apollo is their guardian. They were said to live on Mount Helicon when they weren't in Olympus. Sometimes, though, it is said that each dwells on a different peak of Mount Parnassus. They are the divine inspiration that causes artists to create. They are nine in number, each having their own specialty art.

" They were born in Pieria to Mnemosyne, queen of the foothills of Eleutherae, in unison with the father, the Son of Kronos; oblivion of ills and respite from cares. Nine nights Zeus the resourceful lay with her, going up to her holy bed far away from the immortals. and when the time came, as the months passed away and the seasons turned about, and the long tale of days was completed, she bore nine daughters - all of one mind, their care-free hearts set on song - not far from the topmost peak of snowy Olympus. There they have their gleaming dancing-places and their fair mansions; and the Graces and Desire dwell beside them, in feasting. Lovely is the sound they produce from their mouths as they sing and celebrate the ordinances and the good ways of all the immortals, making delightful utterance.

"So then they went to Olympus, glorying in their beautiful voices, singing divinely. The dark earth rang round them as they sang, and from their dancing feet came a lovely estampie as they went to their father.. He is king in heaven: his is the thunder and the smoking bolt, since he defeated his father Kronos by strength. he has appointed their ordenances to the immortals, well in each detail, and assigned then their privileges.

This is what the Muses sang, who dwell in Olympus, the nine daughters born of great Zeus, Clio and Euterpe and Thalia and Melpomene, Terpsichore and erato and Polyhymnia and Urania, and Calliope, who is chief among them all for she even attends august kings. "

-from Hesiod's Theogony

CALLIOPE - "Fair-voiced" - Epic poetry and eloquence - Her symbols are the stylus & tablets, laurel crown.

CLIO - "Proclaimer" - History - Her symbols are the opened scroll, trumpet, laurel crown.

ERATO - "Lovely" - Love poetry - Her symbols are a quill, flower or rose garland.

EUTERPE - "Giver of Pleasure" - Flute-playing - Her symbol is the flute or double flute.

MELPOMENE - "Songstress" - Tragedy - Her symbols are the tragedy mask, club, dagger, gold crown.

POLYHYMNIA - "She of Many Hymns" - Lyric poetry (song) and mimic art - Her symbols are the scepter, musical note; often portrayed as meditating with a finger on her mouth.

TERPSICHORE - "Whirler" - Dance - Her symbols are cithara, dancing shoes.

THALIA - "Flourishing" - Comedy - Her symbols are the comedy mask, shepherd's staff, ivy garland, wildflowers.

URANIA - "Heavenly" - Astronomy - Her symbols are the globe and compass.

"Whomsoever great Zeus' daughters favor among the kings that Zeus fosters, and turn their eyes upon him at his birth, upon his tongue they shed sweet dew, and out of his mouth the words flow honeyed." - from Hesiod's Theogony

"No desire is stronger than lust for your light. We honor you.

Speak, Calliope. Beautiful voice, inspire heroic epic.

Clio, tell us history.
Erato, awaken love.
Euterpe, inspire music.
Melpomene, tell tragedy
Polyhymnia, teach imitation.
Terpsichore, show us dance.
Thalia, give us comedy.
Urania, inspire astronomy.

Awaken virture, train the mind, nurse the soul, show us what is right.
Lend us your light."

-Orphic Hymn to the Muses

"Let me begin with the Muses and Apollo and Zeus,
Because it is through the Muses
and far-shooting Apollo
that singers and lyre-players exist upont he earth;
kings are from Zeus.
Blessed is the man whome the Muses
love, for sweet speech flows from his mouth.
Hail, children of Zeus! Do honor my song!
And I shall remember you and another song, too."

-Homeric Hymn to the Muses

"They are all of one mind, their hearts are set upon song and their spirit is free from care. He is happy whom the Muses love. For though a man has sorrow and grief in his soul, yet when the servant of the Muses sings, at once he forgets his dark thoughts and remembers not his troubles. Such is the holy gift of the Muses to men." - from Hesiod's Theogony