The Nine Muses

According to ancient humans, there were hundreds of gods and souls on earth who controlled nature and communicated with humanity. The gods of Olympos were definitely the most powerful, but stories also indicated a vast number of other gods. They may have been lesser and less majestic than the legendary Olympian gods, but these second-degree gods played a significant role in classical mythology.

Eustache Le Sueur. (1652). Clio, Euterpe and Thalia [Painting]. Wikipedia. https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosya:Eustache_Le_Sueur_002.jpg

Mnemosyne, the greatest God of Greek mythology and one of Zeus’ wives, is the goddess of memory (reminiscent of tangible memory, inventor of language and words), as well as a Titan goddess (daughter of Gaia and Uranus, the first God and Titans). Zeus and his wife Mnemosyne created the Muses of mythology as a consequence of a nine-night love relationship. Muses (one for each night), who were born as nine girls in total, have passed into mythology as inspiration-muse goddesses.

Mark Cartwright. (2013, June 17). Clio [Illustration]. World History. https://www.worldhistory.org/muse/

•     Calliope: epic poetry
•     Terpsichore: dance
•     Clio: history
•     Erato: love poems, lyric poems, and marriage songs
•     Urania: astronomy
•     Euterpe: music and lyric poetry
•     Melpomene: tragedy
•     Polyhymnia: pantomime and songs
•     Thalia: comedy

Almost every poem contains the names of museums, yet they don’t have their own epics. They sing and dance at all the gods’ feasts, generally in a choir led by Apollo.

Muses could also inspire punishment. For example, by showing their own artistic skills in a competition, the Pierides (King Pierus’s daughters), challenged their muses. This disregard for women was offended by the Muses. The muses transformed the Pierides into crowds when they got lost. Similarly, a board called Thamyris had been more skilled in creating and poetry than his muses. The fairies were not indifferent to this rudeness, they blinded Bard and made him lose his memories.

The muses influenced not just their periods, but also all the details of everything that has happened in the past. Given that, you can say they have an unbelievable memory. The museum first appeared and extended throughout time to Greece in Thracian Boiotia.

The Erato Muse has always been a symbol of love poems, including the Myrtle-leaved crown, the Kithara, a guitar-like instrument, a bouquet of roses, a lyre. It is known that Apollo or Erato invented the lyre that comes with three strings in mythology.

The first songs of the muses were to thank the gods when the Titans were beaten in an ardent struggle. It is also stated in mythology Queer Muses are the king’s friends, because they are the inspiring leaders to need so that their language has clear words and clarity to perform their duties in the interest of their authorities.

Aslı Diken

References

Cartwright, M. (2021, June 12). Muse. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/muse/

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020, March 26). Muse. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Muse-Greek-mythology

Malt, C. (2020, December 13). Müzler Nedir? | Yunan Mitolojisinde İlham Perileri. Mitolojik Tanrılar. https://www.mitolojiktanrilar.com/muzler-mitoloji-musalar-yunan-mitolojisi/

K. (2020b, November 23). The Nine Muses of the Greek Mythology. Greek Myths & Greek Mythology. https://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/nine-muses-in-greek-mythology/