The word muse is related to the Latin word to lie and English mind. Centuries ago a poet did not have books to store his words, so he relied on his memory to tell his stories, this is how these beings were given the collective name Muse. Born in the town of Piera at the foot of the majestic Mount Olympus in Greece, the Muses are the daughters of Zeus, king of the ancient Greek gods, and Mnemosyne, titans who represented memory. They had a wet nurse named Eupheme, who nursed them with her own sun, the huntress named Crotus.

In keeping with their inspirational roles, sacrifices to the Muses included honey, milk, and water. The Muses also had many famous friends among the Greek mythological characters. The goddess Athena gave them the winged horse Pegasus, while Apollo was the head of the choir from her. The Muses appear throughout Greek mythology, guiding and teaching many different characters. The riddle used by the Sphinx at Thebes was provided by the Muses. They taught the tragic nymph Echo to sing and play music, and are associated with all three charities.

Here, in alphabetical order, is a brief summary of the nine Muses:

calliope

The oldest muse, she is the muse of epic poetry and was the inspiration for Homer to the iliaid Y The odyssey. Apollo fathered his sons Orpheus and Linus. She is usually depicted as carrying a writing tablet, a roll of paper, or a book. She wears a gold crown.

clio

Muse of history, she is said to have introduced the Phoenician alphabet to Greece. He carries a scroll or a set of stone tablets. Her name means “to make famous”, which probably explains her other name: the proclaimer. A relationship with Pierus, king of Macedonia, produced his son Hyacinthus.

erato

Considered the most beautiful muse, she is responsible for the rather unusual combination of Love Poetry and Mimicry. She is usually depicted with a lyre and she had a son named Azan with Arcas, a character who became the constellation Ursa Minor.

Eurtepe

Known as the muse of pleasure, she is actually the muse of music. Later, in Greek mythology, she was given the title of muse of lyric poetry and was depicted holding a flute. Her son Rhesus was fathered by the river Strymon, only in mythology! He died fighting in Troy.

Melpomene

Despite her beautiful voice, she is known as the muse of tragedy and is often depicted wearing the actors’ mask of tragedy. She wears a cypress wreath and holds the actor’s tragedy mask in one hand and a club or knife in the other.

polyhymnia

This is one busy lady! Known as the muse of geometry, agriculture, mime and meditation, she is also the muse of Sacred Poetry. Her Her many responsibilities to her are perhaps why she is usually depicted with a pensive face, dressed in a cape and long veil, and leaning against a pillar! She brings distinction to writers whose work has earned them immortal fame.

terpsicor

Although she is the muse of Dance, she is usually portrayed sitting and holding a lyre. This is the character portrayed by Olivia Newton John in the film Xanadu. His relationship with the river god Achelous supposedly resulted in the birth of the Sirens.

Thalia

She wears the actor’s comedy mask, the opposite of the one Melpomene wears. She is the muse of Comedy and Playful and Idyllic Poetry. She is often depicted holding a shepherd’s crook, a tribute to her role as a rural goddess. A relationship with Apollo produced the Coribantes, priests loyal to the goddess Cibeles.

Urania

She uses the position of the stars to predict the future, making her the muse of Astrology and Astronomy. She wears a cape covered in stars and is usually depicted looking thoughtfully up at the sky. She is patron saint of those who care about the heavens and philosophy, and is associated with the Holy Spirit and universal love.

Although intertwined with good thoughts and artistic interpretation, the Muses had an unpleasant side. One myth states that the jealous Hera organized a singing contest between the muses and the sirens, who had birdlike bodies and beautiful faces. The Muses won, and quickly plucked all the feathers from the Sirens’ bodies and made some pretty fine crowns for themselves. This seems to negate the suggestion that mermaids were born from the muse Terpsichor!

The musician Thamyris learned the hard way not to challenge the Muses. He was so sure of his progress that he held a contest with them, with the agreement that he would have his way with all of them after winning. Of course he lost, and the Muses took away two hideous prizes: his eyesight and his musical ability. So in love were the king and queen of Emathia of the Muses that they named their nine daughters. The inevitable competition came and naturally the Muses won. They quickly punished the losers by turning all nine daughters into birds.

When one considers how many Greek myths and legends are alive today, these nine girls obviously did a good job. So maybe they are more important than we originally thought. Sources of encouragement and inspiration throughout the ages…just don’t enter any contest featuring the Muses!