The Nine Muses by Emily Balivet
The Muses preside over the arts and sciences, giving inspiration to all artists, particularly poets, painters, dancers, musicians, philosophers, and astronomers.
There were nine Muses according to Hesiod, presiding over a different art, each symbolized with a different item. On the other hand, Varro mentions that only three Muses exist: Melete (practice), Mneme (memory) and Aoide (song). My own expeience of Them (UPG) is that there are nine. They have, in some way or another, directed my life since I was a child and continue to this day.
Here is some information compiled from various sources over the years.
Names and symbols:
• Aoide (song) one of the original Muses, no symbols associated with her
• Caliope (fair-voiced), considered the noblest of the Muses, presides over epic song, and was pictured with a wax tablet and pen.
• Clio (she that extols) is the Muse of history, and has a scroll.
• Erato (the lovely one), is the Muse of erotic poetry, with a smaller lyre.
• Euterpe (she that gladdens) is the Muse of lyric song, and has a double flute that was known as an aulos.
• Hypate one of the original Muses, no symbols associated with her
• Melete (meditation) one of the original Muses, no symbols associated with her
• Melpomene (she that sings) is the Muse of tragedy, and has a tragic mask, ivy wreath, and attributes of hero she is inspiring a song about e.g. the club for Herakles or sword for Perseus.
• Meses one of the original Muses, no symbols associated with her
• Mneme (remembrance) one of the original Muses, no symbols associated with her
• Nete one of the original Muses, no symbols associated with her
• Polymnia (rich in hymns), is the Muse of serious sacred songs, usually represented as veiled and pensive.
• Terpsichore (she that rejoices in the dance), is the Muse of dancing, with a lyre.
• Thalia (she that flourishes) is the Muse of comedy and bucolic poetry, with the comic mask, the ivy wreath, and the shepherd's staff.
• Urania (the heavenly), the Muse of astronomy, with the celestial globe.
Animal(s): none
Sacrifices: frankincense
Primary Cult Center(s): Helicon, Pieria, Castalia, Aganippe, Sparta
Festivals: Museia every five years in Thespiae; Current - The Birth of the Muses, June 14th
Ways to honor: Create! Learn some art-form you have not experienced before. Go to museums, theaters, dance recitals, and other places of culture. Dance, sing, play music, study history, study the stars and planets in the night sky, write and/or recite appropriate poetry in honor of the Muses
Support artists. Give money to street musicians or painters.
Other information:
http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Mousai.html
http://www.theoi.com/Titan/Mousai.html
https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=partner-pub-3887923691185452%3A4lilh6jpty1&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=muses&sa=Search#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=muses&gsc.page=1 - a list of links at Theoi.com for the above links as well as those to each individual Muse.
Apollodorus' Library 1.3.1-4, 3.5.8
Hesiod's Theogony 36-115
Homer's Iliad 2.594-600
Homer's Odyssey 8.63-64, 8.479-481, 24.60-61
Homeric Hymn to Apollo and the Muses 25
Ovid's Metamorphoses 5.273-340, 5.662-678
Pausanias' Description of Greece 9.24.3, 9.29.1-6
A Hymn To the Muses
Daughters of Mnemosyne,
The Nine who inspire and empower creativity.
Beloved are You all,
Calliope, Clio, Erato,
Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia,
Terpsechore, Thaleia and Urania.
You birth the thoughts that stir my soul,
You nourish my soul and kindle the flame within,
You birth the thoughts that stir my soul,
You nourish my soul and kindle the flame within,
You tend the flame that brings my art.
You touch me and I forget that which is not needed.
Instead, I create, I dance, I sing, I remember, I laugh,
I see the stars and gain wisdom and contentment.
You have given sacred and mystic rites;
With these, I make magic.
Do come, Lovely and Blessed Muses,
Do come, Lovely and Blessed Muses,
Kiss the brow of this Daughter of the Artes,
Bless the hand that holds needle and thread, pen and brush.
Bless the voice that sings and the hands that strum the strings,
Bless the breathe that carries wind through wood.
Come to one who is Your initiate, O Goddesses,
For Your brilliant light of inspiration draws and holds me,
My soul longs for the touch of The Nine.
copyright Elizabeth A Kaufman 2010
I will post the Weekly Oracle tomorrow. I wanted to be sure to give all of you the information about The Birth of the Muses at least a bit in advance should anyone wish to make arrangements to celebrate.
Blessings Nine!
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