The Musai were goddesses of music, song and dance, and presided over poetry, arts and sciences. They were born of Zeus and Mnemosyne in Pieria, at the foot of Mount Olympus, and numbered nine, according to the Greek poets Homer and Hesiod, although other writers had differing opinions.
(excerpt from Musai)
The Musai were given specific gifts of knowledge and in Classical art were often depicted with different attributes:
Kalliope (Calliope) – Muse of Epic Poetry, holds a tablet and stylus
Kleio (Clio) – Muse of History, seated with a scroll
Ourania (Urania) – Muse of Astronomy, holds a celestial orb or globe
Thaleia – Muse of Comedy and Idyllic Poetry, carries Comic mask and ivy wreath
Melpomene – Muse of Tragedy, holds Tragic mask or sword; wears a wreath of ivy
Polymnia (Polyhymnia) – Muse of Sacred Song, seated or standing with a pensive attitude
Erato – Muse of Erotic Poetry, holds a small lyre
Euterpe – Muse of Lyric Poetry, plays a double flute
Terpsikhore (Terpsichore) – Muse of Song and Dance, holds a lyre and plectrum
Today, as then, they are looked upon as sources of inspiration for the creatively inclined.
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