Muses, Queens of Song and Inspiration
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Water, Music and the Daughters of Memory
The nine Muses, Greek goddesses of Music, Arts and Inspiration, were very highly born, indeed. They were the daughters of Zeus, King of Kings and Mightiest of gods, and of Mnemosyne.
Mnemosyne was a Titaness, i.e. belonging to a race of primordial gods, born even before the Olympians. Her parents were Uranos (the Sky) and Gaia (the Earth) and, if you care about genealogy, she was Zeus' aunt -- in other words, older and respectable. Her name, Mnemosyne, means Memory -- an advanced mental process, very useful in the creation of artistic works.
The Muses were constant companions to Apollo, the god of Light and Music, and together they spent days in a row singing and dancing on the sacred mountains Parnassus and Helicon. Because he was so often seen and depicted as leading this group of inspirational goddesses, he was called Apollo Musagetes, meaning Leader of the Muses.
In contrast to god Dionysus, who also favored feasts and was accompanied by his orgiastic Maenads, Apollo was god of the rational, harmonious artistic creation. The conflict between these two gods is represented in several Greek myths, and some of the Muses' servants or offspring met with a dire fate in the hands of Dionysus' acolytes.
The Muses were also goddesses of waters, especially springs. The sacred fountains Hippocrene (Horse's Fountain) and Aganippe (Gentle Horse) on Mount Helicon were dedicated to the Muses, and so was Castallia, the prophetic fountain of Delphi.
Mnemosyne was a Titaness, i.e. belonging to a race of primordial gods, born even before the Olympians. Her parents were Uranos (the Sky) and Gaia (the Earth) and, if you care about genealogy, she was Zeus' aunt -- in other words, older and respectable. Her name, Mnemosyne, means Memory -- an advanced mental process, very useful in the creation of artistic works.
The Muses were constant companions to Apollo, the god of Light and Music, and together they spent days in a row singing and dancing on the sacred mountains Parnassus and Helicon. Because he was so often seen and depicted as leading this group of inspirational goddesses, he was called Apollo Musagetes, meaning Leader of the Muses.
In contrast to god Dionysus, who also favored feasts and was accompanied by his orgiastic Maenads, Apollo was god of the rational, harmonious artistic creation. The conflict between these two gods is represented in several Greek myths, and some of the Muses' servants or offspring met with a dire fate in the hands of Dionysus' acolytes.
The Muses were also goddesses of waters, especially springs. The sacred fountains Hippocrene (Horse's Fountain) and Aganippe (Gentle Horse) on Mount Helicon were dedicated to the Muses, and so was Castallia, the prophetic fountain of Delphi.
Contents at a Glance
Inspiration and a Winged Horse
Pegasus and the Muses
The relationship of the winged horse Pegasus with the Muses is not very known, yet it refers to an important aspect of the goddesses' activity.
Pegasus was a son of Poseidon, king of Waters and Oceans, and Medusa the daemon, and sprang forth from its blood when she was slain by Perseus. The word 'pege' itself in Greek means a spring or fountain of water and the name of the horse is more or less equivalent to 'Springing Forth'. If this does not make evident the association with the Muses, there's more...
Pegasus, who rose to heavens, up to the seats of the immortals, was believed to be the thundering horse of Zeus himself.
(Pegasus, by Ian Hornak, 1991 -- Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
According to the myth, some gals, daughters of the mortal king Pierus, challenged the Muses in a musical contest. Up on mount Helicon the contest took place, and the Pierides princesses did not do bad -- but when the Muses started to sing, "heaven, sea, and all the rivers stood still to listen" while Helicon began rising with delight, until, instructed by Poseidon himself, the divine stallion Pegasus struck the mountain with his moon-shaped hoof to stop its rising. The fountain Hippocrene, "the inspiring well of the Muses," sprang from Pegasus' kick.
Inspiration springs up when...
Inspired by Greek mythology, an inspiring (I hope) post about inspiration.
MInerva visiting the Muses (Jan Brueghel the Elder)
Minerva (or, more correctly, Athene) is also present in this myth. For she was the one who appeared in Bellerophon's sleep and brought him the bridle by which he managed to ride Pegasus. Athene was considered either to have brought Pegasus to the Muses after he threw Bellerophon off his back, or to have appeared in order to witness the phenomenon of the inspiring fountain springing forth on mount Helicon.
A connoisseur of Greek mythology would associate here the fact that Pegasus was son of Poseidon, the impetuous Sea, as well as the connection between Poseidon and Athene -- for example, when the goddess of Wisdom won over her salty uncle tutelage of the city of Athens. Overall, Athene would be the victory of wisdom and reason over the more impetuous, raw forces of primitive nature and uncontrolled inspiration. In this aspect, she is somewhat analogous to Apollo, and there are several instances in Greek mythology where these two children of Zeus act jointly or, at least, showing due respect (as opposed to open rivalry) to one another.
Pegasus was a son of Poseidon, king of Waters and Oceans, and Medusa the daemon, and sprang forth from its blood when she was slain by Perseus. The word 'pege' itself in Greek means a spring or fountain of water and the name of the horse is more or less equivalent to 'Springing Forth'. If this does not make evident the association with the Muses, there's more...
Pegasus, who rose to heavens, up to the seats of the immortals, was believed to be the thundering horse of Zeus himself.
(Pegasus, by Ian Hornak, 1991 -- Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
According to the myth, some gals, daughters of the mortal king Pierus, challenged the Muses in a musical contest. Up on mount Helicon the contest took place, and the Pierides princesses did not do bad -- but when the Muses started to sing, "heaven, sea, and all the rivers stood still to listen" while Helicon began rising with delight, until, instructed by Poseidon himself, the divine stallion Pegasus struck the mountain with his moon-shaped hoof to stop its rising. The fountain Hippocrene, "the inspiring well of the Muses," sprang from Pegasus' kick.
Inspiration springs up when...
Inspired by Greek mythology, an inspiring (I hope) post about inspiration.
MInerva visiting the Muses (Jan Brueghel the Elder)
Minerva (or, more correctly, Athene) is also present in this myth. For she was the one who appeared in Bellerophon's sleep and brought him the bridle by which he managed to ride Pegasus. Athene was considered either to have brought Pegasus to the Muses after he threw Bellerophon off his back, or to have appeared in order to witness the phenomenon of the inspiring fountain springing forth on mount Helicon.
A connoisseur of Greek mythology would associate here the fact that Pegasus was son of Poseidon, the impetuous Sea, as well as the connection between Poseidon and Athene -- for example, when the goddess of Wisdom won over her salty uncle tutelage of the city of Athens. Overall, Athene would be the victory of wisdom and reason over the more impetuous, raw forces of primitive nature and uncontrolled inspiration. In this aspect, she is somewhat analogous to Apollo, and there are several instances in Greek mythology where these two children of Zeus act jointly or, at least, showing due respect (as opposed to open rivalry) to one another.
The Muses on the 'net
Inspiring People All Over the World
Find and Befriend your Muse
The nine Muses, their names, their areas of artistic inspiration.
A Squidoo page by an ardent fan of Greek mythology.
Paintings about Muses and Inspiration
A rich collection of images (paintings, statues, reliefs) from various epochs and places.
Mousai
The page of Theoi.com, featuring a huge collection of myths concerning the Muses, as well as photos of ancient ceramics depicting the goddesses.
The Muses
Not as inclusive as the previous webpage, yet presenting many stories about the Muses in a more accessible manner.
The nine Muses, their names, their areas of artistic inspiration.
A Squidoo page by an ardent fan of Greek mythology.
Paintings about Muses and Inspiration
A rich collection of images (paintings, statues, reliefs) from various epochs and places.
Mousai
The page of Theoi.com, featuring a huge collection of myths concerning the Muses, as well as photos of ancient ceramics depicting the goddesses.
The Muses
Not as inclusive as the previous webpage, yet presenting many stories about the Muses in a more accessible manner.
Inspiration on the 'net
Seven Sentences of Daily Inspiration
Find inspirational blogs to follow -- the results might surprise you.
What is Inspiration
I was inspired, I wrote. People liked it, we exchanged thoughts in the comments section. Writers' stuff...
Color Inspiration
The world around us is full of gorgeous details with beautiful color palettes to inspire your next projects.
Find inspirational blogs to follow -- the results might surprise you.
What is Inspiration
I was inspired, I wrote. People liked it, we exchanged thoughts in the comments section. Writers' stuff...
Color Inspiration
The world around us is full of gorgeous details with beautiful color palettes to inspire your next projects.
About The Author
What is Your Relation to the Muses?
Do they inspired you as often as you'd like?
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Ysis
Feb 11, 2012 @ 11:01 am | delete
- Muses have their own ways. No-one can force them. Now I am aware of that.
Helenee, thanks for commenting on my lens on the Greek debt. I am looking forward to reading a whole lens with the thoughts that it provoked in you.
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by Helenee
Hello, there!
Helenee (or Eleni) is the Greek enunciation for Helen.
Greece is magical, but so is the whole wide world, right?
I'm a freelance translator...
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