by Eugenia Manolidou
The word “Muse” has its origins in ancient Greek mythology. The nine Muses were the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. According to Greek mythology, they provided inspiration to artists, poets, musicians and in general, anyone who wanted to be inspired, asked for the Muse’s blessing.
Indeed, Homer, the famous poet, begins both his twin epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, asking inspiration from the Muse.
But what about the word itself?
The word “Muses” is derived from the ancient Greek word “Μοῦσα – Moussa.” The Muses were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. They were venerated in ancient Greece and later in Roman culture, where they were known as the “Musae.” In Greek they are called “Μοῦσαι”.
Each of the nine Muses was associated with a specific domain. So if you are looking for a certain type of inspiration, make sure to ask the right one! Here are their fields:
- Cleo – History
- Euterpe – Music, especially lyric and flute playing
- Thalia – Comedy
- Melpomene – Tragedy
- Terpsichore – Dance
- Erato – Love poetry
- Polyhymnia – Sacred poetry
- Urania – Astronomy
- Calliope – Epic poetry