Muses Anonymous

The word ‘muse’ relates to the English word ‘mind’. Many centuries back, a poet possessed no books. He depended soley upon his memory to share his stories, and this is how these mythical beings acquired the collective name of ‘Muse’.

Given birth in the village Piera at the base of the Home of the Gods, Mount Olympus, the Muses were thought to be children of Zeus, the king of the Greek Gods, and Mnemosyne, a female titan who symbolized memory. A nurse known as Eupheme cared for them along with her own son, a hunter named Crotus.

Consistent with their motivational roles, religious sacrifices to the Muses included milk, water, and honey. The Muses had many prominent friends…. The goddess Athena presented them a winged horse called Pegasus, while Apollo took a role as head of their choir. The Muses surface all through Greek mythology, leading and teaching a variety of characters. The Sphinx riddle used at Thebes in Egypt was furnished by the Muses. They tutored the nymph Echo on how to sing and make music.

Although identified with fine thoughts and creative interpretation, the Muses also had a distressing side. One myth boasts that Hera organized a vocal contest involving the Muses and the famous Sirens, who had bird-like bodies and lovely faces. The Muses won, and immediately plucked all of the feathers from the Sirens’ figures and crafted themselves some rather nice crowns.

As soon as one accepts how many ancient Greek Myths are still alive and part of today’s culture, these girls clearly did a great job. So perhaps they are more significant than we assume.

They are sources of reassurance and inspiration through the ages.