Since ancient times, through centuries and centuries, the original meaning of the Greek muses, nine goddesses of harmony and protectors of many divine and human creative arts, has been forgotten. During the Middle Ages, artists and philosophers almost stopped seeking their protection and inspiration, but their name remained ingrained in the words music and museum.
The Renaissance revived the lost memories and rekindled, through several centuries, the creation of a whole series of works inspired by the muses. However, only a faint echo of their past glory has reached us, when Greek sages and poets composed hymns and praises to the celestial muses to constantly remind themselves of the models and guides in their endeavors and achievements. Many true creators will confirm and repeat many times that their works are not only theirs, but are the result of divine inspiration that guides them from the beginning of the creation of the work, through obstacles and efforts, all the way to its final completion. This is what makes a work alive for thousands and thousands of years. It is the year that inspires and motivates others, bringing light and beauty into their lives. It is what uncovers scattered fragments of truth and reconnects them into a long-forgotten mosaic.
According to tradition, the muses were created after a great victory in which the gods, led by Zeus, defeated the reigning Titans and dethroned the mighty Cronus, who, fearing for his position, began devouring his own children. His son Zeus did not immediately take over the supreme celestial throne, but only after completely overcoming the forces of chaos and establishing order. The gods then asked him to create new deities whose role would be to sing in praise of the restoration of laws and wise principles. Zeus chose Mnemosyne from the Titan lineage, the one who is, as the Orphic hymn says, almighty, benevolent, protective… the one who frees from forgetfulness and lack of memory, through whom the mind unites with the soul… She became the mother of the holy Ennead (“Nine”), giving birth in the mountain peaks near Olympus. Nine daughters of one soul:
They were born in Pieria, in love with their father Cronus[Zeus],
Mnemosyne gave birth to them, the queens of Eleutheria’s peak
To be the forgetfulness of sorrows and relief from all worries…
She bore him nine daughters, united in their song,
Carrying it in their hearts and having carefree hearts,
Right up to the highest peak of snowy Olympus.
There they have beautiful courts and there they have a magnificent circle.
Hesiod – Theogony
In the verses attributed to the Muses, the epic poet and student of the mythical sage and singer Orpheus speaks about two generations of Muses. One belongs to the ancient time of Kronos’ reign, and the other is the one we know today, descended from Zeus and Mnemosyne. This record deepens the importance of the Muses and indicates that they, as they represent certain forces of Nature and the principles that govern the Universe, were constantly being created and revived. It is not by chance that the mother of the Muses, the goddess of memory Mnemosyne, comes from the lineage of the previous Titan dynasty. She is the daughter of the great gods who appeared at the very beginning of time. and the creation of the cosmos. Her father is Uranus, the starry sky, and her mother is Gaea, the great Mother Earth. But all the true knowledge that she guards from previous times can only be transmitted further by combining her power with the heavenly, fiery impulse of Zeus, with whom the cycle of a new age begins. In the Muses, daughters of this sacred union, the true power of the old and the new meets and harmoniously blends, passing it on to the gods and humans. There are special moments in nature’s life when it is possible to renew this power, when the distant victory and establishment of harmony and order become a vivid memory once again. For the gods and humans, such events are celebrations:
When are the celebrations. And they resound with a lovely voice,
From the throat, they praise the laws and wise principles
Of all the immortal gods,
and they sing with a beautiful voice.
Hesiod – Theogony
The Muses celebrate the established divine hierarchy and all those who have contributed to it, as well as those who need to receive it and transmit it further:
And first with a divine voice they celebrate
The revered ones. going to the divine birth – freely – with a song:
Those who were born of the vast Sky and Earth
Those who, as gods, sprung from them – givers of good.
Then, in order, Zeus, father of gods and men,
(The goddesses muse begin and end the song with him)
As his power among the gods is the greatest, the first.
After that, the human race and the mighty giants celebrate,
And thus, they bring joy to Zeus’ heart on Olympus –
Olympian Muses, daughters of Zeus, bearer of Aegis.
Hesiod – Theogony
Their common role is to constantly and harmoniously proclaim the truth about everything that has been, is, and will be:
Therefore, let us first start with the Muses who delight
The great heart of our father Zeus on Olympus by singing songs,
Narrating present events and future ones, as well as past ones,
Singing in harmonious voices.
And from their lips flows a sweet, perpetual song.
And their father Zeus’ halls shine bright,
When their beautiful voice spreads among the goddesses like a lily.
The summit of snowy Olympus echoes and the halls of the gods.
Hesiod – Theogony
It is assumed that the word Muses comes from ‘muein’, which means teh teaching about what is noble and useful. This emphasizes the importance that muses can have for a person, which is most comprehensively conveyed to us by the Orphic Hymn to the Muses:
Daughters of Zeus, harmonious, divine,
Renowned Pierides, gently called “The Nine”.
In all those in whose hearts your warm and sacred breath vibrates,
the highest desires are realized.
Pure fountains of virtue for mortals,
who shape the young spirit to perfection,
nourish the soul and give it the power of discernment,
the correct vision that leads through truth.
Rulers who lead towards holy light,
and free the noble mind from dark delusions,
reveal to humanity every sacred rite,
which, stemming from your nature, bring mystical
knowledge…
To a person who seeks to learn in life, muses can bring a completely new and real dimension to their own sense of purpose. In order for the highest desires to be recognized and fulfilled, the heart needs to be made receptive to the sacred and sublime, which muses guard and bestow. Thus, strength can be renewed by drinking the water of life. From pure sources of virtues, our spirit can be shaped to perfection, and our soul can strengthen its most important weapon – the power of discernment, which frees us from dark illusions and brings us the right vision that leads us on the path of truth.
Those who carry the flame of sacred muse within themselves are an important link between the muse and those who have not yet awakened that spark, grace, and grandeur within themselves. Such people, like poets, singers, playwrights, or actors, have the protection of the muse. They receive from them the power of expression in order to ignite the same process of transformation in others, which primarily requires the ability to forget their own suffering and wounds in which the soul withers:
For even the one who, with recent wounds on his wounded soul,
Laments, if a singer, who is a servant of the muses,
Sings about the glory of ancient men,
And the blessed ones who live on Mount Olympus,
Immediately forgets his sorrows, no longer thinks of woes,
The gifts of the muses quickly divert him from grief.
Hesiod – Theogony
The enchanted circle of suffering Pleasure and sadness lead a person towards true old age and disappearance. However, if one listens to the voice of muses inspired singers and forgets about themselves and their pains, they will be able to receive generous gifts from the muses in which true works and the glory of gods and humans perpetually endure.
Meaning and names of the nine muses
Some older versions of myths mention three muses: Melete (Carefulness), Mneme (Memory), and Aoida (Singing), which perhaps refers to what the Museum calls the first generation of muses. In that case, the second generation would be connected to the “Nine” muses mentioned by Hesiod and the Orphics. They are made up of Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polyhymnia, Urania, and Calliope, and Plato added one more – the great poet Sappho.
Clio (Glory) is the protector of history, depicted holding a scroll of papyrus; she represents great glory, kleos, which poets exalt in their hymns.
Euterpe (She who knows how to enchant) is the muse of lyrical poetry with a flute as her instrument. Terpsichore (She who loves to dance) inspires (terpein) her students with everything that is good, which is achieved by harmonizing bodily movements with the movements of the immortal soul. She is the muse of dance and lyrical poetry, depicted with a lyre, in a dancing step.
Erato (From Eros, Cupid) makes those she teaches worthy of being loved. As the muse of love poetry and wedding songs (hymenaeum), with a guitar in her hand, she instills in people a love for all creatures.
>Polyhymnia (Great Song) is the muse of hymns, rhetoric, and choral singing. With her grand hymns (called polle humnesis), she praised those who had earned immortal fame through their actions. She was portrayed wearing a cloak and with a dreamy gaze.
Urania (Heaven) is the muse of astronomy, adorned in a gown of stars and holding a celestial globe in her hand. She elevates the people she teaches to the heights of the heavens, far beyond transient levels to the realm of the sky, Uranus.
Calliope (Of Wonderful Voice), the muse of epic poetry and great oratory, is the first and oldest of the muses. She stood out among them due to the exceptional beauty of her speech (kale ops). She was depicted holding a writing tablet in her hand, sometimes with a scroll or book, and crowned with gold. She is the mother of Orpheus and is also mentioned as the mother of Apollo’s sons. According to some versions of myths, she was the mother of Rhesus, the king of Thrace, or Linus, the inventor of melody and rhythm. She was also considered a patroness of kings and often accompanied them.