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In Greek mythology, the Muses are the goddesses of inspiration, creativity, science, literature, and the arts. They give inspiration to mortals in fields such as literature, science, music, poetry, and more. There are three different generations of muses.

In mythology[]

Concurring to Hesiod's Theogony (seventh century BC), they were children of Zeus, ruler of the divine beings, and Mnemosyne, Titaness of memory. Hesiod in Theogony describes that the Muses brought to individuals distraction, that's , the distraction of torment and the cessation of commitments.

According to Alcman and Mimnermus, they were indeed more primordial, springing from the early divinities Ouranos and Gaia. Gaia is Mother Earth, an early mother goddess who was revered at Delphi from ancient times, long some time recently the location was rededicated to Apollo, conceivably showing a exchange to affiliation with him after that time.

In some cases the Muses are alluded to as water nymphs, related with the springs of Helicon and with Pieris. It was said that the winged horse Pegasus touched his hooves to the ground on Helicon, causing four sacrosanct springs to burst forward, from which the Muses, too known as pegasides, were born. Athena afterward subdued the horse and displayed him to the Muses (compare the Roman inspirational nymphs of springs, the Camenae, the Völva of Norse Mythology conjointly the apsaras within the mythology of classical India).

Classical scholars set Apollo as their leader, Apollon Mousēgetēs ('Apollo Muse-leader'). In one myth, the Muses judged a challenge between Apollo and Marsyas. They also assembled the pieces of the dead body of Orpheus, child of Calliope, and buried them in Leivithra. In a afterward myth, Thamyris challenged them to a singing challenge. They won and rebuffed Thamyris by blinding him and victimizing him of his singing capacity.

Concurring to a myth from Ovid's Metamorphoses—alluding to the association of Pieria with the Muses—Pierus, lord of Macedon, had nine girls he named after the nine Muses, accepting that their abilities were a incredible coordinate to the Muses. He hence challenged the Muses to a coordinate, coming about in his girls, the Pierides, being turned into chattering jays (with κίσσα frequently incorrectly deciphered as 'magpies') for their assumption.

Pausanias records a convention of two eras of Muses; the first are the girls of Ouranos and Gaia, the second of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Another, rarer family history is that they are children of Harmonia (the offspring of Aphrodite and Ares), which negates the myth in which they were dancing at the wedding of Harmonia and Cadmus.

Calliope bore Ialemus and Orpheus with Apollo. However, some myths state that Oeagrus was the father of Orpheus, and Apollo took the boy under his wing. Apollo taught him how to play the lyre, and Calliope how to sing.

Some sources say that Linus was a child of Apollo and either Calliope, Terpsichore, or Urania. Strymon had a child with either Calliope and Euterpe. The boy was named Rhesus.

Achelous was the father of the Sirens by Melpomene or Terpsichore. Erato and Malos had a daughter named Kleopheme. A rare account suggest that Hyacinth was a child of Apollo and Clio.

Hymen is sometimes the child of Apollo and one of the Muses, either Calliope, Clio, Terpsichore, or Urania. Thalia and Apollo bore the Korybantes.

Generations of Muses[]

Mousai Titanides[]

The Titaness Muses. Daughters of Ouranós and Gaia . There are five Mousai Titanides, Melete, Aiode, Thelxinoe, Arkhe and Mnemosyne (mother of the Mousai Olympides ).

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The Muses were originally all aspects of one goddess.

Mousai Olympides[]

The Muses (Mousai) of Olympus. They are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, personification of memory. Zeus and Mnemosyne met for 9 nights birthing the nine goddesses. These nine are Calliope (mother of the Mousai Apollonides), Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania.

Mousai Apollonides[]

The Muses of Apollo . Daughters of Calliope and Apollo. There are six Mousai Apollonides, Cephiso, Apollonis, Borysthenis, Nete, Mese and Hypate.



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