Searching for my Muse...
Muse: the goddess of creativity ( muses of Greek deities)
The Muses in Ancient Greek mythology, poetry, and literature are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths. The compliment to a real woman who inspires creative endeavor is a later idea.
There is some disagreement also concerning the number of the Muses; for some say that they are three, and others that they are nine, but the number nine has prevailed since it rests upon the authority of the most distinguished men, such as Homer and Hesiod and others like them.
The Roman scholar Varro relates that there are only three Muses: one who is born from the movement of water, another who makes sound by striking the air, and a third, who is embodied only in the human voice. They were:
Melete, or Practice
Mneme, or Memory
Aoide, or Song
However the Classical understanding of the muses tripled their triad, set at nine goddesses, who embody the arts and inspire creation with their graces through remembered and improvised song and stage, writing, traditional music, and dance.
There is so much more written about the muses..... I went to Wikipedia, as well as some of my original Art and Design books to search for more information about how and when they (the muses) were used in art.
Okay... so as one of my projects for the new year... I present the first step in the Nine Muses....
That will give me something to think about... planning sketches and inspriations will be posted along the way... stay tuned for updates.
The Muses in Ancient Greek mythology, poetry, and literature are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths. The compliment to a real woman who inspires creative endeavor is a later idea.
There is some disagreement also concerning the number of the Muses; for some say that they are three, and others that they are nine, but the number nine has prevailed since it rests upon the authority of the most distinguished men, such as Homer and Hesiod and others like them.
The Roman scholar Varro relates that there are only three Muses: one who is born from the movement of water, another who makes sound by striking the air, and a third, who is embodied only in the human voice. They were:
Melete, or Practice
Mneme, or Memory
Aoide, or Song
However the Classical understanding of the muses tripled their triad, set at nine goddesses, who embody the arts and inspire creation with their graces through remembered and improvised song and stage, writing, traditional music, and dance.
There is so much more written about the muses..... I went to Wikipedia, as well as some of my original Art and Design books to search for more information about how and when they (the muses) were used in art.
Okay... so as one of my projects for the new year... I present the first step in the Nine Muses....
Calliope: Epic Poetry
Clio: History
Erato: Love Poetry
Erato: Love Poetry
Euterpe: Lyric Poetry
Melpomene: Tragedy
Polyhymnia: Sacred Poetry
Terpsichore: Choral Dance
Thalia: Comedy
Urania: Astronomy
Terpsichore: Choral Dance
Thalia: Comedy
Urania: Astronomy
That will give me something to think about... planning sketches and inspriations will be posted along the way... stay tuned for updates.
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