"I will begin with the Muses and Apollo and Zeus. For it is through the Muses and Apollo that there are singers upon the earth and players upon the lyre; but kings are from Zeus. Happy is he whom the Muses love: sweet flows speech from his lips.”
Homeric Hymn to the Muses and Apollo, 1
In Greek mythology, the Muses are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. Sometimes these ethereal goddess are referred to as water nymphs, as they were born from the four sacred springs that flowed on Helicon after Pegasus, the winged horse, stamped his hooves on the ground. They are known for their divine beauty, grace, and allure; they arouse the inspiration necessary for creation in artists, especially poets, dancers, musicians, and philosophers. Their favorites were bestowed with the noblest thoughts, the sweetest harmonies, eloquence, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.
The number of Muses varies depending on the mythology’s source. According to Hesiod, there are nine goddesses, each presiding over a different art. New Orleanians may recognize their names from, often mispronounced, streets throughout the city: Calliope, Cilo, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania. The arts of the Muses are epic poetry, history, lyric poetry, song and elegiac poetry, tragedy, hymns, dance, comedy, and astronomy, respectively.
