This makes Mnemosyne the aunt of Zeus, since she is the daughter of the siblings of Zeus’ father Cronos. Mnemosyne was the daughter of the Titans Ouranos (Uranus) and Gaia, whose names literally means “Heaven” and “Earth”, respectively, a child of the fundamental forces of creation. Together they lay writhing for nine consecutive nights of ecstatic love-making, which is why she conceived nine lovely daughters at the same time, who became the Nine Muses. Zeus is said to have come across Mnemosyne while in the form of a young mortal shepherd, in which form he seduced her. The Nine Muses were daughters of the great Zeus and a Titaness by the name of Mnemosyne (Μνημοσύνη, pronounced something like Ne-mo-SEE-ne). Mnemosyne :: The Mother of the Nine Muses Ourania, the Muse of Astronomy and Celestial Objects.Polymnia, the Muse of Hymns (Sacred Poetry).Euterpe, the Muse of Music and Lyric Poetry.Homer did just this in both the Iliad and Odyssey.īelow are he Nine Muses by name and the branch of art that they were over time attached to (with a more complete list of their qualities and associations found at the end of this article): In ancient Greece it was common practice to begin their works with a small prayer to the Nine Muses (or to their mother Mnemosyne) in the hopes that they would inspire their minds and fill their work with divine energy and skill. It was their divine voices who whispered into the ear of the artists, speaking the words of inspiration which emerged in silence of their minds, becoming their greatest work. When she defeated King Pierus of Thessaly’s daughters in a singing match, she is said to have turned them into magpies.The Nine Muses of Ancient Greek Mythology were those who inspired the greatest art, music, poetry, and even scholarship in mortal men (and women). She was also self confident and didn’t like her talents to be questioned. Other tales that say that she actually married Oegrus near Mount Olympus.Ĭalliope was always depicted as a beautiful and gifted muse. Some say Apollo was the father and others believe that it was King Oegrus of Thrace. There is, however, some debate as to who the fathers of these two heroes were. Other accounts indicate that she was the mother to the brothers Orpheus and Linus, who were well-known characters in mythology and literature. Some sources indicate that she was Ares’s lover and bore the sons Mygdon, Edonus, Biston, and Odomantus, who were said to have founded the tribes in Thrace. Calliope’s Personal Lifeĭepending on what sources you draw from, there are different accounts concerning the details of Calliopes personal life. She was also depicted as being incredibly wise and also assertive, in addition to being gifted. This is a common theme throughout literature throughout the ages. (Dante, Purgatorio, Canto I, lines 7 to 12)Īs you can see, he associates her not only with the beauty of the written word, but also remembers her divine voice. That turned all hope of pardon to despair. Which made the wretched Magpies feel a blow Some believe that she was Homer’s muse when he wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey. In Ancient Greece, the epic poems were set to music and sung by talented singers, who would often be accompanies on stringed instruments such as the lyre. Ovid refers to Calliope as the “Chief of All Muses” in some of his writings. Her name, Calliope, means “beautiful-voiced” in Ancient Greek and many believe that this is why she was associated with epic poetry. She is often depicted as holding a writing tablet, since she often provided inspiration to those who would write the poetry. Here is more information about her: Muse of Epic PoetryĬalliope was considered the muse of epic poetry. Even writers such as Shakespeare would often refer to them! Calliope is one of the nine muses. Muses have been celebrated in some for for thousands of years, and they’ve even made their way into the culture and literature of modern times. Whenever someone created a masterful work, credit was often given to the muse who provided the inspiration. Most stories indicate that there are nine muses, and each one was responsible for a different element of creative inspiration. This allowed them to create great works of all kinds, such as poetry, sculpture, theater, and music. In Greek Mythology, the muses were often depicted as goddesses who whispered inspiration into people’s ears. Written by Greek Boston in Greek Mythology Comments Off on All About Calliope – Muse of Epic Poetry
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