The Muses were the Greek goddesses of art and sciences ("Muses. World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras"). They are often depicted with wings and were believed to live on mountains on or near Mount Olympus ("Muses. World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras"). They are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory ("Nine Muses"). According to most myths, there are nine muses in all; Calliope the goddess of epic poetry, Clio the goddess of history, Erato the goddess of lyric and love poetry, Euterpe the goddess of music, Melpomene the goddess of tragedies, Polyhymnia the goddess of sacred poetry, Terpsichore the goddess of dance, Thalia the goddess of comedies, and Urania the goddess of astronomy. ("Nine Muses")
The Muses appear in art, literature, and everyday life. ("Muses." UXL Encyclopedia of World Mythology). Early Greek poets believed their work came from the Muses, and artists such as Gustave Moreau and Johannes Vermeer have depicted the goddesses in their artwork ("Muses." UXL Encyclopedia of World Mythology). They have also been found in some well-known literary works such as Homer's The Odyssey, where the Muses gifted a blind man with beautiful music ("Muses." UXL Encyclopedia of World Mythology). The Muses have appeared in modern culture as well, such as Disney's Hercules and the 1980's musical film Xanadu ("Muses." UXL Encyclopedia of World Mythology). The Muses even influenced our language. The words museum, music, amuse and bemuse all derived from the word muse ("Music").
Works Cited
"Muses." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"Muses." UXL Encyclopedia of World Mythology. Vol. 4. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 722-725. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"Music." Cobblestone Sept. 2013: 48. General OneFile. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"Nine Muses." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.