The Muses

We often hear artists talk about inspiration coming to them from The Muses. The words music, and museum come from their name. So just who are these mythical benefactors of creativity that we hear so much about?

It turns out The Muses are nine sisters. Immortal goddesses, in fact. Born from the union of Zeus, king of the gods, and his consort, Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. They grew up as water nymphs, bathing in the springs at the base of Mt. Helius. Sacred springs formed by the hooves of Pegasus, the winged horse, who was never far away. Springs from which they derived their powers of artistic inspiration. Below is a painting of the young Muses by Claude Lorraine (1600 - 1682).

As they grew and developed into The Muses, the great Apollo, god of the Sun, became their companion and their protector. He took Calliope, the first born of the sisters, to his bed, and fathered Orpheus and Linus with her, who both became great musicians. Calliope, whose name means beautiful voice, is the wisest of the Muses, and their leader. She became the Muse of eloquence, and epic poetry, and is said to have inspired Homer to write the Iliad, and the Odyssey. Below is a painting of Calliope (with her book of poems), and her sister Urania, the Muse of astronomy, with her globe and crown of stars. The painting is by Simon Vouets (1590 - 1649).