Muse
The Muses (Greek Μοῦσαι, singular Μοῦσα, Mousa ) are in Greek mythology, goddesses of the arts. The tradition as we know it today dates back to nine muses of Hesiod.
The Muses
Homer and the traditional under his name epics Iliad and Odyssey in their call prooemia An ( unnamed ) "Goddess " or " Muse" to.
The nine Muses Olympian
Hesiod (6th century BC ) establishes in his Theogony, the number of the Muses nine fixed; according to him they are the daughters of Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory, and Zeus, and also the names mentioned by him are canonical. They are called the Olympian Muses or Mnemoniden.
However, Hesiod showed them no special responsibilities and attributes, these are differentiated until later, but even then the attributions of functions and attributes exchanged a somewhat arbitrary. Only in the latest times, there was a firming up assignment of name, function and attribute:
- Klio ( Κλειώ ), which Boasting is the Muse of History (attributes: Paper roll and stylus )
- Melpomene ( Μελπομένη ), the singing, the Muse of tragedy (attribute: serious theater mask, vine wreath, probably a sword or a mace )
- Terpsichore ( Τερψιχόρη ), the round dance in the end, is cheerful muse of choral poetry and dance (attribute: lyre )
- Thalia ( Θάλεια ), the Festive, the bloomers, the Muse of comedy (attribute: laughing theater mask, ivy wreath and crook ( because even the serene bucolic poetry belongs to her) )
- Euterpe ( Ἐυτέρπη ), the gladdening, is the muse of lyric poetry and flute playing (attribute: aulos, the double flute)
- Erato ( Ἐρατώ ), the Loving, Longing Awakening, is the muse of love poetry (attribute: string instrument, the lyre )
- Urania ( Οὐρανία ), the Celestial, is the muse of astronomy (attribute: celestial sphere and pointing stick )
- Polyhymnia ( Πολύμνια ), the anthem Rich ( Rich songs ). She is the muse of song with the lyre (no specific attribute, sometimes the lyre )
- Kalliope ( Καλλιόπη ), which is with the beautiful voice of the muse of epic poetry, rhetoric, philosophy and science (attribute: writing board and stylus )
Use the following mnemonic, in which only the name of the muse Clio is completely contained, their names can easily remember: Klio, Me, Ter, Thal, Eu, Er, Ur, Po, Kal ( KLIOMETERTHAL YOUR URPOKAL ) or ( YOUR URPOKAL KLIO METER THAL )
Statue of Clio.
Statue of Erato.
Statue of Euterpe.
Statue of Melpomene.
Statue of Polyhymnia.
Statue of Terpsichore.
Statue of Thalia.
Statue of Urania.
The three / four titanic Muses
Before it came to the tradition of the nine Muses, but it has been given by Pausanias (c. 115-180 AD), a triad of three muses:
It should however be noted that Pausanias a much later source from the middle of the 2nd century AD, Hesiod's Theogony, however, one of the oldest Greek sources is and Pausanias, this tradition into question. As well as the four titanic Muses Muses ( Mousai Titanides ) were called Cicero about to are:
- Thelxinoe ( the Heartwarming )
- Aoede ( Aoide ) ( the song )
- Ark (the beginning )
- Melete ( exercise / skill)
They should have been the daughters of Zeus (or Uranus ) and the Plusia, hence their name. Plato called Hesiod Terpsichore, Erato, Calliope and Urania the purpose of this "occupation".
The three / four Apollonian Muses
The three Apollonian Muses ( Mousai Apollonides ) or Delphic Muses were called three daughters of Apollo:
- Kephiso or Nete
- Apollonis or Mese
- Borysthenis or Hypate
They are the three strings of the lyre of Apollo have represented and lived on Mount Helicon. The first set of names goes back to Eumelus Corinth (7th century BC), the second to Plutarch, he is there also a fourth Muse:
- Polymatheia ( the erudition, scholarship )
This ( Nete, Mese, Hypate ) play as Tetraktys in the music of ancient Greece a role, the fourth of the " tetrad " was the Paramese - since have changed music theory as well as number of strings of the lyre, come to the effect before other numbers.
The seven / nine Muses pireischen
In another tradition, there was still a group of seven Muses, said to have been mentioned by John Tzetzes of Epicharmos (5th century BC), the Pierides:
- Neilo ( Νειλώ )
- Tritone ( Τριτώνη )
- Asopo ( Ἀσωπώ )
- Heptapora ( Ἑπτάπορα )
- Achelois
- Tipoplo ( Τιποπλώ )
This should have been the sons of Piero, progenitor of the Macedonian Pieria Thracians and a nymph named Pimpleischen Antiope ( according to Cicero).
In Ovid, the pireischen Muses nine, her mother was said to be Euippe there, and they come from Egypt: They call for the "younger" Olympian Muses out ( contest of Mnemoniden and Pieridae ).
These nine daughters of Piero were also birds equated ( Colymbas, Lyngx, Cenchris, Cissa, Chloris, Acalanthis, Nessa, Pipo and Dracontis ).
Reception of the Muses
While the names of the Muses in Hesiod only dance and emphasize aspects of poetry, they are based on different musical instruments and genres in later antiquity, from which the specified canonical mapping " task areas " of the Muses can be seen.
The retinue of Apollo scoring Muses to be found in the source Hippocrene on Mount Helicon, which was exposed by a hoof of the winged Muse horse ( Pegasus ). Hence, the used partly for them verkünstelte name Helikoniades. ( Apollo is the ordained ) Other claims to the Muses live on the Mount Parnassus, in the Castalian spring whose water is to impart enthusiasm and sealing sharing.
The shrines of the Muses hot Museion (from which today's word museum was established ), and the German word music - the "art of the Muses " - owes its name to the goddesses.
The Romans identified the Muses with the Camenae same.
The Muse call in poetry
At the beginning of antique Greek epics and hymns is often an invocation of the Muse. Homer's Odyssey begins with the verse: Tell me, Muse, the deeds of much migrated man, / Which erred so far, after the holy Troy destruction. Many Roman poet ask the muse for inspiration ( Virgil in the Aeneid ), or duration of her poem ( Catullus in the Carmina ). After the banning of the Muses by the medieval church poets of modern times again follow this use ( Dante, Shakespeare, Milton ). The nine songs of Goethe's Hermann and Dorothea bear the names of the nine Muses. Klopstock calls the Messiah rather than the muse immortal soul: Sing ' immortal soul of mankind salvation. Vladimir Nabokov makes the title of his autobiographical writing Speak, Memory of the shape of the Muse call use, and also plays on Mnemosyne, goddess of memory and mother of the Muses, to.