Muses

See also: MUSE

In the Greek Mythology (Hésiode, '' Théogonie '', 53-57 and 915-917), the Muses are the nine girls of Zeus and Mnémosyne. They govern the Arts:

Calliope, the MUSE of the eloquence and epic poetry ;
Clio, the MUSE of the History;
Érato, the MUSE of the lyric art and the reduced (impassioned poetry);
Euterpe, the MUSE of the Music;
Melpomène, the MUSE of the tragedy;
Polymnie, the MUSE of the Rhetoric;
Terpsichore, the MUSE of the Dance;
Thalie, the MUSE of the comedy;
Uranie, the MUSE of the Astronomy and the Astrology.

In the beginning (according to Pausanias), they were three: Aœdé (the song , the voice ), Mélété (the meditation ) and Mnémé (the memory ). Together, they represent the prérequis in practice poetic art worship. Cicéron counts four of them: Thelxinoé (or Thelxiopé), Aœdé, Arch and Mélété.

The tradition allotted two residences to them: one on the Mount Parnassus, the other on the Hélicon.

It is Plato (in '' Ion '') towards 401 av. J. - C., then the Neo-Platonists, who makes of the nine Muses the mediating ones between the god and the poet or any intellectual creator. This design of art (the poet is had, stiff by the god) will be disputed later by the Classicisme of Nicolas Boileau, the movement of the Art for Art or the praise of the effort of Paul Valéry.

Contrary to a spread belief, there is no correlation between the traditional arts '' '' (moreover six according to Hegel, '' Esthétique '') and the Muses.

Artistic representations

The Muses are easily identifiable in art, in particular when they nine and are accompanied by Apollon. However, their various attributes also make it possible to recognize them in isolated representations.

Calliope: laurel wreath, delivers, shelf and stylet, trumpet;
Clio: swan, laurel wreath, delivers or roller, shelf and stylet;
Érato: tambourine, quadrant, viol, swan;
Euterpe: simple or double flute and another musical instrument (trumpet);
Melpomène: horn, crown, sword, tragic mask, sceptre with its feet;
Polymnie: musical instrument (often an organ);
Terpsichore: cord musical instrument (viol, quadrant for example);
Thalie: musical instrument (often viol), comic mask, roller;
Uranie: compass, crown of stars, sphere.

Sources

(I, 3,1-4).
(III, 21,54).
(IV, 4; V, 43).
( passim ).
( Apollo , v. 189; Hermes , v. 430).
(III, 19,4; IX, 9,29; IX, 29,1-6).

See too

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