Muses

In <a href="/facts/Ancient_Greek_religion/AtzMTqvS">ancient Greek religion</a> and <a href="/facts/Greek_mythology/M7k4FvW8">mythology</a>, the Muses were the <a href="/facts/Artistic_inspiration/s3Ux86FM">inspirational</a> goddesses of <a href="/facts/Literature/CmUDxokU">literature</a>, <a href="/facts/Science/IJoaD7rs">science</a>, and <a href="/facts/The_arts/kabJ6XX6">the arts</a>. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the <a href="/facts/Poetry/ylGarm6p">poetry</a>, <a href="/facts/Lyric_poetry/KeBqhztP">lyric songs</a>, and <a href="/facts/Myth/kG8UTfem">myths</a> that were related orally for centuries in ancient Greek culture.
The number and names of the Muses differed by region, but from the <a href="/facts/Classical_Greece/WoUfexFx">Classical period</a> the number of Muses was standardized to nine, and their names were generally given as <a href="/facts/Calliope/DbCgR7Qf">Calliope</a>, <a href="/facts/Clio/x1I319H8">Clio</a>, <a href="/facts/Polyhymnia/tshYH91D">Polyhymnia</a>, <a href="/facts/Euterpe/RbXvPIFw">Euterpe</a>, <a href="/facts/Terpsichore/GVtko7Dw">Terpsichore</a>, <a href="/facts/Erato/ehw8R31u">Erato</a>, <a href="/facts/Melpomene/P7svX2YN">Melpomene</a>, <a href="/facts/Thalia_(Muse)/agmUFdhJ">Thalia</a>, and <a href="/facts/Urania/6Gv73B0T">Urania</a>.
In modern figurative usage, a muse is a <a href="/facts/Muse_(source_of_inspiration)/JhFHXmzz">person who serves as someone's source of artistic inspiration</a>.

Muses open-in-new

Muses