What is a muse?

Answer 1

a muse is someone or something which inspires us to creativity. legendary muses are spirits that do the same thing, inspire.
for most christians, example, christ is the muse that inspired Kenneth Copeland to create The Believers Voice of Victory...

Answer 2

A Muse is a daughter of.. hang on let me check Wikipedia for this part... Zeus and Mnemosyne (the latter being goddess of memory). There are nine, and they're basically goddesses of inspiration, each with her own special area, such as epic poems, sculpture, etc. I think. So today when people refer to someone as their "muse" they mean a person who inspires them, as would one of the actual Muses.

Answer 3

muses were the daughters of Zues and were capable of inspiring humans to do what they were best suited for. It was said the feeling of being around a muse was like having all the adrinalin in your body rush out at once.

Answer 4

Other than the greek thing, a muse is a character that somebody roleplays as. For instance, a person is roleplaying as Hermione Granger. Hermione is that person's muse.

Answer 5

I think it's someone that inspires you.


TO = ]--+

Are you sure you got ALL the information down?
Ever hear of Readers Digest Condensed Books?
They still tell a story, but in not so many words.

Answer 6

According to ancient Greek mythology there are nine muse, goddesses who inspire artists, musicians, writers and poets and that these immortal beings are the daughters of Mnemosyne who were fathered by Zeus. Mnemosyne is also an immortal and the titan daughter of Uranus, another god of the highest order. For over 2,500 years and throughout western civilization, it is largely acknowledged by artists of every sort that most of their inspirations, creativity and incredible talent come from these muse. Because this is so mysterious, that which science can’t explain to anyone’s satisfaction, and for a lack of a better explanation; this mythological explanation remains the most popular reason. In this day and age of scientific thought, one would think this would be a preposterous concept for intelligent people to believe yet it remains the case. This shouldn’t be surprising though, there isn’t much about the subconscious that science can explain and nothing at all about the spirit world.

Well then, is it possible the muse could actually be real? It is strange that while most artists will acknowledge the muse, they won’t go so far as to discuss them. It is a transcendental matter which few people are willing to talk about but nonetheless the muse are considered effectively real. For the record you should know the names of these nine ‘mythical’ goddesses. In alphabetical order they are Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia and Urania. For many they are the most beautiful women God ever created, truly ‘angels’ to those who hear them. People often refer to these goddesses as simply 'the muse' rather than the plural 'muses' even though according to Greek mythology there are nine. Either way, since antiquity and in the opinion of most artists, the muse of Greek mythology are the source of their inspiration and artistic genius and therefore, in effect, represent this incredible phenomenon.

There were several classical Greek and Roman writers who tried to attribute which areas each muse influenced, whether it was poetry or music for example, but that depended on what each writer believed. The Greeks had different versions and so did the Romans and many of these evolved over time. In other words, there are dozens of versions so which does one pick? No matter how credible any particular writer was considered at the time, I still cannot put any faith in what they believed as to which muse did what. I suppose I could make this a more colorful presentation if I included their beliefs but to do so would make the phenomenon less believable. That’s because oftentimes when one gets too specific about the spirit world then believability wanes. For example, almost everyone believes in an Almighty God but preferably without elaboration. Now, if someone said God has a mustache, well… that’s contentious. That’s the reason why I’m not going to relate such in-depth elaboration.

Greek mythology
Indeed, Greek mythology is very colorful with many exciting tales about what the various gods did, often battling each other or punishing man when they were bored. According to Greek mythology there were also immortal 'titans' and other powerful men creating havoc. It seems all the gods had dual personalities, were moody and had very bad tempers. Then there was the powerful Achilles and of course Hector and Hercules. I don’t know how much truth there were in these tales, although I think there was some factual basis on which Greek mythology was founded.

Homer’s famous Iliad, written sometime around 800 B.C., was probably one of the greatest stories ever written and still considered a masterpiece. It centered on the siege of Troy, which until 1870 when the ruins were discovered, was believed to have been a mythical place. Until then, almost everyone thought the Iliad was fiction. Since Troy is now considered to have been a real place, the overwhelming consensus of archaeologists, what else about the Iliad could be factual? Did Achilles and Hector really exist? Were they indeed as powerful as Homer depicted? Good questions for which I have no answers but from what these early Greeks accomplished, and with their passionate beliefs in gods, goddesses, oracles and the muse, I suspect there is more truths to the Iliad and Greek mythology that modern man is willing to accept. Maybe he’d rather not wonder why the goddess Athena was so worshiped and revered, or why statues of her were so magnificently fashioned and erected everywhere. Or not to wonder why buildings were erected in the honor of the muse in so many places, even in Alexandria, Egypt when Ptolemy I ruled. These buildings in dedication to the muse were earlier known as ‘museums’ and even the word ‘music’ was derived from the word 'muse'.

To me, such honor the Greeks bestowed upon Athena and the muse would not have been the case without a good reason. Other gods were honored also, like Apollo. It is about these good reasons is where I think our curiosity and attention should remain focused. Many people would suggest in doing so is to regurgitate paganism but paganism isn’t what most people believe it to be. Paganism doesn’t necessary mean being an atheist or someone into idolatry. The Catholic Church started that rumor to discredit the competition. Paganism simply means beliefs outside of church doctrine, that of any organized religion, and it entails all kind of beliefs. Partly true, as the Catholic Church contended, some pagan beliefs and practices were probably wicked I suspect but the large majority were high-minded spiritually and believed in goodwill towards their fellow man. How do I know that? Well, I don't with absolute certainty but there is nothing to suggest it was otherwise. The ratio of good people versus bad within societies remains somewhat constant. As to wickedness, it can thrive anywhere, even in the Catholic Church as more child-molesting priests are being exposed. I believe many, if not most, of these spiritual-minded pagans believed in an Almighty God much more fervently than the average Christian does today. Further, they didn’t burn people alive at the stake as the Catholic Church did for not having a similar belief.

Records of pagan beliefs destroyed
It was a tragedy but virtually all written accounts of what pagans (heretics) actually believed were destroyed by the Catholic Church in their reign of terror during the Spanish Inquisition (Middle Ages). Inquisitions were not limited to Spain however; there were other Christian inquisitions which effectively spread horror and death all over Europe. Consider too, how powerful these pagan beliefs must have been to choose being burned alive at the stake rather than renounce their beliefs. It was well documented that heretics were given this choice. These pagan beliefs must have held a lot of merit to choose death in that manner. And their pagan beliefs reflected those of classical times centuries earlier. Because of these inquisitions and the obsession the Catholic Church had in destroying all written accounts of pagan beliefs, important knowledge about the spirit world was lost. One must also consider whatever form of paganism the Greeks had were undoubtedly age-old beliefs dating back to the Stone Age. These were spiritual beliefs which mankind had held since before recorded history, and was, in effect, the accumulated spiritual knowledge of millennia … but forcefully erased to make way for Christian beliefs.

And what were these beliefs? Those which the early Greeks and later pagans during the Middle Ages were so obviously dedicated to? Well, I can’t precisely say but I’ve got a pretty good idea… aside from my certainty it was derived spiritually, not something concocted by man. Whatever their spiritual beliefs were, they seem to have had miraculous powers as can be seen in what remains of that era, the ruins, testimony to what once was. Also when you consider the early Greek mystique... there was something unique about them which otherwise remains unexplainable. Their accomplishments and incredible art reflects the fact that they were somehow special, nobody knowledgeable can doubt this. The later Romans saw this. The Romans tried to emulate the incredible Greeks in many ways. It was, I’m certain, a close relationship with the spirit world which somehow enabled those early Greeks from their art to architecture which was, in effect, one in the same. The muse factored in heavily and if not for them, ancient Greece as we know it wouldn't have existed.

Greek poetry
This ancient knowledge the Greeks possessed in spiritual matters had to be the primary reason for their incredible feats. And it should be recognized they inherited this knowledge from antiquity. By antiquity I mean the Stone Age, when, with the help of the muse, cavemen developed this spiritual knowledge… the group most capable simply because of their primitive circumstances. It was a time when men lived with nature on a daily basis, who knew it better than anyone else since. What these cavemen knew about the spirit world we may never totally recapture but I’m convinced what they knew was incredibly insightful. If we only knew a tenth as much. Although since ancient Greek poetry would naturally reflect the thoughts and perhaps the spiritual beliefs of ancient man, it could hold some clues. It is believed this early poetry, circa 500-1000 B.C. came from earlier ‘war songs’ but no one knows how old those songs were. Sadly however, the most revealing poems the Catholics probably destroyed. I mention this ancient poetry because it may express the mentality of the Stone Age... of which we can only guess at otherwise. Apparently poetry was very popular when written languages were first developing and some scholars believe poetry existed before other forms of writing. In other words, poets made first use of the written word and I think I know why. I didn’t find that surprising because there seems to be a very strong connection between poetry and spirituality, as if the language of the spirit world. Importantly, I think that helps prove the ancient's relationship with the spirit world (and muse) was profoundly deep.

Rationalizing the muse
Getting back to the muse, I can’t say if there are really nine of them… maybe there’s six, eighteen or just one. I can’t even vouch for their names. In my experience, there are never names associated with spiritual contacts anyway. I know something like this exists though, it has been proven to me time after time. In whatever way this phenomenon (guiding genius/creativity) actually manifests itself, I still prefer to consider these phenomenal occurrences, this guiding genius, as the doings of the muse. I like that concept not only because it 'sounds good' but because there are good reasons for believing spiritual phenomena are caused by ‘they’ and not things… similarly nobody refers to God as an ‘it’. The forces within the spirit world may not breathe but they certainly are alive. Actually, these forces can sometimes affect the laws of physics, otherwise thought by scientists to be immutable. As for the muse, they only affect physics in minor ways... largely undetectable. The results of their influence are more discernable however... a magnificent sculpture for example. In a vague sense, because that sculpture exists, some aspects within physics were altered. In other words, that sculpture wouldn't exist otherwise and even though, in this case, no specific 'law' of physics is involved, physics itself was.

And what are these so-called 'aspects' within physics? First of all, as far as I know, the possibility that laws can have 'aspects' is not within any scientific theory, at least not the type I'm talking about. I can't define my concept of 'aspects' precisely but (in essence) they consist of spiritual influences... those which can cause aberrations from time to time. As to how physics itself would be involved... consider the feat to construct the largest pyramids in Egypt some 7-10,000 years ago, does not such feats seem to have defied man's capabilities (for those times)? However, if you believe the construction of the pyramids can be rationally explained, then I'll try another. If creative manmade objects exist (like magnificent sculptures) because of spiritual influences, which wouldn't exist otherwise, then, in the end, physics was involved. But alas, scientific thought can't make the same connection. To further elaborate is getting off on a tangent however.

In summary, I think we need to keep an open mind about Greek mythology... strip away the colorful and exaggerated depictions and I think some truths will eventually be known. Importantly, we also need to remain curious why Athena and the muse were so revered. Even in today’s world, if a cause or belief is worth fighting and dieing for, then there must be a good enough reason. We should always try to imagine those reasons. We should also understand that cavemen, more than any culture or society since, would have been the most capable to extract certain truths about the spirit world. Whatever knowledge was lost, and I believe it was substantial, could also be blamed on another reason besides the Catholic Church… by 400 B.C. scientific thought was beginning to replace empirical thinking anyway and the two really can't coexist, and especially difficult within the same mind. This conversion would take time however, at least a millennium or more, but accelerated when organized religion entered the scene, effectively wiping out the last vestiges of the truly spiritual-minded in Europe. After all, with religious tenets predetermined as they are today, there isn't much need for spiritual activity... nor is going through the motions spiritual activity. Only an open mind can create spiritual activity.

There is quite a bit more to this but I thought such an overview would point out factors which haven’t been fully appreciated. A deep spiritual connection with God and his spirit world is absolutely possible and the 'muse' (let's call that process) serve as the conduit. I think the spiritual ways of the ancient Greeks are necessary for man to recover because it seems the human race has lost its direction, purpose and spirit.

A.O. Kime

Addendum: While attributing to each muse their 'sphere of influence' probably seemed like a darling idea long ago, but as a later addition, adding more and more as time passed, I think it directs our attention away from the profound nature of it all. Besides, I have no faith in the beliefs as to which muse does what... I think to name them was enough. At any rate, there are different versions. It should be noted the various languages might spell their names differently and sometimes they are known by different names. The purpose to 'romanticize' these phenomenal muse in such a way was, I suppose, to make Greek mythology all the more fascinating but it's just that it tends to dilute the realities of this phenomenon by presenting it more like a fairytale. There are two ways to appreciate Greek mythology, one can either enjoy it for its fascinating tales, for that purpose only, or else, once having stripped away all the added nonsense, is to recognize it as holding subliminal hints of incredible truths. So for those who insist upon knowing the added nonsense anyway, I reluctantly post the following 'specialties' attributed to each muse.

Calliope - epic poetry
Clio - history
Erato - song, love poetry
Euterpe - lyric poetry, music
Melpomene - tragedy
Polymnia - sacred poetry
Terpsichore - dance
Thalia - comedy
Urania - astronomy