The Nine Muses

I've dabbled in the arts, theater, music and song. Now I write. Legends and lore and superstitions are the backbone of who I am. I believe in hopes and dreams and the sweet hereafter. I believe in the sisters of inspiration. I present to you:

The Nine Muses

The muses are a sisterhood of goddesses or spirits; their number set at nine by Classical Times. They embody the arts and inspire the creative process with their graces through remembered and improvised song and stage

Writing

Traditional music

and dance

They were water nymphs associated with the springs of Helicon

Apollo was their leader

Their father Zeus was king of the gods

And

Mnemosyne their mother goddess of memory

The muses are used in modern literature to refer to an inspiration as when one one cites his or her own artistic muse, but they are also implicit in the word amuse or musing

Muse means the one who remembers

They are the daughters of the titan Mnemosyne who is the personification of remembrance

All nine muses have a science or an art to protect

In sculptures and art they are depicted with emblems for recognition

Cleo

The glorious one

Muse of history

Protects the stories of heroes

History: carries a scroll and book



Urania

The celestial one of heavenly beauty

Protects astronomy and soars amidst the moon and stars in the seven heavens.Depicted pointing a staff at a celestial depicted with staff and globe


Calliope

The muse of beautiful speech

Oldest and chief muse

Muse of epic or heroic poetry

Elegies

Epic poetry carries a writing tablet


Melpomene

The chanting one

The tragedies

Depicted wearing a mask


Euterpe

The well pleasing one

Muse of music and lyric poetry

Flute playing

Carries a flute


Erato

The amorous one

Muse of erotic poetry, lyrics or marriage songs

Love poems

The amorous one

Muse of erotic poetry

Depicted with a lyre and a crown of roses


Terpsichore

The one who delights in dance

Muse of coral

Song and Dance

Depicted dancing and carrying a lyre

Thalia

Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry

Protecter of comedies and bucolic poetry

Polyhymnia

Singer of hymns

Muse of sacred songs, oratory, lyric, s singing and rhetoric

Sacred poetry

Depicted with a pensive expression


The muses love to sing and dance and they sing gorgeously

They are superior in musical competitions and anyone who dares and challenge them will always fall short—just as anyone who questions their importance.When they compete against the Siren, the muses always win. A father challenged the muses to compete with his daughters.When the muses won, they changed the daughters into crows to spite the father.

The poet Thamyris bragged about being able to remember all of his work without the help of the muses as poets back then did not write their work down but remembered it by heart. The muses punished him by taking his memory and eyesight.They are often led by the god of music Apollo and entertain at Olympus



Cleo
the proclaimer, muse of history and glorious words.


The goddess Urania, the celestial one of heavenly beauty, muse of astrology.


The noble Calliope, goddess of eloquence and epic poetry.


The Greek goddess Melpomene, songstress of tragedy.


The amorous Erato, musical muse of erotic poetry.


Euterpe, muse of music and lyrical poetry.


Polyhymnia, goddess of reverent hymns, muses over sacred poetry.


Terpsichore,  muse of coral,song and dance.


Thalia, muse of comedy and pastoral poetry.

Writing Quirks

Today I’m blogging about a new creation. The birth of a spanking-new manuscript. A million thoughts are racing helter skelter through my brain. Where to begin? I have a vague idea of a theme, a plot and a subplot. I even have a rough idea of how the story ends. So now what? I want a catchy title full of romance, danger and intrigue.

As we know, the design of the book cover is a major selling point and can often lead to a stellar launching. That and a hook to draw the reader in. Where to begin? I start with a title. Grant it, this is generally a working title and is subject to many renovations as the story unfolds. But unless I have a title to anchor my creative muse to, the flow will be off. After settling on a working title, I envision a setting and then the characters who will come to life in this setting. What will they look like? What kind of personalities will make the chemistry between the hero and heroine sizzle? Then there’s the names. What names pack a powerful punch and will linger in the mind of the reader long after the last page is turned?

HMM. Now this is where I become a bit whimsical. For those of you who know me and follow my blog, you know I am superstitious to a fault, adore legends and lore and believe in the Nine Muses. There is a reason why the goddesses—whose number set at nine by Classical Times embody the arts. They inspire the creative process with their grace through remembered and improvised song and dance.

Blame it on my wild Irish heart or on the powers that be! But before I begin writing each day, I rub the stones of my pink tourmaline ring and bracelet. According to legend, this gemstone will bestow inspiration upon the writer and the writing shall be blessed and published where it is meant to be. Then there is my musical fairy angel. I wind her up three times and allow the lyrical melody of Beautiful Dreamer to awaken my muse. These are my happy vibes and have inspired me to write stories of inspiration. Now when I write in my other genre, suspense, I wear my blue diamond. Blue diamonds conjure up images of forbidden danger, romance on the high sea and sunken treasures. Blue diamonds are very romantic…but seem to whisper an ominous warning in the wind. Which brings me to the manuscript I am embarking on. The new submission call out by the Crimson Line of The Wild Rose Press.
Jewels of the Night
One chosen submission will be drawn at random to launch the series. The theme of the story must be full of romance, danger and intrigue. But mostly, it must involve a blue diamond. The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2010. For full details, see my blog entry of November 1st.

And if there is one thing you can be sure of, I’ll be wearing my blue diamond for inspiration while writing this manuscript!

Tell me your writing process? Where do you begin? Title or setting? Character sketches or outline? Plot and subplot? Maybe you have a new spin on an old endeavor. Leave a comment.

Until next time, may the luck of the Irish be with you as you travel through life.

Love and Blessings,

Sharon

History of Halloween

Dating back to the ancient Celtic Druids, the festival of Samhain (Festival of the Dead) was celebrated on October 31. The festival was observed by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to designate the end of the year.

As the sun went down an darkness set in, the preparation for Vigil of Samhain (Lord of Darkness) began. It was believed the veil separating the living and the dead was at its thinnest this eve. The Druids firmly believed the spirits of those who had died in the past year would cross over and walk the earth on this night. Magical powers were greatly enhanced and communication with the spirits reigned.

The villagers doused fires in their homes because they feared and believed the walking dead might find their way in and possess the living. Outside, the Druids built great bon fires (bone fires) and there is debate as to whether human or animal sacrifices were used. Some say only sick animals that would not survive the winter were sacrificed where others say criminals possessed by evil spirits were the sacrificial offerings. And once the embers had died down and cooled, the Druids would read the bones to determine the fate of the coming year.

One famous ritual practiced by the Druids was to light torches from the bonfire, march through the village and in turn, use these torches to light the wood in their hearths. This sacrificial fire was thought to ward off evil spirits and invite the spirits of their kin to enter the home. This was done while wearing furs and scary masks (a prelude to present day Halloween costumes). It was believed the evil spirits would mistake them for animals and not attempt to possess their bodies.

Another tradition was for peasants to go from door to door, begging for food. The food was then left outside to appease the spirits, feeding them before they returned to the spirit world. Those that gave food would be assured good fortune for the coming year while those that gave nothing had eggs and rocks thrown at their homes. This legend holds true today with the pranks of Devil’s Night.

Since Samhain marked the end of the year, the power to predict was at its strongest. Fortunes were told through the reading of bones, tea leaves and countless other rituals. In the seventh century, the Romans conquered England and brought many of their own traditions with them. One of these was the celebration of All Saints Day, originally celebrated in May. By the ninth century, All Saints Day was moved to November 1st and All Souls’ Day, a day to celebrate all dead souls was added to November 2nd.

The Catholics hoped that by combining the Pagan festival of Samhain with their own holiday, they could convert more people. At this point, Samhain became All Hallow’s Eve, the eve before hallowed days of All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Eventually, All Hallow’s Eve was shortened to Hallow E’en and then to Halloween and has claimed that title ever since.