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The Muses Facts & Worksheets

The Muses, who were Greek goddesses, were an inspiration in literature, science, and the arts.

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The Muses, who were Greek goddesses, were an inspiration in literature, science, and the arts. They were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Zeus and Mnemosyne slept together for nine consecutive nights, thus birthing the nine Muses.

See the fact file below for more information on the Muses or alternatively, you can download our 21-page The Muses worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

THE ANCIENT GREEKS’ BELIEF

  • Greek Mythology is the collection of all the legends, stories, and myths created by the ancient Greeks. It used to be the basis of their spiritual and religious beliefs and cult practices.
  • Studying this mythology pioneered Ancient Greek Institutions, habits, customs, rituals and allows people to gain an understanding of the nature of myth creation as well.
  • It is also embodied in narratives and arts, from pottery and vase painting to dramas, like tragedies and comedies.
  • Greeks believed in the existence of Gods, the famous 12 Gods of Mount Olympus and numerous deities and demigods who played supporting roles.
  • Ancient Greeks believed that their Gods had enormous powers, and they were able to control nature in all its forms.
  • Gods were worshiped in temples erected for them, and there was always a person, a priestess mostly, that could communicate with God and interpret his will.
  • Greek deities were the center of their lives.

THE MYTH

  • The Titans were the deities in Greek mythology that preceded the Olympians. They created most of the world, but were eventually defeated by the Olympians. The supreme leader was Cronus.
  • The youngest child of Cronus, Zeus, led the revolt against the Titans and defeated them. He became the king of the Olympians and sent some of the Titans to Tartarus.
  • While he has become the leader of Gods, he is probably most famous for his infidelity to his sister and wife, Hera.
  • Athena, Apollo and Artemis, Hermes, Dionysus, Heracles, Helen of Troy, and the Muses are all children of his numerous erotic affairs.
  • Only Hephaestus, Hebe, and Ares are his legitimate children.
  • Among Zeus’ affairs was one with the Titan goddess Mnemosyne, the mother of the muses.
  • She is one of the daughters of Ouranos (Uranus, Heaven).
  • Mnemosyne is the goddess of memory and remembrance and the inventress of language and words.
  • She was also a goddess of time and represented memorization required to preserve the stories of history and the myth before the introduction of writing.
  • God Zeus bewildered the young woman Mnemosyne and slept with her for nine consecutive nights. The result of their encounter was the Nine Muses.
  • Μnemosyne gave the babies to Nymph Eufemia and God Apollo. When they grew up, they showed their tendency to the arts, taught by the god himself.
  • Apollo brought them to Mount Elikonas, the older Temple of Zeus. Ever since, the Muses supported and encouraged creation, enhancing the imagination and inspiration of the artists.
  • According to Greek Mythology, two Muses invented theory and practice in learning, and three Muses invented the musical vibrations in lyre.
  • Four Muses invented the four known dialects in the language – Attica, Ionian, Aeolian, and Dorian.
  • Five muses also invented the five human senses. Seven muses invented the seven chords of the lyre, the seven celestial zones, the seven planets and the seven vocals of the Greek Alphabet.
  • The Nine Muses have been inspiring artists, and countless paintings, drawings, designs, poems, and statues are dedicated to them.
  • Today, the most famous depiction of the Muses in sculpture is in Greece, in Corfu; the Empress Sissi of Austria had their statues made for her, in order to ornament the garden of her retreat house in Corfu, the famous Achilleion.

VARIATIONS

  • The Roman scholar Varro introduced three Muses: born from the movement of water, another who makes sound by striking the air, and third embodied only in the human voice.
  • According to Pausanias, there were originally three Muses, worshipped on Mount Helicon in Boeotia: Aoide (“song” or “tune”), Melete (“practice” or “occasion”), and Mneme (“memory”).
  • They were also called Cephisso, Apollonis, and Borysthenis, names which characterize them as daughters of Apollo.
  • Four Muses were also recognized: Thelxinoë, Aoide, Archē, and Melete, the daughters of Zeus and Plusia or Ouranos.
  • In Delphi, three Muses were worshiped as well, but with other names: Nete, Mese, and Hypate. They were named after the three chords of the ancient musical instrument, the lyre.

The Muses Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Muses across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use The Muses worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Muses, who were Greek goddesses, were an inspiration in literature, science, and the arts. They were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Zeus and Mnemosyne slept together for nine consecutive nights, thus birthing the nine Muses.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • The Muses
  • Calliope
  • Euterpe
  • Clio
  • Erato
  • Melpomene
  • Polymnia
  • Terpsichore
  • Thalia
  • Urania

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Link will appear as The Muses Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, August 19, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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