The Muse of dance, song and music is also often depicted in paintings and other works of art, and is also a popular subject in the movie industry. It’s said that the word was first used in English in 1501. Terpsichore’s name gradually entered general English as ‘terpsichorean’, an adjective which means ‘pertaining to dancing’. Terpsichore has also been mentioned in the Orphic Hyms and the works of Diodorus Siculus. The Muses gifted him a laurel staff which is considered a symbol of poetic authority, and Hesiod subsequently dedicated the entire first section of Theogony to them. The ancient Greek poet, Hesiod claimed to have met Terpsichore and her sisters, saying that they visited him when he was pasturing sheep on Mount Helicon which was where mortals worshipped the Muses. Terpsichore is a highly popular Muse and she appears in the writings of many great authors. It’s quite surprising that Terpsichore was involved in this as well, considering the fact that the Sirens were said to be her own children, but it shows that she wasn’t one to be played with. Her sisters were the same and when the Sirens challenged them to a singing contest, they felt insulted and angry.Īccording to the myths, the Muses (Terpsichore included) won the competition and punished the Sirens by plucking out all of the birds’ feathers to make crowns for themselves. Terpsichore and the SirensĪlthough Terpsichore was a lovely, good-natured goddess, she did have a fiery temper and anyone who slightened her or threatened her position was sure to face dire consequences. Terpsichore would sing and dance to heart’s content with her sisters and their performances were said to be truly beautiful and a delight to watch. Their lovely singing and dancing was said to uplift everyone’s spirits and heal broken hearts. They presided over all events including feasts, marriages and even funerals. Mount Olympus was the place where the Muses spent most of their time, entertaining the deities of the Greek pantheon. Artists in ancient Greece prayed and made offerings to Terpsichore and the other Muses to benefit from their influence through which their arts could become true masterpieces. When she did appear in myths, it was always with the other Muses, singing and dancing together.Īs the patron of music, song and dance, Terpsichore’s role in Greek mythology was to inspire and guide mortals to master the skills in her specific domain. Terpsichore wasn’t a central figure in Greek mythology and she never appeared in the myths alone. They were half-bird, half-maidens who had inherited their mother’s beauty and talents. The Sirens were sea nymphs who were well-known for luring passing sailors to their doom. However, some writers claim that it was not Terpsichore, but Melpomene, her sister, who mothered the Sirens. In some accounts, the Muse of music is also regarded as the mother of the Sirens by the river god Achelous. However, some ancient sources state that it was either Calliope or Urania who bore Linus, and not Terpsichore. According to Pindar, a Theban poet, Terpsichore had another son called Linus, who was famous as the legendary musician. One of them was Biston, who grew up to be a Thracian king and his father was said to be Ares, the god of war. Terpsichore’s ChildrenĪccording to the myths, Terpsichore had several children. She’s usually portrayed as a beautiful young woman who’s seated, with a plectrum in one hand and a lyre in the other. She was a highly talented musician who could play various flutes and harps.
Like her sisters, Terpsichore was beautiful, as was her voice and the music she played. Her name is used as an adjective, terpsichorean, when describing things related to dance.
Terpsichore’s domain was music, song and dance and her name (also spelled as ‘Terpsikhore’) means ‘delight in dancing’. Each of them was assigned a domain in the arts and sciences and each was given a name which reflect her domain. Growing up, the Muses were taught by Apollo, the god of the sun and music, and nursed by the Oceanid Eupheme. Terpsichore’s sisters were: Calliope, Euterpe, Clio, Melpomene, Urania, Polyhymnia, Thalia and Erato. Their daughters became famous as the Younger Muses, the goddesses of inspiration and the arts. The story goes that Zeus lay with Mnemosyne for nine nights in a row and she had nine daughters by him. Terpsichore’s parents were the Olympian god of the sky, Zeus, and the Titanness of memory, Mnemosyne. Terpsichore was the Muse of music, song and dance and was likely the most famous of the Muses. These beautiful and intelligent goddesses were known as the Muses.
In ancient Greece, there were nine goddess who were considered the rulers of all major artistic and literary spheres.
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