Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Clio: The History Muse

In doing some Civil War research I discovered Clio, the Greek Muse of History, and have pronounced her the official "muse" of the Oak Openings and Observations blog.

The Muses are the goddesses or spirits who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths. Originally said to be three in number, by the Classical times of the 400s BC, their number had grown, and become set at nine goddesses who embody the arts and inspire the creation process with their graces.

The name Clio comes from the Greek word "Klieo", which translates as "glory."

I discovered Clio at the monument to the 123rd New York Regiment at Culp's Hill in Gettysburg. ( see below) Double clicking on the picture gives you a better view of Clio.

What follows are more visuals of "My Muse."

2 comments:

  1. Hi Tom
    I found your blog through an image search for Clio. I'm a writer and run small writing workshops in London, invoking Clio as the Muse of personal histories as well as History. It seems you can find the Muses in lots of surprising places and I'm glad you came across her in what must be a very moving place. Thanks for the images. I love oak trees too. Hazel

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  2. I also found out about Clio through Civil War interests. She's on a monument in either Vicksburg or Shiloh (saw both within a few days of each other, hard to remember).

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