Greek concepts of Creativity

Around 500 BC, the Ancient Greeks believed they lived in a god-saturated universe, every rock and spring and mountain guarded by its nature spirit. They thought the inspiration for originality came from the gods and even invented heavenly creatures - the Muses - as supervisors of human creativity.

Socrates wrote that inspired thoughts originate with the gods, ideas coming not when a person is rational, but when someone is "beside himself", when "bereft of his senses. Since the gods take away reason before bestowing the gift of inspiration, "thinking" might actually prevent the reception of divinely inspired revelations.

The Muses

In Greek mythology the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. They were originally goddesses of memory only, but later identified with individual arts and sciences. The paintings of Herculaneum show all nine with their respective attributes.

There names are:

• Calliope - muse of epic or heroic poetry, and of poetic inspiration and eloquence
• Clio - the inventor of historical and heroic poetry, the Muse of history. Hence the old pun, 'Can Clio do more than amuse?"
• Euterpe - inventor of the double flute, the Muse of Dionysiac music, and the patroness of joy and pleasure
• Thalia - Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry. She favoured rural pursuits and is represented holding a comic mask and a shepherd's crook.
• Melpomene - The muse of tragedy
• Terpsichore - the Muse of dancing and the dramatic chorus and later of lyric poetry.
• Erato - the muse of love poetry, usually represented with a lyre. [Erato is also the name of a CD/record company]
• Polyhymnia - the muse of lyric poetry and the inventor of the lyre. She invented harmony and presided over singing.
• Urania - presides over astrology and is usually represented pointing at a celestial globe with a staff.

On to the 19th Century.