Invocation of the Muse Odyssey: The Author’s Prayer
Invocation of the muse Odyssey, in Greek mythology, refers to the act of the author, Homer, requesting the muse to give him inspiration and blessing as he begins to write his work of literature, The Odyssey. Read on to discover more details about what the invocation of the muse is, and catch a glimpse of some examples of this common practice done by many poets.
Invocation of the Muse
The invocation of the muse definition refers to a practice of appealing to a specific deity, spirit, or goddess, requesting a blessing, knowledge, skill, inspiration, the right emotion, or as a witness in the form of a prayer. This prayer was addressed to one of the nine muses of Greek mythology.
In this book, the invocation was when the muses answered, because they had devine power to do so. They helped answer this specific request or prayer and get it done in a very peaceful and divine manner.
The Muse Speciality
These Muses were invoked depending on their assigned literary spheres: Kalliope, the muse of epic poetry; Terpsichore, the muse of dance; Thaleia, the muse of comedy; Ourania, the muse of astrology; Polymnia, the muse of sacred music; Melpomene, the muse of tragedy; Erato, the muse of love poems; Euterpe, the muse of flute playing; and Kleio, the muse of history.
Invoking the muse was a common practice done by many poets dating back to ancient Greece. The authors seek help from these higher beings when they are beginning to compose a poem, and they place these invocations at the very beginning of their manuscript, serving as a prologue. However, other invocations were placed at the middle or end of an epic poem.
Answering the Devotion
Given that the invocation of the muse was a convention in ancient Greek and Latin epic poetry, it was passed on during the Renaissance and Neoclassical periods as well, during which period several poets followed this convention. It became common practice among other poets in the following generations, especially those who write an epic.
However, foremost among the invocation of the muse examples was the one done by Homer, the author of the famous epic poem, The Odyssey. He was known to have invoked a muse and sought inspiration from a higher being in his narrative.
These muses were known as the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne who gave poets the ability to entertain mortals with their words. They were responsible for inspiring works of literature, art, science, and history. They were invoked by many poets as a convention in poetry and to teach and help them as they sing, and Homer was no different.
The Cheif Muse
To be specific, the muse in the Odyssey whom Homer invoked was Calliope, also spelled as Kalliope, the eldest of the nine Greek muses and the patron of epic poetry. She was also the goddess of music, song, and dance.
According to Hesiod, she was the wisest of them all and the “chief of all muses” or “foremost of the nine muses.” Calliope was usually depicted as a beautiful woman sitting or standing beside a writing tablet or carrying a book, paper, or a scroll, wearing a gold crown, and at times, with her children.
As Homer began to write about Odysseus’ journey home and his adventures, which took place after the Trojan War, he started to create an invocation and asked for blessings from Kalliope. At the very beginning of the poem, you can read that Homer specifically asked the goddess to tell him the story of the man of twists and turns, referring to Odysseus, and the journey that he has gone through as he and his comrades have traveled the sea to return to Ithaca.
The prayer and the devotion of the muse in the Odyssey was considered a softer invocation than the one we can find in the Iliad, the story of the Trojan War that was focused on conflict and bloodshed, where Homer’s invocation began with rage. As we can see, the invocations act as the introduction, which sets the tone for the rest of the poem.
Homer’s Devotion
Homer also did invocation of the muse Iliad by asking Calliope for inspiration numerous times as he imagines the muse singing through him, which would help him tell the tale and provide the best recitation for the audiences or listeners.
A prayer can also be performed when someone has to make a decision and ask for guidance from a higher power to make the correct decision, just as Homer asked, to be inspired and to have guidance.
It is also an act to appeal for aid, supplication, and protection from a divine presence, in this case, it was submitted in this situation as well as this book was written in 7th century BC, and is read till this very day.
Doing this act is not surprising because numerous invocations from these classic epic poems follow a similar structure and style, such that one can easily reproduce an invocation on one’s own. Hence, it is believed that the prayers were answered, which is why it is still talked about after so many centuries long.
Conclusion
The invocation of the muse in the book of Odyssey refers to the act of seeking inspiration and blessing from a specific goddess or deity. It became an essential part of writing a narrative or work of literature in ancient Greece and has been passed down for generations.
- Homer did an invocation of the muse before he started writing The Odyssey.
- Doing the invocation gave Homer inspiration for the story.
- The invocation of the muse was typically placed at the beginning of the poem as a prologue.
- The muse of the Odyssey was the goddess of eloquence, Calliope.
- She was also invoked by Homer in the epic poem, The Iliad.
The invocation of the muse in ancient Greece was the demonstration of respect for the higher beings who allow us to do things triumphantly by giving us intelligence or blessings. With this being the case, we should thank the muses for inspiring the epic poem, The Odyssey.
