Monthly Muse: Polyhymnia

somewhat in line with a tradition in epic poetry, i will invoke a different muse in this territory every month.

this is, of course, my own experiment, and i don't believe anything of the kind has ever been done before. i am excited to see what these muses have in store for us.

this month i'll be invoking Polyhymnia, the goddess of music, song, dance and religious hymns. i am very partial to this genre of writing, especially the likes of the sufis, Dante and of course Ovid and other classics. my knoweldge is limited, however, so that's where i'll need you to throw in what you've got.

i am hoping she sets the tone for the territory this month.

For the name of each Mousa (Muse), they say, men have found a reason appropriate to her: . . . Polymnia (Polyhymnia), because by her great (polle) praises (humnesis) she brings distinction to writers whose works have won for them immortal fame."

in Dante

Dante wrote of her when in Paradiso when he hears the invitation of Christ to look upon Him:

When I this invitation heard, deserving Of so much gratitude, it never fades Out of the book that chronicles the past.
If at this moment sounded all the tongues That Polyhymnia and her sisters made Most lubrical with their delicious milk,
To aid me, to a thousandth of the truth It would not reach, singing the holy smile And how the holy aspect it illumed

Another poignant image

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 5. 88 ff (trans. Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) : "[At the wedding of Kadmos (Cadmus) and Harmonia :] The nine Mousai (Muses) too struck up a lifestirring melody: Polymnia nursing mother of the dance waved her arms, and sketched in the air an image of a soundless voice, speaking with hands and moving eyes in a graphic picture of silence full of meaning."

i should hope that there is anything even somewhat resembling such 'lifestirring' melodies posted here this month. i'd be thrilled. i certainly won't be doing any dancing or waving of my arms.

i'll do my best to share more verses of mystical/sacred poetry throughout this month, trying to hit at least one verse a day.

surely there have been worse things posted to SN than that.

https://stacker.news/items/1035080