The Muses
- Looks after
- Dance and choral song
- Often shown with
- A lyre, a dancing pose.
Terpsichore
Τερψιχόρη
Terpsichore is the Muse of dance and choral singing. Her name means delight in dancing.
Terpsichore is one of the nine Muses. The name is made of the Greek words for delight and for choral dance. She oversees the dance that went with sung poetry, the chorus of tragedy and festivals.
In some versions she is the mother of the Sirens, in others of Linus. She is shown with a lyre.
In later art and language
The adjective terpsichorean, meaning relating to dance, comes from her name.
Ancient sources
- Hesiod, Theogony 78
- Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 4.895-898