Roman statue of Polyhymnia, 2nd century AD, depicting her in the act of dancing.
("the one of many hymns" /pɒlɪ'hɪmniə/) (Πολυύμνια, Πολύμνια), in
Greek mythology, was the
Muse of
sacred poetry, sacred
hymn and
eloquence as well as
agriculture and
pantomime. She is also known as the Muse of mime. She is depicted as very serious, pensive and meditative, and often holding a finger to her mouth, dressed in a long
cloak and
veil and resting her elbow on a pillar. She brings fame to writers whose works have won them immortal fame. Polyhymnia is also sometimes accredited as being the Muse of geometry and meditation.
Literary Appearances
Dante's
Divine Comedy: Paradiso. Canto XXIII, line 56.
In popular culture
Polyhymnia is one of the main characters in the 1955
Tom Puss story
De Muzenis.
