Polyhymnia

Polyhymnia ("the one of many hymns"), alternatively Polymnia, was, in Greek mythology, the Muse of sacred poetry, sacred hymn, dance, and eloquence, as well as agriculture and pantomime. She is also sometimes credited as being the Muse of geometry and meditation.
== Etymology ==
Polyhymnia's name comes from the Greek words "poly", meaning "many", and "hymnos", meaning "praise".
== Appearance ==
Polyhymnia is depicted as very serious, pensive, and meditative, and is often holding a finger to her mouth. She wears a long cloak and veil and rests her elbow on a pillar.
== Family ==
As one of the Muses, Polyhymnia was the daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Mnemosyne. She was also described as the mother of Triptolemus by Cheimarrhoos, son of Ares, and of the musician Orpheus by Apollo.
== Dedications ==
On Mount Parnassus, there was a spring that was sacred to Polyhymnia and the other Muses. It was said to flow between two big rocks above Delphi, then down into a large square basin. The water was used by the Pythia, who were priests and priestesses, for oracular purposes including divination.
== In popular culture ==
* In astronomy, there are ten asteroids named after the Muses, and moons named after another two. The one named Polyhymnia is a main belt asteroid discovered by Jean Chacornac, a French astronomer, in 1854.
* Polyhymnia appears in Dante's Divine Comedy.
== Notes ==
* Polyhymnia's symbols include a veil and grapes, which refers to her as an agricultural goddess.
== Gallery ==
File:Brunnenwand mit Polyhymnia(1857)-Friedrich Ochs-Sanssouci-Mittlerer Lustgarten Steffen Heilfort.jpg|Polyhymnia, Friedrich Ochs, 1857
File:Polyhymnia.jpg|Polyhymnia, Milano
File:Y Giuseppe Fagnani.jpg|Polyhymnia, Giuseppe Fagnani, 1869
File:La musa Polimnia probably by Francesco del Cossa.jpg|Polyhymnia, Francesco del Cossa, 1455-1460
File:Polyhymnia the Muse of Lyric Poetry by Giovanni Baglione.jpg|Polyhymnia, Giovanni Baglione, 1620
==See also==
*Muses in popular culture
Category:Greek Muses
Category:Children of Zeus
Category:Music in Greek mythology
Category:Agricultural goddesses