AboutTed Nesbitt Expertise I can answer questions related to classical Greek and Roman mythologies, as well as the myths and folklore of other regions [Norse, Egyptian, Mayan, Incan, etc.]
Experience I am a reference librarian at a four-year liberal arts college. For the last ten years, I have been an Allexpert volunteer in the areas of grammar and writing, poetry, literature, etymology, and politics.
Education/Credentials Master's degrees in philosophy, English, and library/information sciences.
Question Did any of the muses mary or have children?What are their symbols?
Answer Dear Spencer:
It's difficult to answer your question definitively, because various sources give various answers.
The overwhelming number of accounts say that the muses were virgins. But other versions list the children of some of them. There is NO record, however, that any of the muses were ever married. Some poets and historians say that these "children" were actually NOT the children of the muses, but they were simply artists who were inspired by the muses.
Each muse is associated with a different symbol, such as a book or a musical instrument.
Here is one small excerpt from "The Theoi Project," a collection of mythology that is quite comprehensive and is available online -- FREE.
As poets and bards derived their power from them, they are frequently called either their disciples or sons. (Hom. Od. viii. 481, Hymn. in Lun. 20 ; Hes. Theog. 22; Pind. Nem. iii.; Serv. ad Virg. Georg. ii. 476.) Thus Linus is called a son of Amphimarus and Urania (Paus. ix. 29. § 3), or of Apollo and Calliope, or Terpsichore (Apollod. i. 3. § 2); Hyacinthus a son of Pierus and Cleio (Apollod. i. 3. § 3); Orpheus a son of Calliope or Cleio, and Thamyris a son of Erato. These and a few others are the cases in which the Muses are described as mothers; but the more general idea was, that, like other nymphs, they were virgin divinities. Being goddesses of song, they are naturally connected with Apollo, the god of the lyre, who like them instructs the bards, and is mentioned along with them even by Homer.
I have compiled a list of the most reliable mythology websites I could find. I annotated each site with a short description of what can be found there. All of them are free.
It is a Word document, which you can save to your computer for future reference:
I hope I haven't overwhelmed you with material, but the short answer to your question is "No, they did not really have children." They are associated with various symbols, all of which are represented at the websites I have given you.
I try to be as helpful as possible . . . perhaps too much so.
