Hesiod in Theogony narrates that the Muses brought to people forgetfulness, that is, the forgetfulness of pain and the cessation of obligations.For Alcman and Mimnermus, they were even more primordial, springing from the early deities Ouranos and Gaia. Gaia is Mother Earth, an early mother goddess who was worshipped at Delphi from prehistoric times, long before the site was rededicated to Apollo, possibly indicating a transfer to association with him after that time. Sometimes the Muses are referred to as water nymphs, associated with the springs of Helicon and with Pieris. It was said that the winged horse Pegasus touched his hooves to the ground on Helicon, causing four sacred springs to burst forth, from which the Muses, also known as pegasides, were born. Athena later tamed the horse and presented him to the Muses (compare the Roman inspiring nymphs of springs, the Camenae, the Völva of Norse Mythology and also the apsaras in the mythology of classical India). Classical writers set Apollo as their leader, Apollon Mousēgetēs (Apollo Muse-leader). In one myth, the Muses judged a contest between Apollo and Marsyas. They also gathered the pieces of the dead body of Orpheus, son of Calliope, and buried them in Leivithra. In a later myth, Thamyris challenged them to a singing contest. They won and punished Thamyris by blinding him and robbing him of his singing ability.
The pronunciations are actually in line with the French, Spanish and Creole roots of the city. Modern use in the arts
The Muses are explicitly used in modern English to refer to an artistic inspiration, as when one cites ones own artistic muse, and also implicit in words and phrases such as amuse, museum (Latinised from mouseion—a place where the Muses were worshipped), music, and musing upon. In current literature, the influential role that the Muse plays has been extended to the political sphere. Gallery
Genealogy
See also
Apsara
Artistic inspiration
Divine inspiration
Leibethra
Pimpleia
Saraswati
Muses in popular culture

Notes
References
West, Martin L. (2007). Indo-European Poetry and Myth. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-928075-9. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Muses, The" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 19 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 59–60. External links

Muses in ancient art; ancientrome.ru
Warburg Institute Iconographic Database (c. 1,000 images of the Muses)