Mnemosyne is the first generation Titan goddess of memory and remembrance in Greek Mythology.
Role and Significance[]
Mnemosyne is the Titan goddess of memory and remembrance and the inventress of language and words.As a Titan daughter of Ouranos (Uranus, Heaven), Mnemosyne was also a goddess of time. She represented the rote memorisation required to preserve the stories of history and the sagas of myth before the introduction of writing. In this role she was the mother of the Mousai (Muses) who were originally patron goddesses of poets of the oral tradition.
Finally Mnemosyne was a minor oracular goddess like her sister-Titanesses. She presided over the underground oracle of Trophonios (Trophonius) in Boiotia (Boeotia).
The Titanis (Titaness) Mnemosyne was sometimes named as one of three Elder Mousai (Muses), who preceded the nine daughters of Zeus as goddesses of music.
Genealogy and Family[]
Mnemosyne is the tenth member of The Twelve Titans, children of Gaia and Uranus. She is a sister of Oceanus, Tethys, Hyperion, Theia, Coeus, Phoebe, Cronus, Rhea, Themis, Crius, Iapetus, The Meliae, The Hecatonchieres, The Cyclopes, The Gigantes and The Erinyes.
She became a wife of Zeus and by him the mother of The Nine Muses: Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia and Urania. Through her daughters, she is the maternal grandmother of The Korybantes, Orpheus, Linus, Cleophema, Hyacinthus, Rhesus and depending on the account also Triptolemus and Hymen.
Myth[]
Appearance[]
Mnemosyne is a beautiful and youthful woman, she was often depicted with wavy hair and dressed in lush robes.
Personality[]
Despite being a founding Titan, she is a responsible person and does not seek vengeance or revenge. She is a tolerant woman and considers herself a lady, no matter how she acts.
Skills and Abilities[]
Relationships[]
Uranus- Uranus is Mnemosyne's father.
Gaia- Gaia is Mnemosyne's mother
Zeus- Zeus is one of Mnemosyne's many nephews and later her husband. Together they had The Nine Muses.
The Nine Muses- The Nine Muses are the daughters of Zeus and Mmenosyne.
Names and Epithets[]
Mousomítohr - (Greek: Μουσομήτωρ, ΜΟΥΣΟΜΗΤΩΡ) is an epithet of the goddess, meaning the mother of the Mousai and all arts.
Symbols[]
Mnemosyne's symbol is Mount Pieria.
Trivia[]
Mnemosyne's official Greek name is Μνημοσυνη. It means 'Memory'.
Her Roman equivalent was named Moneta.