Folklore of the Day

[Amy Wilson]

Greetings, friends!

Kihe commented:

<According to at least one source, I had been led to believe that the naming 
<of the individual Muses may have been a Roman imposition -- likewise, 
<individual identifiers for the Graces, Fates, and (possibly) Furies. 
< Anybody else have knowledge on this point?

Aha!  I see more rigorous scholarship is required of me.  :)  Let's see how I
do, given the limited research materials I have at my fingertips at the
moment.

According to my information, the Muses' names come directly from the Greek.  I
find no indication that the names I cited were a Roman imposition.

As for "Fates" -- both Greek and Roman mythology contain this concept.  The
Greeks had a trio of goddesses they called the "Moirai," who controlled human
destiny.  These goddesses had no will of their own but did what Zeus told
them, hence the (later) use of the word "fate" to describe them (from the
Latin _fatum_, meaning "that which is spoken"). 

The Greeks had distinct names for the Moirai:  Clotho (who spun the web of
life); Lachesis (who determined its length); and Atropos (who cut the thread).
 The Roman "Fates," which they called the "Parcae," correspond to the Greek
Moirai and were named Nona, Decuma, and Morta.

As for "Graces":  the poor resources available to me only mention that the
Graces were "three sister goddesses in Greek mythology who are the givers of
charm and beauty."  Of course, the word "grace" is Latin in origin, so you
make the call.

Furies I can't comment on -- again, I'm thwarted by the lack of good sources
at my immediate location.

Thanks for the question, Kihe. :)  Anybody else have more information?

Cheers,
Catelin the Patient
"joyful noise"