Urania
Muse of astronomy and astrology in Greek mythology.
Urania (yoor-AY-nee-ə; from the Ancient Greek Οὐρανία, meaning "heavenly" or "of heaven") is the Greek muse of astronomy and astrology. She is the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and a great-granddaughter of Uranus. In ancient art, she is typically shown with a globe and a pointer. Due to the similarity in their names, she is sometimes mistaken for Aphrodite Urania, or "heavenly Aphrodite."
Urania is sometimes named as the mother of the musician Linus, fathered by Apollo, Hermes, or Amphimarus (son of Poseidon). The figure Hymenaeus is also said to be her son. She is often linked to Universal Love and, in some accounts, is considered the eldest of the Muses, inheriting Zeus’ majesty and power along with the beauty and grace of her mother Mnemosyne.
She is depicted wearing a star-embroidered cloak, with her eyes fixed on the heavens. She usually holds a celestial globe and points to it with a small staff; in modern art, stars often appear above her head. She can foretell the future by reading the arrangement of the stars.
According to Diodorus, she is called Urania ("heavenly") because those she instructs are lifted aloft to heaven (ouranos), as imagination and thought raise human souls to heavenly heights. During the Renaissance, she was adopted as the muse for Christian poets. In John Milton’s *Paradise Lost*, the poet invokes Urania in Book 7 to help him narrate the creation of the cosmos, though he specifies that he calls on "the meaning, not the name."
The planet Uranus is named primarily after the sky god, but indirectly after Urania as well. Astronomical observatories in Berlin, Budapest, Bucharest, Vienna, Zürich, Antwerp, and Uraniborg on the island of Ven bear her name, as does the main belt asteroid (30) Urania. The official seal of the U.S. Naval Observatory features Urania. The Royal Netherlands Naval College operates a sail training vessel named Hr. Ms. Urania, a name that has been in use since 1832. Urania also appears on the seal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, along with its motto: *Quo ducit Urania* ("Where Urania leads").
- field
- Muse of astronomy and astrology
- known_for
- Muse of astronomy and astrology; associated with Universal Love; depicted with a celestial globe and star-embroidered cloak; namesake of the planet Uranus and numerous observatories
- family
- Daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne; great-granddaughter of Uranus; mother of Linus (by Apollo, Hermes, or Amphimarus) and Hymenaeus
Quick Facts
- God Of
- Goddess of Astronomy
- Member Of
- the Muses
- Symbols
- Globe
- Abode
- Mount Olympus
- Parents
- Zeus and Mnemosyne
- Siblings
- Euterpe, Polyhymnia, Calliope, Clio, Erato, Thalia, Terpsichore, Melpomene and several paternal half-siblings
- Children
- Linus, Hymen
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Urania is often associated with Universal Love. Sometimes identified as the eldest of the divine sisters, she inherited Zeus' majesty and power and the beauty and grace of her mother Mnemosyne. She dresses in a cloak embroidered with stars and keeps her eyes and attention focused on the Heavens. She is usually represented with a celestial globe to which she points with a little staff, and depicted in modern art with stars above her head. She is able to foretell the future by the arrangement of the stars.
Diodorus states that she is named Urania (heavenly) '...because men who have been instructed of her she raises aloft to heaven (ouranos), for it is a fact that imagination and the power of thought lift men’s souls to heavenly heights.' During the Renaissance, Urania began to be considered the Muse for Christian poets. In the invocation to Book 7 of John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost, the poet invokes Urania to aid his narration of the creation of the cosmos, though he cautions that it is '[t]he meaning, not the name I call' (7.5).
Reader's Guide
Urania's significance extends beyond Greek mythology into astronomy, navigation, and literature. The planet Uranus is indirectly named after her, and she is the namesake for astronomical observatories in Berlin, Budapest, Bucharest, Vienna, Zürich, Antwerp, and Uraniborg on the island of Ven. The main belt asteroid (30) Urania was also named after her. The official seal of the U.S. Naval Observatory portrays Urania, and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada features her on its seal with the motto 'Quo ducit Urania' ('Where Urania leads'). Hr. Ms. Urania is a sail training vessel for the Royal Netherlands Naval College, with a vessel of that name in the Royal Netherlands Navy since 1832. In literature, her invocation by John Milton in Paradise Lost highlights her role as a muse for Christian poets during the Renaissance. Her legacy as the muse of astronomy and astrology endures in these institutional and cultural references.
Did You Know?
- Urania is sometimes confused with Aphrodite Urania ('heavenly Aphrodite') because of their similar name.
- Some accounts list her as the mother of the musician Linus by Apollo or Hermes or Amphimarus, son of Poseidon.
- The planet Uranus is indirectly named after Urania.
- The official seal of the U.S. Naval Observatory portrays Urania.
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