Who is the muse in Homer's Odyssey?

At the beginning of Homer's The Odyssey, the poet invokes the muse, asking her to tell him of the "ingenious hero" about whom Homer intends to write. This invocation of the muse is a convention of epic poetry in the Greek world. Homer goes on to describe the muse as a "daughter of Jove," and indeed Jove was believed to be the father of nine muses, all of whom held their own sway over different areas of the arts. The muse appealed to in epic poetry is Calliope, also known as the Chief of the Muses. Her voice was said to be so beautiful and harmonious that she came to preside over all eloquence and poetic artistry. In appealing to her in the way he does at the beginning of this poem, then, Homer is expressing a sort of salutary reverence to her and praying, as it were, for her assistance in embodying her eloquence and grace in the story of Odysseus which is to follow.

What is the Muse in The Odyssey?

This text begins with an epic convention: an invocation of the Muse. Many epic poems begin with such an invocation.  There were nine Muses—goddesses of literature, the arts, and the sciences—and they were daughters of the most powerful god, Zeus, and Mnemosyne. They were associated with inspiration, and this is why a poet would want to call on a Muse to begin his work, like a prayer. Thus, The Odyssey begins, 

Tell of the storm-tossed man, O Muse, who wandered long after he sacked the sacred citadel of Troy . . . Of this, O goddess, daughter of Zeus, speak as thou wilt to us.

In other words, the narrator requests the presence of the Muse. This was a way of honoring them—especially Calliope, who was the Muse of epic poetry—and a request of sorts that they will inspire the poet as well as help him to tell the story well.

The Muses in the Odyssey are the Daughters of Wit and Charm, the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (sister of Hyperion and Rheia). Their specific and individul names are:

• Kleio, history
• Euterpe, flute playing
• Thaleia, comedy
• Melpomene, tragedy
• Terpsichore, dance
• Erato, love poems
• Polymnia, sacred music
• Ourania, astrology
• Kalliope, epic poetry (she holds the highest rank of the Muses)

The muses were a group of goddesses (usually nine of them), each of whom were in charge of a specific art or related discipline. (Clio, for example, was the muse of history, which we don't usually consider an art today.) The muses were supposed to guide and inspire activity in their respective areas. In the opening lines of this poem, Homer is mostly likely calling on Calliope, the muse of epic poetry.

Greg