Great Muse, that from this hall absent for long
Hast never been,
Great Muse of Song,
Colossal Muse of mighty Melody,
Vocal Calliope,
With thine august and contrapuntal brow
And thy vast throat builded for Harmony,
For the strict monumental pure design,
And the melodic line:
Be thou tonight with all beneath these rafters—be with me.
"Invocation to the Muses," Edna St. Vincent Millay
Listen, for I will tell you only once:
For years and years my sisters and I have stood by while stories of old are passed down from generation to generation, each retelling less accurate than the last. But we have decided: No more. We simply cannot watch the bastardization of the tales of great warriors and goddesses any longer.
So, dear reader, we have chosen three tales we feel have truths that are most important to clear up: those of Patroclus, Psyche, and Pasiphae. A warrior, a princess, and a queen whose true stories have been lost to history.
Patroclus and Achilles were more than just soldiers fighting the same battle. But their story is often overlooked by those who value war and power above love and intimacy.
Psyche and Cupid were more than just star-crossed lovers. But their story of dedication and loyalty is often confused with one of jealousy and foolishness.
Pasiphae and Minos were more than just cursed by the gods. But their story of infidelity often overshadows their story of redemption.
Dear reader, do not be mistaken, for these stories do indeed contain war, power, jealousy, foolishness, infidelity, and all the other themes that are present in today's retelling of these tales. But we are here to share the beauty of these stories that people often miss. For it is in the recovering of the truth that the rediscovering of beauty is made possible.
Author's note: I chose the stories of Patroclus, Psyche, and Pasiphae to retell because I felt they had a lot of ambiguity and the opportunity to add and change some details. I think there is a lot of background that could be filled in, so from the Muses' perspectives, these are things that have historically been left out and they are wanting to include them again. Here are some brief Wikipedia articles that cover the stories regarding Patroclus and Achilles, Psyche and Cupid, and Pasiphae and Minos.