Muse

The first time Muse, the goddess of storytelling, is mentioned in the Odyssey is in the beginning of the epic when Homer calls upon her to recount Odysseus' journey. In the chapter we just read, it was mentioned several more times, when Demodocus, Phaeacia's blind storyteller, tells the stories of Aphrodite's affair and the plundering of Troy. The place where we learn the most about Muse is when Demodocus retells the rivalry between Odysseus and Achilles.

"In came the herald now,
leading along the faithful bard the Muse adored
above all others, true, but her gifts were mixed
with good and evil both:she stripped him of sight
but gave the man the power of stirring, rapturous song" (book 8, line 72).

The Muse was a fairly powerful god in the human's eye, considering she could take away sight, and yet give this powerful gift of speach. Speach is proven to be very powerful, as displayed in many of the other blogs, and Odysseus even says, "'One man may fail to impress us with his looks/ but a god can crown his words with beauty, charm/ and men look on with delight when he speaks out'" (book 8, line 196). Some people are blessed with being able to mold words, and with those words, are able to sway audiences in their favor or simply keep them captivated. This can prove to be a powerful weapon, which is, again, shown by other blogs. Also, the Muse is not the only one that can give the gift of speach. Odysseus said to Demodocus, "'surely the Muse has taught you, or Zeus's daughter,/ or god Apollo himself.'" (book 8, line 546). I believe that the Muse herself does not have much power, but does have the ability to give men power over eachother.

...On a side note, if "the pen is mightier than the sword", then why do "actions speak louder than words"?