The Krewe of Muses is an all-female super krewe and social organization.

History and formation

The Muses were founded in 2000 by Staci Rosenberg and first paraded during

Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "F ...

in 2001. Since then the krewe has grown to include approximately 1100 members. The krewe's parade is held on the Thursday evening before Mardi Gras, and features 25 floats designed by Kern Studios.

Parade

Krewe of Muses parade on Jeudi Gras, the Thursday night prior to Mardi Gras. The parade starts at Magazine Street and Jefferson street in Uptown New Orleans; proceeds east to Napoleon street where it follows Knights of Babylon and

Knights of Chaos Knights of Chaos is an all-male New Orleans Carnival Krewe and rumored facade for the Knights of Momus. Parade The Knights of Chaos parade on Jeudi Gras, the traditional night of the Momus, the Thursday night prior to Mardi Gras. The parade f ...

Parade themes

Krewe of Muses season parade theme is secret until Jeudi Gras. The theme is always satirical. In 2006, to honor the victims of

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cos ...

, the Muses had at the tail end of their parade an empty float which evoked the

riderless horse A riderless horse or riderless motorcycle (which may be caparisoned in ornamental and protective coverings, having a detailed protocol of their own) is a single horse or a motorcycle, without a rider, without keys, without a license plate and wit ...

that follows the caisson carrying the

casket A casket jewelry box is a container that is usually smaller than a chest, and in the past were typically decorated. Whereas cremation jewelry is a small container, usually in the shape of a pendant or bracelet, to hold a small amount of ashes. ...

in a

funeral A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect t ...

procession.Best of New Orleans Music Feature
“Gambit Weekly: Captains Courageous! March 7, 2006”
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Honorary Muses

Krewe of Muses select one woman to be Honorary Muse each parade season. Each year's Honorary Muse rides in the krewe's main float, a large fiber optic high heeled shoe.

Iconic floats

*The Goddessey is the first float in the parade and carries the krewe captain and officers. Muses krewe member Susan Gisleson designed “The Goddessey.” Built by Kerns Studios, it features Greek mythology’s winged stallion, Pegasus; symbols for the nine muses in Greek mythology; and more than 100 peach-colored lanterns hanging from the Tree of Knowledge. *High Heel Shoe carries the Honorary Muse of the Parade *Mama Duck and Duckies *The Sirens is the final float in the parade.

Throws Throwing is an action which consists in accelerating a projectile and then releasing it so that it follows a ballistic trajectory, usually with the aim of impacting a remote target. This action is best characterized for animals with prehensi ...

Trinkets, collectables, masks, and beads tossed by hand from riders of the floats are called throws. Collectible throws from Muses include the Muses emblem beads, stuffed animals, signature beads, light-up medallion beads, custom print go-cups, rubber ducks. A plush Pegasus is thrown from the Goddessey. Krewe of Muses is known for their hand decorated shoes, their signature throw.

Other activities

The Krewe of Muses has presented several award-winning displays.New Orleans Mardi Gras
“Mardi Gras Parade Schedule: Krewe of Muses Information Page ”
/ref> In addition to their parade and year-long philanthropic works, the Muses host a design contest for students in the area. The winner has his or her design turned into a throw cup.

Depictions in media

*The Sirens float appears in the music video for

Arcade Fire Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core member Sa ...

's Electric Blue. *The Krewe of Muses parade is featured in the opening sequence in HBO's Treme season 2, episode 7 "Carnival Time".

References

External links

Krewe of Muses website
{{Mardi Gras in New Orleans Mardi Gras in New Orleans Organizations established in 2000 Women's clubs in the United States Women in Louisiana