List of Sirens. Later writers mention both their names and number: some state that there were three, Peisinoe
Siren
In Greek mythology, the Sirens were dangerous yet beautiful creatures, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on some small islands called Sirenum scopuli.
Parthenope
Parthenope was one of the Sirens in Greek mythology. Her name means "Maiden-voiced".
Ligeia
"Ligeia" is an early short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1838. The story follows an unnamed narrator and his wife Ligeia, a beautiful and intelligent raven-haired woman. She falls ill, composes "The Conqueror Worm", and quotes lines attributed to Joseph Glanvill shortly …
Apollonius of Rhodes
Apollonius of Rhodes, was an ancient Greek author, best known for the Argonautica, an epic poem about Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. The poem is one of the few extant examples of the epic genre and it was both innovative and influential, providing Ptolemaic Egypt with a "cultural mnemonic" or national "archive of images", and offering the Latin poets Virgil and Gaius Val…
Hesiod
Hesiod was a Greek poet generally thought by scholars to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer. He is generally regarded as the first written poet in the Western tradition to regard himself as an individual persona with an active role to play in hi…
Suda
The Suda or Souda is a large 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia of the ancient Mediterranean world, formerly attributed to an author called Soudas or Souidas. It is an encyclopedic lexicon, written in Greek, with 30,000 entries, many drawing from ancient sources that …
What are the names of the Sirens in Greek mythology?
What were the names of the sirens?
- Melusine. In an old French tale, Melusine, a creature with a fish or water serpent tail, marries a mortal man to gain a soul.
- Atargatis.
- Ondine or Undine.
- Iemanjá
- Sedna/Taleelayuk.
- Ala-Muki.
- Ceto.
- Lorelei.
Are there male sirens in mythology?
While some early accounts had both male and female Sirens, by the 5th century BC they were exclusively female. Greek writers did not agree on the number of Sirens or their origins. There were said to be anywhere from two to eight of them and many sea deities were named as their parents.
What are mythical sirens?
Sirens in Greek artwork and mythology were a hybrid creature, having attributes of both a bird and a beautiful woman. The earliest images of the Sirens in art showed the bodies of either songbirds or gulls with the head of a young woman. Later depictions made the Sirens more obviously female.
Who are the Sirens in the Odyssey?
The Sirens are said to have been daughters of a river god, their fate sealed as singing enchantresses when they were unable to save Persephone, Demeter's daughter, from peril. Odysseus' Encounter
What are the names of Sirens?
The most popular answer is that there were three sirens in Greek mythology. Homer mentions only two, with no other detail, apart from where they may have lived. Later writers mention three, their names being Peisinoe, Aglaope and Thelxiepeia or Parthenope, Ligeia, and Leucosia.
Who is the most famous Siren?
Top 5 Dark Sirens and MermaidsThe Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. This is such a dark tale, and the mermaid suffers a lot throughout the story. ... Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie. ... Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling. ... The Sea Goddess Ceto from Greek Mythology. ... Lorelei from German Folklore.
Who were the sirens in Greek mythology?
Siren, in Greek mythology, a creature half bird and half woman who lured sailors to destruction by the sweetness of her song. According to Homer, there were two Sirens on an island in the western sea between Aeaea and the rocks of Scylla.
Do Sirens have other names?
Their individual names are variously rendered in the later sources as Thelxiepeia/Thelxiope/Thelxinoe, Molpe, Himerope, Aglaophonos/Aglaope/Aglaopheme, Pisinoe/Peisinoë/Peisithoe, Parthenope, Ligeia, Leucosia, Raidne, and Teles.
Who was the first siren?
Sirens Family Traditionally, the Sirens were daughters of the river god Achelous and a Muse; it depends on the source which one, but it was undoubtedly one of these three: Terpsichore, Melpomene, or Calliope.
Do Sirens still exist?
Are sirens real? There is no evidence to suggest that sirens are real. Sirens are creatures of legend and mythology. Sirens originate from Greek mythology.
Are Naiads sirens?
In the beginning though, the Sirens were not connected to the sea for they were initially classed as Naiads, freshwater nymphs, with the Sirens being the daughters of the Potamoi (river god) Achelous.
Are harpies and sirens the same?
Sirens and harpies are confused almost as much as sirens and mermaids, usually by giving harpies beautiful or hypnotic voices, a characteristic that only sirens possessed in Greek myth. This is probably due to the harpies often being portrayed as bird-like, and of course birds are well known for singing.
Who has survived the sirens?
hero OdysseusIn Book 12 of Homer's Odyssey, the hero Odysseus escaped the Sirens' call with the help of the sorceress Circe, who advised him to fill his crew's ears with wax so that they could not hear the Sirens; Odysseus, however, wanted to hear the Sirens' song and so ordered the crew to tie him to the mast so that he could hear ...
Who was the ugliest god?
HephaestusHephaestus. Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera. Sometimes it is said that Hera alone produced him and that he has no father. He is the only god to be physically ugly.
Why did sirens become mermaids?
By the 14th century, the siren's identity had become standardized as a fish-tailed temptress with a hypnotic voice. The words siren and mermaid were interchangeable. When Geoffrey Chaucer translated Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy, (1378-1381) he translated sirenae as meremaydenes.
How many sirens are there?
six SirensIt is said that only six Sirens can exist at any given time, and when a Siren dies, their powers pass on to another individual. All Sirens are inexplicably drawn to the planet Pandora at some point in their lives.
What are sirens in art?
The Sirens. The Sirens were creatures that sang beautifully, luring those passing by to their deaths. Each Siren combined the appearance of a woman and a bird, with the exact appearance varying depending on the artist. Some artists drew Sirens that had bodies of birds with the heads of women, while others made them look like women with the legs ...
Who defeated the sirens?
The Muses defeated the Sirens, and then plucked all the Sirens’ feathers to create crowns from them. The Sirens were so devastated by their defeat that they turned white and then fell into the water, each of them becoming a white island.
How did Circe prepare Odysseus for the sirens?
Circe had warned Odysseus prior to the encounter about the dangers of the Sirens, and he prepared his men by having them put beeswax in their ears to block out the song. They then tied Odysseus to the mast of the boat, as he wanted to hear what the Sirens sang about.
How many sirens are there in Homer's Tale?
While Homer’s tale has two Sirens, other myths have reported between two and five Sirens. Their song is both sad and beautiful, and is said to call to Persephone, asking her to return. Those who hear the song can’t resist and are lured to the Sirens location, which ends in their death.
Why do the sirens survive?
The Sirens survived because their divine nature means they don’t need to eat anything. Another appearance of the Sirens takes place in “ Argonautica .”.
What is the siren song?
The Sirens are the origin of the term “siren song,” which refers to something that’s hard to resist, but which will end badly. One of the most unique aspects of the Sirens, particularly in Homer’s “The Odyssey,” is how it’s not their appearances that tempt sailors, but their voices.
Who brought Orpheus to the Sirens?
Jason passes by the Sirens on his journey, but like Odysseus, he too had been warned of their dangerous song, this time by Chiron. Jason brought Orpheus, a musician, poet and prophet, along with his crew. When Orpheus heard the Sirens singing, he played music even more beautiful than their song to drown them out.
What are the sirens?
Among these are the Sirens, whose mythology and imagery inspired the modern view of the mermaid. The Sirens used their beautiful singing voices to lure victims to them.
What are the sirens in mythology?
The Sirens were one of the most infamous dangers of the sea in mythology, but how much do you actually know about the creatures whose songs led men to their doom? By.
Why are sirens important?
In offering knowledge, the Sirens represented a much different threat than other creatures in mythology. Many scholars believe that this was because they were not simple sea monsters but were closely linked to death. The Sirens were used in funerary art throughout much of Greek history.
What did the sirens do to inspire greatness?
While the Muses inspired greatness in music and poetry, the Sirens sang songs that led to death. According to one myth, Hera had convinced the Sirens to challenge the Muses to a music competition. In a story similar to that of Marsyas and Apollo, the Sirens were punished with their monstrous traits when they lost the contest.
What did Homer's description of a meadow covered in rotting corpses mean?
Some suggested that their ships sank on the rocks, while Homer’s description of a meadow covered in rotting corpses implied that the Sirens were cannibals.
How many sirens are there in Greek mythology?
There were said to be anywhere from two to eight of them and many sea deities were named as their parents. The Sirens are most well-known from two famous Greek stories that took place on the sea.
What are the most well known monsters in Greek mythology?
It’s unsurprising that many of Greek mythology’s most well-known monsters were creatures of the sea. The Mediterannean played a central role in Greek culture and many famous stories involved traveling to distant islands. A few of these monsters have remained in the popular imagination over two thousand years after their stories were first told.
What were the original sirens?
They were famous for having such beautiful voices that men would give their lives to listen to them for just a moment. Nor were the original Greek Sirens mermaids.
Where did the sirens come from?
The Origins of the Sirens. The Sirens began their story as a trio of naiads, freshwater nymphs. Their father was Achelous, the god of one of central Greece’s largest rivers. Achelous was most remembered for contesting with Heracles for the love of the beautiful princess Deianira.
Why did Odysseus have his ears stuffed with wax?
While the men would have their ears stuffed with wax to block out the alluring sound, Odysseus could not resist the opportunity to hear the singing that tempted men to their deaths. The ship approached the Sirens’ island with Odysseus firmly bound to the mast.
What is the island called that the Sirens inhabited?
The island the Sirens inhabited, Anthemusa, was fictional but may have represented a real place. Its name, meaning “flowery isle,” may have given a clue as to its real-world location. Many have placed the Sirens in a collection of small islands today called the Sirenuse.
Why did the Sirens sing songs?
They used their enchanting songs to lure sailors to their island, where they would feed on the unfortunate men. Like most mythological monsters, the Sirens probably represented a read danger faced by Greek sailing vessels. Jagged rocks could sink a ship if the crew was tempted to move too close to shore.
Why were the Greek Sirens so famous?
They were famous for having such beautiful voices that men would give their lives to listen to them for just a moment. Nor were the original Greek Sirens mermaids. That development came later – the Greeks pictured them as women with the bodies of large birds.
What is the siren myth?
The Sirens: The Treacherous Singing Monsters of Greek Myth. The Sirens: The Treacherous Singing Monsters of Greek Myth. If the only sirens you know are on emergency vehicles, you’re about to learn where the word really comes from! Today we’re talking about the original Sirens, the singers who lured men to their deaths. By.
History of Sirens
Sirens appear in Greek mythology as early as the works of Homer, the author of the fundamental works of ancient Greek literature, the Illiad and the Odyssey. It is believed, however, that the history of sirens is much older.
Siren Facts: Origin and Number
There are multiple mythological stories of the Sirens' origin. These range from claiming that the Sirens are the daughters of Achelous, the chief river god of Greece, and one of the muses, to explaining that they are the daughters of the titans Oceanus and Gaea.
Appearance of Sirens in Art
In Greek art, a Siren was typically depicted as a bird with a woman's head. They were often depicted with a lyre, in musical contexts, or on top of a funeral monument. Depictions of the Sirens were also a common feature on pottery depicting Odysseus's journey home.
Siren Folklore and Myths
One of the most famous and earliest references to the Sirens is found in Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. The hero of the poem, Odysseus, must pass the Sirens on his journey home from the Trojan War.
Who were the sirens in the Greek mythology?
Siren suicide, Athenian red-figure stamnos C5th B.C., British Museum. THE SEIRENES (Sirens) were three monstrous sea-nymphs who lured sailors to their death with a bewitching song. They were formerly handmaidens of the goddess Persephone and when she was secretly abducted by Haides, Demeter gave them the bodies of birds to assist in the search.
Who were the Seirenes?
Suda On Line) (Byzantine Greek Lexicon C10th A.D.) : "Seirenes (Sirens) : Seirenes were women with lyric voices who, in bygone Greek myth, dwelled on a small island and so enticed passing sailors with their beautiful voices that crews steered in and perished there.
What did Odysseus do to the Seirenes?
Odysseus later sailed by, bound tightly to the mast, while his men blocked their ears with wax. The Seirenes were so distressed to see a man hear their song and still escape that they threw themselves into the sea and drowned. The Seirenes were depicted as birds with either the heads or entire upper bodies of women.
How many names did Homer mention?
Homer says nothing of their number, but later writers mention both their names and number some state that they were two, Aglaopheme and Thelxiepeia (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1709); and others, that there were three, Peisinoë, Aglaope, and Thelxiepeia (Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 712 ), or Parthenope, Ligeia, and Leucosia (Eustath. l.
Where did the Seirenes settle?
They eventually gave up and settled on the flowery island of Anthemoessa. The Seirenes were encountered by the Argonauts who passed by unharmed with the help of the poet Orpheus who drowned out their music with song. Odysseus later sailed by, bound tightly to the mast, while his men blocked their ears with wax.
What were the names of the two daughters of Akheloios?
They were the daughters of Akheloios (Achelous) and the Mousa (Muse) Melpomene, and their names were Peisinoe, Aglaope, and Thelxiepeia. One played the cithara, the second sang, and the third played the flute, and in this manner they used to persuade passing sailors to remain with them.
Who used the Seirenes in a metaphor?
Plato, Cratylus 403d (trans. Lamb) (Greek philosopher C4th B.C.) : " [Plato uses the Seirenes (Sirens) in a metaphor on the binding power of death :] He [Haides] binds with the desire which is the strongest of all, if he is to restrain them with the strongest bond . . .
Origin
According to legend, the Sirens were young maidens who were friends of Persephone. When Persephone got kidnapped by Hades. Demeter then came out, and ask them "Where is Kore (Persephone)!" but they didn't know. So Demeter gived them wings so they could fly to search for Persephone.
Jason and the Argonauts
The hero Jason sailed past the island of the Sirens on his quest for the Golden Fleece. When his ship, the Argo sailed past the island, Jason commanded one of the Argonauts, Orpheus, a son of Apollo, renowned for his beautiful singing and lyre playing skills, to sing as loud as he could.
The Voyages of Odysseus
On his way back to Greece, Odysseus and his crew passed the island of the Sirens. Odysseus's crew members plugged their ears with candle wax to make sure they don't hear the Sirens' voices. Odysseus, however, wanted to hear the Sirens' song. His crew members tied him to the mast of their ship to prevent him from jumping off the ship.
Who gave the sirens their names?
Eustathius (Greek Archbishop of Thessaloniki, and scholar), states, as did Homer, that there two, and gives them the names Aglaopheme and Thelxiepeia. All later mention of the sirens of ancient Greek mythology, use the following, individual names: Thelxiepeia/Thelxiope/Thelxinoe, Molpe, Himerope, Aglaophonos/Aglaope/Aglaopheme, ...
What are sirens in Greek mythology?
According to Ovid (Roman poet in the time of Augustus), the sirens of Greek mythology, were handmaidens to Persephone, daughter of Zeus and the Goddess of harvest, Demeter.
Where was the Parthenope siren?
The Parthenope Siren with violin on Vesuvius -The Spinacorona fountain 16th century in Naples. The handmaidens of Persephone, searched high and low, all the while, calling out to Persephone with their sweet song, but, to no avail, Persephone was nowhere to be found.
What is the siren of Canosa?
The “Siren of Canosa”, from Italy, was said to be among items buried with the dead, to guide them on the after-life journey. This terracotta figure, from around 340 to 300B.C, has the feet, wings and tail of a bird and bears traces of its original white pigment.
Where are the sirens located?
Punto del Faro, Sicily. Then again, the siren’s home may have been Le Sirenuse, or Li Galli, a small group of islands off the Amalfi coast of Italy. Homer (Ancient Greek poet, author of The Odyssey) locates the home of the sirens, as an island in the Western sea, between Aeaea (The Island, in Greek mythology, where the witch Circe lived) ...
Who were the three names of the Argonauts?
Later writers mention three, their names being Peisinoe, Aglaope, and Thelxiepeia , or, Parthenope, Ligeia, and Leucosia. Apollonius of Rhodes (First half of 3rd century BCE), in his epic poem “Argonautica”, about Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece, gives three sirens the names of; Thelxinoe, Molpe, and Aglaophonos.
Who said sirens are fantasy?
The first-century Roman historian Pliny the Elder, discounted Sirens as sheer fantasy, but went on to say; “Although Dinon, the father of Clearchus, a celebrated writer, asserts that they exist in India, and that they charm men by their song, and, having first lulled them to sleep, tear them to pieces.”.
Overview
List of sirens
Their number is variously reported as from two to eight. In the Odyssey, Homer says nothing of their origin or names, but gives the number of the sirens as two. Later writers mention both their names and number: some state that there were three, Peisinoe, Aglaope and Thelxiepeia or Aglaonoe, Aglaopheme and Thelxiepeia; Parthenope, Ligeia, and Leucosia; Apollonius followed Hesiod gives their names as Thelxinoe, Molpe, and Aglaophonos; Suidas gives their names as Th…
Nomenclature
The entry for the "sirens" (Greek: Σειρῆνας) in the tenth-century Byzantine dictionary Suda sirens had the form of sparrows from their chests up, and below they were women or, alternatively, that they were little birds with women's faces.
The etymology of the name is contested. Robert S. P. Beekes has suggested a Pre-Greek origin. Others connect the name to σειρά (seirá, "rope, cord") and εἴρω (eírō, "to tie, join, fasten"), resultin…
Iconography
The sirens of Greek mythology which appear in Homer's Odyssey, but Homer did not provide any physical descriptions, and their visual appearance was left to the readers' imagination. Sirens began to be depicted in art as human-headed birds by the 7th century BC. It was Apollonius of Rhodes in Argonautica (3rd century BC) who described the sirens in writing as part woman and part fish.
Family
Although a Sophocles fragment makes Phorcys their father, when sirens are named, they are usually as daughters of the river god Achelous, either by the Muse Terpsichore, Melpomene or Calliope or lastly by Sterope, daughter of King Porthaon of Calydon.
In Euripides's play Helen (167), Helen in her anguish calls upon "Winged maidens, daughters of the Earth (Chthon)." Although they lured mariners, the Greeks portrayed the sirens in their "meadow s…
Mythology
According to Ovid (43 BC–17 AD), the sirens were the companions of young Persephone. Demeter gave them wings to search for Persephone when she was abducted by Hades. However, the Fabulae of Hyginus (64 BC–17 AD) has Demeter cursing the sirens for failing to intervene in the abduction of Persephone. According to Hyginus, Sirens were fated to live only until the mortals who heard their songs were able to pass by them.
Sirens and death
Statues of sirens in a funerary context are attested since the classical era, in mainland Greece, as well as Asia Minor and Magna Graecia. The so-called "Siren of Canosa"—Canosa di Puglia is a site in Apulia that was part of Magna Graecia—was said to accompany the dead among grave goods in a burial. She appeared to have some psychopomp characteristics, guiding the dead on the afterlife journey. The cast terracotta figure bears traces of its original white pigment. The woman bears th…
Christian belief and modern reception
By the fourth century, when pagan beliefs were overtaken by Christianity, the belief in literal sirens was discouraged. Although Saint Jerome, who produced the Latin Vulgate version of the bible, used the word sirens to translate Hebrew tannīm ("jackals") in the Book of Isaiah 13:22, and also to translate a word for "owls" in the Book of Jeremiah 50:39, this was explained by Ambrose to be a mere symbol or allegory for worldly temptations, and not an endorsement of the Greek myth.