Mermaids, Sirens, and Ghost-Birds
Half-bird, half-fish, same thing, right?
When I hear Siren, I think of the Odyssey. During his long ten-year journey home after the Trojan War, Odysseus and his crew must sail past the deadly Sirens. Hearing their song would bring death to them all, but Odysseus is clever (if not also morbidly curious). He orders his men to stuff their ears with wax so they can’t hear the Sirens’ song and orders them to tie him to the mast so he can hear the song but isn’t able to sabotage the sailing of the ship (just because he wants to hear the song, again, morbidly curious. I can relate).
So the last time I read the Odyssey was in sixth grade. I pictured this scene with beautiful half-women-half fish creatures sitting on treacherous rocks where they serenade men to death. I didn’t think to question this memory when I use the Siren in my writing. Sirens are evil mermaids, after all.
Except they’re not. They’re birds! Brushing up on the mythology for this post, it’s right there in all my favorite sources. Giants, Monsters & Dragons by Carol Rose. The ever-reliable Britannica. Sirens are half-birds. I think it’s time I reread the Odyssey.
According to the Greeks and Romans, the sirens are half bird women. You could also connect these bird creatures to Chinese and Japanese mythology. The Guhuo Niao (or Ye Xing You Nv, Tian Di Shao Nv, Ubume) has a more tragic story than the Siren. These ghosts are women who died in childbirth. They take the form of a nine-headed bird or a half-woman-half-bird and steal children to replace the one they never had the chance to raise.
The move of Sirens from bird to fish seems to have happened in Medieval times. With the introduction of Christianity, Sirens become a symbol of corruption (shocker). Instead of luring men, the Siren transforms into a mermaid who is often depicted holding a comb or a mirror. The creature is a lesson against vanity and debauchery (the woman half is often naked or partially dressed). I can see how this image of the siren became superimposed on the bird-woman version. A mermaid is much more attractive than a bird with a human head, after all, and, therefore, it makes sense how men are driven to their death in their desire for them.
These mermaids are similar to the Sirens as omens of shipwrecks. Their gifts were also thought to bring misfortune, but if refused offended the mermaid who might bring on floods or other disasters (talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place).
So there you have it. Now you have the knowledge to obnoxiously correct all modern depictions of Sirens, including the Siren in my story, AfterWorld. ;)
(Links to the sources I used are embedded above)