Redditors Learn That Sirens From The Greek Myth Were Never Mermaids But Strange Human-Faced Bird Creatures That Lured Men To Their Deaths

by Maryjane

In 1891, there was an uproar in the Australian press. A creative rendition of The Odyssey by British pre-Raphaelite artist John William Waterhouse had just been acquired by the National Gallery of Victoria, and the critics were outraged by the vision.

In contrast to his contemporaries, who portrayed the Sirens from ancient Greek mythology as being characterized by the feminine allure and physical allure, Waterhouse's portrayal of Ulysses and the Sirens was more like a terrifying nightmare. The critics questioned why Waterhouse had departed from Homeric legend and portrayed the Sirens as terrifying winged monsters.

Why weren't they combing their golden hair on the seashore but hovering menacingly over the terrified crew? Most importantly, where was the allurement, mystery, and intrigue that was engrossing the maritime hero, Odysseus?

One irate Melbourne resident claimed that Ulysses looked like a criminal who had been "exposed to the attacks of furious birds of prey," completely dismissing the scene's tragedy. It was agreed that Waterhouse's rendition fell short of what the public had come to expect from the romantic femme fatales.

But Waterhouse's interpretation wasn't entirely improvised. We must go back to ancient Greece to fully comprehend the origins of the Sirens, where, according to legend, winged and clawed birdwomen lured sailors to their deaths with the power of their song.

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Redditor u/wakeupits2009 has this interesting piece of information to share

u/wakeupits2009

There are many different historical accounts of the Sirens' ancestry. They were most frequently portrayed as Terpsichore, Melpomene, or Calliope, three of the nine Muses, and the daughters of the river god Achelous.

Why weren't they combing their golden hair on the seashore but hovering menacingly over the terrified crew?

Vice

According to some tales, Persephone's human friends, the Sirens, the goddess of the underworld, were turned into winged monsters by Demeter after they failed to stop Hades from stealing Persephone. However, according to Ovid's Metamorphoses, which was written in the late first century, the Sirens prayed to the gods for wings and received them, which helped them in their quest to find Persephone.

Here are what Redditors had to say:

Shadows TV

What we do in the shadows

Energy vampires

Witcher 3

Being at sea for months

Red Dwarf

These creatures were capable of luring ships completely off course and abandoning unfortunate sailors to perish in the flower-filled meadows they flew over, thanks to their irresistible voices drifting across the waves. Unfazed, Odysseus instructs his men to wax their ears and bind him tightly to the mast of the ship so he won't have to dive into the perilous seas when they come across the creatures.

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The Odyssey Women

Being at sea for long

What this Redditor has learned

Melodic voices started to call Odysseus with tales of the Trojan War as they got closer to the island. He yells, raves, and yanks at the ropes as he is enchanted by their song, but the ship keeps sailing until they have passed the perilous coast.

Some legends claim that the sirens plunged themselves into the gloomy waters of the Aegean Sea to die because Odysseus was able to withstand their song.

He got what he deserved

Percy Jackson series

A quote

It's much less tempting

The only sentient being

Really?

A Brazilian Folk

Back to Odysseus

A reference

Homer's Odyssey, which was written toward the end of the eighth century BCE, contains the most well-known representation of the Sirens in classical mythology. In this first literary account, the renowned poet describes how Circe, the goddess of magic, warns Odysseus and his crew about the Sirens, who live on a small island close to Scylla and Charybdis.

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