Sirens'
The Beautiful Monsters
of the Sea
Good Morning my dears and Welcome to my blog💗Today I'm going to bring you all in the world of the Sea. I have done a post in 2013 that was about the different types of the siren and the good sides of these creatures of the sea. However, not all the Sirens of the deep oceans are nice lets say...
Most Sirens of the oceans first came during the ancient times in Greece & Rome. They have had many names-Meremaidens, Mermen and Merrows. I do believe I have a post on the history of the Meremaids, but I haven't got to making a full post on Mermen or Merrows. These are a bit more hard to find history on them but I will do it at some point my dears. If you haven't seen my post on the History of the Mermaid here is the link:😊
http://wendyjargonncom.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-secret-history-of-mermaids-2013.html
So I thought its time to continue my journey through the sea. This time about the sea creatures Sirens. They have a few different kinda names like Sireen, Sirene, & Syrene. A bit of history of the Siren's background-father the River God Achelous & Mother daughter of Porthaon. However, their mother could be either the Muse Terpsichore, Sterope, Melpomene, Gaia or the daughter of Porthaon (Phorcys). Some Roman writers had linked the Sirens more closely to the sea, the daughters of Phorcys. Another interesting fact about the Sirens' of the Sea, was their relationship with Persephone. You see it would seem that they were given wings over time by the Demeter, Zeus Sister in order to help the goddess search for her lost daughter Persephone. However, there is a twist of faith for the sirens who she gave wings from their orginal mermaid tails-Demeter cursed them when they failed to find her daughter Persephone. In another myth the Goddess Hera persuaded the sirens to participate in signing a competition against the Muses. In the competition the Muses had won, plucked the feathers from the sirens. In anguish, the sirens turned white and threw themselves into the sea of Aptera 'Featherless' and became the 'Leukai'
According to Ovid the Sirens were also the companions of the young Persephone. When she was taken by force on that faithful day while picking flowers - Hades reached up from the underworld and took her against her will to be his Queen of the Underworld. The Sirens were the human companions of Persephone when she was in the Underworld. After she was carried off by Hades, the Sirens sought Persephone everywhere and finally they prayed for wings to fly across the sea. The Gods granted their prayer. However, there are many different versions to this tale. As I have told you about Demeter Persephone mother who cursed them for not guarding Persephone. It really depends on what version you believe. As for the art of the Siren there is the monster like Sea creatures of the sea & later the birds versions with the heads of women with the body of wings. Their legs could be either women legs or bird legs.
It is said that the Siren in early Greece were represented as birds with large women with large head, bird feathers and scaly feet. Later on they were depicted as female figures with the legs of birds, with or without wings, playing a variety of musical instruments, especially Harps! In the 10th century, the Siren looked more like Sparrows from their chests up and below they were women or they were little birds with women's faces. Besides the changes of their look of the sirens, what is most different from the mermaid to the siren. is their voices. This is what makes them more of the beautiful Monsters of the sea! Whether they are the Mermaid looking kind or the classic Bird kind. Their beautiful voices and faces as birds or as mermaids in disguise is what kills the cat you could say.
They beautiful women, whose bodies, voices are very seductive. In the first-century some have discounted sirens as pure fable, however a gentleman named Dinon asserts that they do exist in India and they charm men by their songs. They also have fun lulling them to sleep first after tearing them to pieces. So this as I said make the Sirens the beautiful monsters of the Sea. Even found in Leonardo da Vinci notebooks, he wrote about the siren, 'The siren sings so sweetly that she lulls the mariners to sleep; then she climbs upon the ships and kills the sleeping mariners.' Their song takes effect at midday, in a windless calm. It is said that the end of the song is death. That the sailor's flesh is rotting away, suggesting it hasn't been eaten. It has been suggested that, with their feathers stolen, their divine nature kept them alive, but unable to provide food for their visitors, who starved to death by refusing to leave. 'Their song, though irresistibly sweet, was no less sad than sweet, and lapped both body and soul in a fatal lethargy, the forerunner of death and corruption. "Their song is continually calling on Persephone.
They have said that Sirens were cannibals, based on Circe's description of them 'lolling there in their meadow, round them heaps of corpses rotting away, rags of skins shriveling on their bones.
The Beautiful Monsters
of the Sea
Most Sirens of the oceans first came during the ancient times in Greece & Rome. They have had many names-Meremaidens, Mermen and Merrows. I do believe I have a post on the history of the Meremaids, but I haven't got to making a full post on Mermen or Merrows. These are a bit more hard to find history on them but I will do it at some point my dears. If you haven't seen my post on the History of the Mermaid here is the link:😊
http://wendyjargonncom.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-secret-history-of-mermaids-2013.html
So I thought its time to continue my journey through the sea. This time about the sea creatures Sirens. They have a few different kinda names like Sireen, Sirene, & Syrene. A bit of history of the Siren's background-father the River God Achelous & Mother daughter of Porthaon. However, their mother could be either the Muse Terpsichore, Sterope, Melpomene, Gaia or the daughter of Porthaon (Phorcys). Some Roman writers had linked the Sirens more closely to the sea, the daughters of Phorcys. Another interesting fact about the Sirens' of the Sea, was their relationship with Persephone. You see it would seem that they were given wings over time by the Demeter, Zeus Sister in order to help the goddess search for her lost daughter Persephone. However, there is a twist of faith for the sirens who she gave wings from their orginal mermaid tails-Demeter cursed them when they failed to find her daughter Persephone. In another myth the Goddess Hera persuaded the sirens to participate in signing a competition against the Muses. In the competition the Muses had won, plucked the feathers from the sirens. In anguish, the sirens turned white and threw themselves into the sea of Aptera 'Featherless' and became the 'Leukai'
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Persephone returning to the
Underworld after being with her
Mother Demeter for spring.
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It is said that the Siren in early Greece were represented as birds with large women with large head, bird feathers and scaly feet. Later on they were depicted as female figures with the legs of birds, with or without wings, playing a variety of musical instruments, especially Harps! In the 10th century, the Siren looked more like Sparrows from their chests up and below they were women or they were little birds with women's faces. Besides the changes of their look of the sirens, what is most different from the mermaid to the siren. is their voices. This is what makes them more of the beautiful Monsters of the sea! Whether they are the Mermaid looking kind or the classic Bird kind. Their beautiful voices and faces as birds or as mermaids in disguise is what kills the cat you could say.
They have said that Sirens were cannibals, based on Circe's description of them 'lolling there in their meadow, round them heaps of corpses rotting away, rags of skins shriveling on their bones.
'The Ker as siren, 'It is strange and beautiful that Homer should make the Sirens appeal to the spirit, not to the flesh. The siren song is a promise to Odysseus of mantic truths with a false promise that he will live to tell them, they sing.
Once he hears to his heart's content, sails on, wiser man.
We know all the pains that the Greeks and Trojans once endured
on the spreading plain of Troy when the gods willed it so-
all that comes to pass on the fertile earth, we know it all!
I hope that you all enjoy the post on the
Siren. It is much different than one would think
Your friend always...Wendy
