Sirens
In this blog I am going to continue my subject on magical creatures. I have always been curious with the mythology of the Siren. There has been two very different legends on this creatures in history. I myself have heard mostly of the mermaid siren myself. But as I did a little research and I found that the mermaid creature of the siren is not your classic mythology siren. The mermaid siren is from a later period in mythology in European legend, which most folks are familiar with.
In Russia Folklore, the Siren is a bird -woman with the body of a brightly plumaged bird and the head of a women. It descended from heaven to sing wonderful melodies to the souls who were in a state of grace. This song would enable them to pass from earthly life and be received into heaven. It is clear that this siren ultimately derives from the classic Siren. I found this interpretation much more enlighten in a divine kinda way, then the Mermaid European legend myself.
Sirens in the Classic Tale
This is what I found out about the true classic tale of the Siren. First a siren that I believe was a woman who has the lower half and the wings of a bird. Some say the the Siren were turned into their current shape because they had been playing with Kore, the maiden Persephone, when she was abducted by Hades and Demeter, Persephone's Mother was angered by this because they had not helped her daughter, so Persephone Mother (Demeter) cursed them, by saying "Begone and search for my daughter the world over".
But of course there is another story and this one tells how Aphrodite turned them into bird-woman because the Sirens stubbornly clung to their virginity and would refused to submit to any Man or God.
The Sirens flightless because they were defeated in a music contest by the Muses - The Muses pulled out the Sirens wings feathers to make themselves beautiful crowns from their feathers. And this is why the sirens sing in a meadow among the bleached bones of the sailors whom they have lure to their deaths. They are first cousins to the Harpies, that live in a green island of their own. And when the wind drops a midday, this is the time that people are the most succumb to the sirens.
It is said in Odysseus great journey on his return to Troy, he wanted to meet the sirens, but he was forewarned by a friend Circe, who said, ' that you must plug your ears and all your men with bees wax on your journey so that the sirens cannot overcome you with their song.
But of course in this story - Odysseus wishes to hear their beautiful song. But did not want to succumb to it, so he asked his men to blind him at the mast of his ship and told his crew to refuse to untie him until they had passed their lands. for which you have to read up to find out the end of that story...
In old times they would carve Sirens upon tombstones as much as angels were. They were shown lamenting and singing dirges to the music of the lyre. But it is also possible that they have designs on the bodies of heroes buried in the tombs since the souls were believed to leave the body in the form of a bird and the sirens stood by waiting to catch the fleeting souls.
Wendy
Sirens in the Classic Tale
This is what I found out about the true classic tale of the Siren. First a siren that I believe was a woman who has the lower half and the wings of a bird. Some say the the Siren were turned into their current shape because they had been playing with Kore, the maiden Persephone, when she was abducted by Hades and Demeter, Persephone's Mother was angered by this because they had not helped her daughter, so Persephone Mother (Demeter) cursed them, by saying "Begone and search for my daughter the world over".
But of course there is another story and this one tells how Aphrodite turned them into bird-woman because the Sirens stubbornly clung to their virginity and would refused to submit to any Man or God.
It is said in Odysseus great journey on his return to Troy, he wanted to meet the sirens, but he was forewarned by a friend Circe, who said, ' that you must plug your ears and all your men with bees wax on your journey so that the sirens cannot overcome you with their song.
But of course in this story - Odysseus wishes to hear their beautiful song. But did not want to succumb to it, so he asked his men to blind him at the mast of his ship and told his crew to refuse to untie him until they had passed their lands. for which you have to read up to find out the end of that story...
In old times they would carve Sirens upon tombstones as much as angels were. They were shown lamenting and singing dirges to the music of the lyre. But it is also possible that they have designs on the bodies of heroes buried in the tombs since the souls were believed to leave the body in the form of a bird and the sirens stood by waiting to catch the fleeting souls.
