What do sirens look like in real life? Sirens in Greek mythology

A siren is a bird with a female head. In myths, she is known as the seductress of sailors. Sirens' attributes are lyres and flutes - musical instruments representing sensual temptation.

Siren symbolizes temptation, seduction by a woman, deceit, deviation of a man from his true goal; seduction by the attractiveness of the transient, leading to spiritual death; a soul caught in sensual temptations. It is also a symbol of a funeral.

In Egypt, siren birds were considered souls separated from bodies. V Greek mythology they are evil souls thirsting for blood.

Sirens are considered much more dangerous than their mythological mermaid counterparts: they tempt people with beautiful singing in order to destroy them.

In Slavic mythology, the analogue of the sirens, but much more positive, are the prophetic bird-humans - the Sirins (Sirin, Alkonost, Gamayun), who can predict the future and cause rain.

Sirens (Σειρήνες), in Greek mythology, demonic creatures, sea muses, personifying a deceptive but charming sea surface, under which sharp cliffs or shallows are hidden. The Sirens were born by the river god Achelous and the Muses: Terpsichore, Calliope (Apollonius of Rhodes, IV 892-898), Melpomene or the daughter of Sterope (Apollodorus, I 3, 4; I 7, 10).

The sea god Phorkis was also considered the father of the sirens, and Gaia was the mother. According to Homer, there were two sirens; later three sirens were named, whose names were Peisinoe, Aglaoth and Telxiepeia or Parthenope, Ligeia and Leukosia. In Greek tradition, it is believed that Demeter turned the sirens into demons because they did not come to the aid of Persephone when Hades abducted her. Some Greek authors claim that Aphrodite did this because they neglected love. Once the sirens were called to a competition in the singing of muses. The victorious Muses plucked their feathers and wore them as decoration, so the sirens could not fly. They lived on an island littered with the bones and withered skin of the victims of their sweet singing.

Sirens are first mentioned in Homer's Odyssey. They lived in the west, on an island between the land of Circe and Scylla, and here, sitting on a flowering coastal meadow, with enchanting songs they lured travelers passing by, who, forgetting everything in the world, swam up to magical island and perished along with the ships. Only thanks to the warning of Circe, Odysseus escaped the insidious sirens. He ordered to be tied to the mast of the ship and ordered to fill the ears of his comrades with wax (Homer, Odyssey, XII, 39; XII 166-200).

In post-Homeric legends (for example, in Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes, IV, 893), sirens were portrayed as virgins of wonderful beauty, with a charming voice; with the sounds of their songs, they lulled the travelers, and then tore them apart and devoured them. When the Argonauts sailed past the island of the Sirens, Orpheus drowned out their voices with his singing and playing the lyre; one of the Argonauts Booth rushed to their call into the sea, but was saved by Aphrodite, who settled him in Lilibea (Apollonius of Rhodes, IV 900-919). In post-Homeric myths, sirens were represented as winged maidens, or women with a fish tail, or maidens with a bird's body and chicken legs. This last attribute they received at their own request, so that it would be easier for them to search through the seas and islands for their lost friend Persephone, after they had searched for her in vain on earth.

It was predicted to the Sirens that they would die when any of the travelers passed by their island without succumbing to temptation; therefore, when the ship of Odysseus sailed past them, they threw themselves into the sea and turned into cliffs. Late ancient authors located the island of the Sirens near Sicily and called as such either the Sicilian Cape Pelor, or Capreia, or the Sirenusian Islands, or the island of Anthemusu. Sirens were brought together with harpies and ceres; they were even perceived as muses of another world, they were depicted on tombstones. In classical antiquity, wild chthonic sirens turned into sweet-voiced wise sirens, each of which was located on one of the eight celestial spheres of the world spindle of the goddess Ananke, creating with its singing the majestic harmony of the cosmos (Plato, Timaeus, X 617). In the ancient Italian city of Surrent there was a temple of the sirens; near Naples they showed the tomb of the siren Parthenope.

Sirens are one of the most famous monsters from Greek mythology. About the sirens modern world they are also known thanks to numerous films, books, comics, games that refer to ancient Greek history in a mythological way. Let's look at them through a magnifying glass.

In the article:

Sirens - origin and characteristics

These creatures personify the beautiful, changeable and treacherous expanse of the sea - seafarers have repeatedly encountered the fact that, at first glance, reliable depth turned out to be shallow or, even worse, fraught with sharp cliffs. Sirens belong to mixanthropic creatures - their bodies are half female, half bird. In some legends, they have fish tails, which are reminiscent of.

In the Odyssey, Homer wrote that there were two sirens, but he did not call them by name. Later there were three of them, like. The eldest was called Persinoia, the middle one was Aglaotha, and the youngest was Telskepia. The first was fluent in playing the cithara, the other had a beautiful voice, and the third fascinated by playing the flute. In addition, they had a bewitching look. According to other myths, the sirens were called Parthenope, Ligeia and Leukosia.

Who gave birth to creatures enchanting with singing is not known for certain - it could be Forky, or chthonic goddess Keto, or deity Aheloy. Sometimes one of the muses is called their mother. - Melpomene, Terpsichore or Calliope. In addition, myths indicate that the mother of the sirens could be Steropa, as well as Gaia.

Another possible father, Aheloy, was a powerful river deity, a descendant of Tethys and Oceanus, or else the son of Oceanus and Gaia, or Gaia and Helios. From the union of Aheloy with Melpomene or Terpsichore, sirens appeared. In his wanderings, Hercules fought with Achelous. God took the form of a bull to fight the hero, but Hercules broke one of his horns and saved Princess Dejanira from an unwanted suitor.

Frame from the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean"

Phorky also took on various forms - thus, the possible fathers of the sweet-voiced creatures were werewolves, hence the duality in the description of their bestial parts. The post-Homeric tales of the Sirens describe them as bird-winged maidens, or mermaid-like women, or maidens with human heads but bird-like bodies and legs. From their father they inherited a furious, spontaneous, unbridled disposition, and their mother-muse gave her charming voice.

Some legends indicate that the sirens acquired a semi-animal appearance as a result of a curse. If you believe the legends, they made up the retinue of Persephone, and after her abduction by Hades, they wandered aimlessly on the ground. Eventually, they joined Apollo. Angered by the loss of her daughter, Demeter cursed the sirens, causing them to grow bird wings.

There is another version of this legend - the gods turned the sirens into birds for a desperate search for the missing goddess, since Zeus himself allowed his brother to kidnap her. Or the curse was sent by Aphrodite, because they rejected marriage. According to the third version, the new look was the desire of the sirens themselves, which was fulfilled by the gods.

Sirens in legends

Orpheus and the Sirens, Herbert Draper, 1909

One of the legends describes the competition of sirens and muses in the art of singing in the city of Apter. Hera advised the sea maidens to challenge the Muses to a duel - her goal is unknown, but perhaps Zeus liked one of the sirens, and the goddess of marriage became angry. One way or another, the victory remained with the muses. They plucked their rivals, making victory wreaths out of feathers. Zeus gave the island to Anthemoessu to the humiliated sirens.

Post-Homer legends described them as possessing incredibly beautiful voices. By singing they lured sailors, and when their ship was smashed against sharp coastal rocks, they looked for people thrown ashore to tear them to pieces and eat them. The Argonauts managed to escape - Orpheus sailed with them, capable of drowning out the song of the sirens with his music. All the time while the ship sailed past the disastrous island, Orpheus played the forming (lyre) and sang. One of the crew members, Bout, nevertheless happened to hear the voices of the sirens - he rushed from the ship into sea ​​waves, trying to swim to the island, but Aphrodite saved him. Booth spent the rest of his days in Lilibey.

The oldest source with references to these creatures is the Homeric "Odyssey". Homer described the location of the island of the Sirens - it was located between the possessions of Circe and the abode of Scylla. The island is littered with the withered skin and whitened bones of the victims. Odysseus' team managed to escape thanks to Circe's warning and cunning - they covered their ears with beeswax, so they did not hear the songs. Odysseus himself, wanting to understand the destructive secret of magical songs, ordered him to be tied to the mast. No matter how violently he wanted to go to the source of the sound, the sailors did not untie him, and the ship safely passed the deadly island.

Long before these events, it was predicted to the sirens that death would come to them along with a ship that passed by their island without casualties. When Odysseus' ship passed unscathed, they went mad. Most of them threw themselves into the sea and turned into cliffs, while the rest pulled out their feathers and drowned themselves. But often a ship is called a death ship Jason and the Argonauts.

Sophocles claimed that he met the surviving sirens, that they revealed to him the law of Hades. An admirer of classical antiquity, Sophocles imagined them as good, wise virgins, each living on their own celestial sphere on the world spindle of the all-mother goddess Ananke. By their singing they generate majestic cosmic harmony. The abode of the classic sirens - Hades. Later legends connect them with the Delphic Oracle and world harmony.

Over time, these creatures became close to and. Images of sirens can be found on tombstones of the late Greek period. Nicomon and Theopompus created comedies of the same name about these creatures. The South Italian city of Surrente once had a magnificent temple in honor of the sirens, and near Naples there is a tomb of an elder siren.

Sirens in the Middle Ages

With the beginning of the Middle Ages, Christian vision intervened in the ancient vision of the universe and its monsters. Homeric myths began to be perceived from the point of view of Catholics, who saw biblical canons and interpretations in everything. The perception of the canonical myth of Odysseus has also changed.

V "Physiologist", the very first work, from which later bestiaries were written, the episode with the sirens was borrowed from the Homeric text. The author rewrote it in his own way:

The moralist says that sirens bring death. Their abode is the sea, and their songs fascinate. Sailors who hear the sirens lose consciousness, fall into the sea waves and die there. Up to the navel, their bodies are female, and from the navel they are bird-like.

Thus, the author concluded that two-minded people are cunning in everything. And those who came to the church, but did not depart from their sins, are like sirens. With affectionate words, sinners deceive the gullible and lead them to destruction.

Medieval authors compared Odysseus with Christ, and the mast to which he was tied with a cross. The ship became an allegory of the church, the siren - carnal desires. Their sweet songs expressed worldly blessings, destructive for the soul. Only the ropes, symbolizing faith, could keep Odysseus from falling into sin and eternal torment in the afterlife. Three siren sisters have become an expression of greed, pride and debauchery. Ignoring the descriptions of Pliny and Ovid, medieval monks deprived the sirens of wings and bird paws, rewarding them with fish tails. The "heavenly" past of the virgins was forgotten.

Sirens in modern culture

In the modern world, images of sirens are common in many works of art. Often, the authors refer directly to the ancient primary sources in order to recreate the exact image of the creature. Sea maidens-destroyers are not forgotten today.

Beautiful sirens, it's nice to hear them. But how insidious are these residents sea ​​island. Like many images ancient greece, girls with bird wings and fish tails have outlived their lives. But what do you really know about sirens?

Sirens and Odysseus

Sirens are mentioned for the first time in the Odyssey. It describes only two sirens who lived on an island in the sea. It was predicted to them that they would certainly die if at least one ship passed by them, and its crew remained alive. Therefore, the siren sisters regularly drowned everything that floated by. But the ship of Odysseus passed by, which filled the team's ears with wax, and ordered himself to be tied to the mast, and the beautiful creatures died. They threw themselves into the sea and turned into cliffs. Later authors settled the Sirens near Sicily. True, each of them chose his island. The number of sirens also changed frequently. Sometimes there were three of them, sometimes seven.

The image of a siren in mythology

At first, sirens were described in myths as wild chthonic creatures. But gradually, when the period of classical antiquity began, they began to be described as sweet-voiced beauties. As often happens with antiquity, there were several options for why the sirens looked like this, and not otherwise. According to one version, they were companions of Persiphone, but when Hades abducted her, they began to wander aimlessly until they appeared in the lands of Apollo. There, Dementra, Persiphone's mother, turned them into such creatures because they did not help her daughter. According to the second version, she did this so that the sirens could find the missing person. And in the third version, Aphrodite herself is involved, who gave them such a look that the sirens could not get married. The appearance of the sirens is always zooanthropomorphism. The second part of their body is either a fish tail, or paws like birds, or with a fish tail and wings on the back. Once, on the advice of the cunning Hera, the sirens and the muses staged a singing competition. The Muses won, after which they plucked the losers and made themselves wreaths from their feathers.

Sirens are not only in myths

The image of the sirens did not remain only in ancient legends. In the Middle Ages, it was often mixed with the image of mermaids. In the era of romanticism, sweet-voiced beauties are filled with refined beauty, they are often painted by artists, they often fall into the poems of poets. There was also a name - Siren. In 2014, the drama "Siren" was released, where leading role Performed by Fiery Katniss from The Hunger Games. Of course, these days, sirens often turn out to be characters in fantasy computer games. So in the game "The Witcher 3, wild Hunt There is a funny moment. Arriving on the Skellige Islands, someone tells the protagonist Gerald about a sailor who wanted to hear the sirens. And like Odysseus, filled the team's ears with wax. Therefore, the whole ship crashed against the rocks, because no one heard his cry of danger. In the game, the sirens look like pretty girls for the time being, then they take on their true appearance.

Sirens called in ancient Greek mythology mysterious and mysterious female sea creatures, they were credited with a deceptive and cruel disposition. With your songs and seductive appearance, sirens lured sailors to their death. The mention of these fish girls or bird girls is common, there are also a lot of legends and legends associated with them, they have one thing in common, that everyone who met with the sirens, we are, of course, talking about men, first of all, certainly died.

The deadly charm of ancient legend

Different sources describe different versions of the origin of these creatures. According to one of the legends, these creatures are the offspring of the sea god Forky or Aheloy, and one of the muses (Calliope, Terpsichore or Melpomene) was considered the mother, and Sterope was sometimes considered the mother. This explains their demonic nature and melodic voice. The number of these creatures ranged from two or three to a whole multitude. According to legend, they lived on the rocks of an island littered with the bones and dried skin of unfortunate wanderers who were trapped by their insidious nature.

Another legend is connected with their origin, that the sirens used to be very beautiful and arrogant girls who angered Aphrodite with their obstinate disposition, and she punished them by turning them into birds. Another, no less beautiful legend says that nymphs became sirens, who were turned into birds by the muses. Because, possessing extraordinary voices, they were so proud of it that they dared to challenge the muses in a competition, and lost. As punishment, they were turned into sirens.

According to another version, Demeter, the mother of Persephora abducted by Hades, turned them into sirens. And another version claims that they themselves wanted to become birds, as they were going to find the young goddess kidnapped by Hades, but since people did not want to help them, they settled on a distant island and began to take revenge on everyone, luring wanderers and sailors to death.

For many years, poets and writers have tried to recreate the ancient image, and each time, the legend came to life in a new way. Either these are insidious beautiful maidens, or these are the harbingers of death from underworld. Often their image was carved on tombstones, because they were associated with the angels of death, who sang funeral songs to the sound of a lyre.

The Middle Ages also left many references and facts that proved amazing devotion to this image. Very often you can see the image of birds with female heads or the body of a fish on coats of arms and frescoes.

There is also a less common version of the origin of female birds. She claims that they were the result of experiments by an alien Mind, which eventually created a person with the help of genetic engineering. But this result was not obtained immediately. First, intermediate variants of living beings appeared, which combined the appearance of both animals and people, so sirens can be called one of the side branches of the experiment, such as:, pegasi or satyrs. Of course, the same theory states that after obtaining a net result, all these beings were destroyed. But if this is so, then it remains unknown exactly how many individuals were created and how many were destroyed, there is a possibility that someone managed to survive and become the object of numerous legends and traditions.

Perhaps the mysterious nature of the sirens was of a collective nature and personified the changeable and sometimes even unpredictable female nature? Maybe they really were part of our world, but subsequently the unknown changes disappeared? Or maybe somewhere else on a distant island you can hear a wonderful voice calling the wanderer to rest after a long journey, and the sailor to drop anchor and enjoy the wonderful singing and music.