---
title: Siren: The Woman-Bird Creatures of Greek Mythology
author: Mark Cartwright
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Siren/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 2025-04-18
---
# Siren: The Woman-Bird Creatures of Greek Mythology
_Authored by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/)_
Sirens were creatures from [Greek mythology](https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Mythology/) that enticed sailors to their destruction with their irresistibly beautiful singing. The most famous appearance of sirens in [literature](https://www.worldhistory.org/literature/) is in [Homer](https://www.worldhistory.org/homer/)'s *[Odyssey](https://www.worldhistory.org/Odyssey/)* where the hero [Odysseus](https://www.worldhistory.org/odysseus/), on his long voyage home following the [Trojan War](https://www.worldhistory.org/Trojan_War/), successfully escapes their enchanting call. In art, sirens usually appear as birds with the head of a woman.
### Origins & Attributes of Sirens
The Sirens were hybrid creatures with the body of a bird and the head of a woman, sometimes also with human arms. One tradition states their origin as companions of [Persephone](https://www.worldhistory.org/persephone/) and, failing to prevent her rape, they were transformed into Sirens as punishment. Historically, the creature is of Eastern origin and came to [Greece](https://www.worldhistory.org/greece/) during the orientalizing period of [Greek](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/greek/) art. The Sirens had beautiful singing voices and were gifted [lyre](https://www.worldhistory.org/Lyre/) players. So wonderful was their musical talent that it was said they could even calm the winds. Perhaps a little over-confident in their gifts the Sirens once even challenged the [Muses](https://www.worldhistory.org/muse/) to a musical competition but, alas, without success.
> No seaman ever sailed his black ship past this spot without listening to the honey-sweet tones that flow from our lips and no one who has listened has not been delighted and gone on his way a wiser man. (The Sirens, *Odyssey* 12:186-190)
According to Homer the Sirens lived on an island near [Scylla and Charybdis](https://www.worldhistory.org/Scylla_and_Charybdis/) (traditionally located in the Strait of Messina between [Italy](https://www.worldhistory.org/italy/) and [Sicily](https://www.worldhistory.org/sicily/)). Here they awaited passing ships and with their lovely [music](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Music/) enticed sailors to their doom. Indeed, the meadows of the Sirens' home island were said to have been perpetually layered with the rotting corpses of their hapless victims. Homer mentions only two Sirens while later writers often describe three. Their parentage is variously described and they descend from [Gaia](https://www.worldhistory.org/Gaia/), Phorcys, Achelous and Sterope, or one of the Muses.
### Odysseus & the Sirens
> The Sirens bewitch everybody who approaches them. There is no homecoming for the man who draws near them unawares...For with their high clear song the Sirens bewitch him, as they sit there in a meadow piled high with the mouldering skeletons of men, whose withered skin still hangs upon their bones. (The advice of [Circe](https://www.worldhistory.org/Circe/), *Odyssey*, 12:39-47)
One of their most famous stories is the Sirens' attempt to lure Odysseus and his crew as they passed on their home voyage to Ithaca following the Trojan [War](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/War/). The great Greek hero was already renowned for his quick wits and planning and he proved to be a much more difficult catch than the Sirens' usual victims. Advised by Circe, the hero had himself tied to his ship's mast so that he could hear the Sirens' beautiful song and not be tempted to land while the rest of his crew were made immune by blocking their ears with wax and so they all safely sailed on out of harms way.
Another hero the Sirens tried to capture was Jason as he and his Argonauts passed on their way to find the [Golden Fleece](https://www.worldhistory.org/Golden_Fleece/). Jason, confident in the musical abilities of his talented crew member [Orpheus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Orpheus/), did not bother with wax but drowned out the Sirens' call with Orpheus' superlative lyre playing. According to legend the Sirens were fated to die if a mortal ever resisted their beckoning and so it is not clear whether it was Odysseus or Orpheus who was responsible for their ultimate demise, perhaps by suicide.
### How are Sirens Represented in Art?
Their cult was especially prevalent at Neapolis (Naples), Sicily, and southern Italy in general. In Greek art they are most often represented with the body of a bird and a woman's head, typically clutching a lyre and most often seen in a musical context, scenes with [Dionysos](https://www.worldhistory.org/Dionysos/), or atop funerary monuments. They were also a common decorative feature of [bronze](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/bronze/) cauldrons and became a staple part of [pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/pottery/) scenes depicting Odysseus' voyage home.
[  Odysseus and the Sirens Trustees of the British Museum (Copyright) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/998/odysseus-and-the-sirens/ "Odysseus and the Sirens")One of the most famous examples is the c 450 BCE red-figure stamnos from [Vulci](https://www.worldhistory.org/Vulci/) (now in the British Museum) which, interestingly, also has a siren diving into the sea in apparent suicide. In [Archaic](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Archaic/) art they are often fearsome and can have talons but they evolved into beautiful and serene creatures by the Classical period, very different from their still later association with lust and unbridled revelry.
#### Editorial Review
This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).
## Bibliography
- [Homer. *The Odyssey.* Penguin Classics, 1999.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0140268863/)
- Hope Moncrieff, A.R. *Classical Mythology.* Senate
- [Hornblower, S. *The Oxford Classical Dictionary.* Oxford University Press, 2012.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0199545561/)
## About the Author
Mark is WHE’s Publishing Director and has an MA in Political Philosophy (University of York). He is a full-time researcher, writer, historian and editor. Special interests include art, architecture and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share.
## Questions & Answers
### What's a siren creature?
A siren is a creature from Greek mythology. A siren has the body of a bird and the head of a woman. They usually tempt sailors to destruction by their beautiful singing.
### What is the difference between a siren and a mermaid?
A siren is a bird with a woman's head while a mermaid is a woman with the lower body of a fish. Both mythical creatures tempt sailors to their destruction.
### What are Sirens powers?
In Greek mythology, the powers of sirens include a beautiful singing voice and a great ability to play the lyre.
## External Links
- [33 Captivating Mythological Creatures From Folklore](https://allthatsinteresting.com/mythological-creatures)
## Cite This Work
### APA
Cartwright, M. (2015, April 16). Siren: The Woman-Bird Creatures of Greek Mythology. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
Cartwright, Mark. "Siren: The Woman-Bird Creatures of Greek Mythology." *World History Encyclopedia*, April 16, 2015. .
### MLA
Cartwright, Mark. "Siren: The Woman-Bird Creatures of Greek Mythology." *World History Encyclopedia*, 16 Apr 2015, .
## License & Copyright
Submitted by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/ "User Page: Mark Cartwright"), published on 16 April 2015. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.