Character Analysis
Sirens were mythological creatures that were part-bird, part-human, and they lured sailors to their death by serenading them. The following is an exploration of the works that prove not only their physical appearance, but the biological element of using their voice to trap their victims.
Sirens were depicted as part-bird, part-human, (specifically, the head of a woman), hybrid creatures. Syed Rafid Kabir wrote in his study The Sirens of Greek Mythology, "they were portrayed in Greek art and pottery as having the body of a bird (with deep, scaly nails) but the face of a beautiful woman" (Kabir 1). In Asher Elbein’s study, Sirens of Greek Myth Were Bird-Women, Not Mermaids, he wrote, “sirens were usually depicted with taloned feet, feathered wings, and a beautiful human face” (Asher 1).
John William Waterhouse’s painting, Ulysses and the Sirens (right), depicted them as large birds of prey with faces of women (Waterhouse 1). Contrary to popular belief, sirens did not look fully like gorgeous, young women. They took on the form of hybrid half-bird, half-woman creatures that roamed the seas. In Homer's Odyssey, their appearance was not depicted, so researchers studied ancient Greek art and pottery crafted in those times (Homer 1).
Waterhouse, John William. Ulysses and the Sirens. 1891. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.
Sirens would serenade unsuspecting sailors to sail close, sinking their boats and devouring the sailors. In Dr. Oliver Tearle's study, A Summary and Analysis of the Myth of the Sirens, he writes, "they were enchantresses whose song had lured sailors onto their rocks so the Sirens could devour them" (Tearle 1). The sirens were a mythological species that resided in the water, and would call out to sailors to lure them to their deaths.