The Siren

Sirens, mythical creatures from ancient Greek mythology, are renowned for their enchanting voices and deadly allure. They are often depicted as dangerous beings who lure sailors to their doom with their irresistible songs. Originally, these mythical mischief-makers were depicted as half-woman, half-bird. This later changed to the more modern-day Siren we all know and love, featuring a fish tail rather than feathers.

In Greek mythology, Sirens were said to dwell on rocky islands or coastal cliffs, awaiting their prey: ships full of unsuspecting sailors. Ships would often be steered toward the source of the music, leading to shipwrecks on the treacherous rocks.

Over time, the depiction of Sirens evolved. During the Renaissance, they took on the more modern appearance of mermaids. This evolution reflected the changing tastes and influences of the time, but their core attributes—beauty, voice, and danger—remained constant.

As times have changed, it may be a good moment to look back and address the inherent sexism with creating a mythological female creature that ‘lures’ unsuspecting men to their untimely demise. This narrative underscores a historical tendency to blame women, often positioning them as cause of men’s downfall. But now that we know better, we can do better. This doesn’t mean that Sirens shouldn’t continue to feature in horror fiction, I mean personally, I love a good half fish half human character with killer fins and a witty one liner, but its always good to acknowledge where potentially oppressive narratives have come from, and aim to flip that script in the future - a glasses wearing siren boy, anyone?

The progression of Sirens in horror pop culture lies in their embodiment of temptation. A creature that represents that thin line between desire and demise, is a perfect set up for a horror story.

The progression of Sirens in horror pop culture lies in their embodiment of temptation. A creature that represents the thin line between desire and demise is a perfect setup for a horror story.

While mermaids have managed to dodge the horror label, their potential originals, Sirens, have continued to wreak havoc in many a spooky tale, and I for one, am here for all of their splashtastic chaos.