“Siren, the mermaid is a deadly beast that bringeth a man gladly to death. The description in this natural history work resembles much of the story told by Homer: This illustration of a siren comes from the Reynolds-Finley Historical Library's copy of Hortus Sanitatis (1497). Harrison, Myths of the Odyssey in Art and Literature, 1882, Mervyn H. According to legend, Odysseus and his crew were fortunate as there were many souls lost to the sirens. The only way that they avoided death was to stop their ears with wax to avoid hearing the sirens’ beckoning songs. The most famous literary appearance of the sirens was in Homer’s Odyssey as they attempted to draw Odysseus and his crew to their deaths on the way home from the Trojan War. They were described as a combination of woman and bird, with the head of a woman but having bird feathers and scaly feet. They lured sailors to their deaths by enchanting them through music and singing. Sirens were said to be some of the most dangerous of sea monsters.

Monster legendary