Legendary Myth-Siren

In Greek mythology, the Sirens were dangerous creatures, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and singing voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on some small islands called Sirenum scopuli. In some later, rationalized traditions, the literal geography of the "flowery" island of Anthemoessa, or Anthemusa, is fixed: sometimes on Cape Pelorum and at others in the islands known as the Sirenuse, near Paestum, or in Capreae. All such locations were surrounded by cliffs and rocks.

Sirens were believed to combine women and birds in various ways. In early Greek art, Sirens were represented as birds with large women's heads, bird feathers and scaly feet. Later, they were represented as female figures with the legs of birds, with or without wings, playing a variety of musical instruments, especially harps and lyres.The tenth-century Byzantine encyclopedia Suda says that from their chests up, Sirens had the form of sparrows, and below they were women or, alternatively, that they were little birds with women's faces. Birds were chosen because of their beautiful voices. Later Sirens were sometimes depicted as beautiful women, whose bodies, not only their voices, are seductive.

Their number is variously reported as from two to five. In the Odyssey, Homer says nothing of their origin or names, but gives the number of the Sirens as two. Later writers mention both their names and number: some state that there were three, Peisinoe, Aglaope and Thelxiepeia or Parthenope, Ligeia, and Leucosia.

List of Sirens:

• Leucosia : Her name was given to the island opposite to the Sirens' cape. Her body was found on the shore of Poseidonia.

• Ligeia : She was found ashore of Terina in Bruttium (modern Calabria).

• Molpe :another daughter of Achelous and Melpomene.

• Parthenope : Her tomb was presented in Naples and called "constraction of sirens".

• Peisinoe or Peisithoe, daughter of Achelous and Melpomene.

• Thelxiope or Thelxiepeia ("eye pleasing"), daughter of Achelous and Melpomene.