The Dark Origins of Sirens | Dark Mythologies

Mermaids and sirens often get confused, and whilst their mythologies do overlap in many ways, their nature and subsequent cultural influence differ greatly. In the first part of this two-part video series, we take a deep look at the ancient origins of sirens.

References:
The stupid nonsense story at the beginning was just some crap I wrote up.

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[AndYourLittleDog]

I’m Greek and remember a story from my childhood about sirens being created by Demeter. Apparently they were originally nymphs who were supposed to watch over Persephone. When they failed to prevent her abduction, Demeter cursed them to become sirens. The version I was told depicted them as birds.

[inkandesk]

“If you hear a sorrowful scream in the night near the shore, walk with the wind away from it” yeah I don’t generally continue the direction I heard wailing screams from

[vanyakalinka]

This is like the ancient people's way of telling young men that simping is bad for your health.

[sallyhazy]

I love sirens, when I was younger I fought a fantasy book called Watersong because it had a sparkling cover and it was about sirens (in the book, they can take half-fish forms on water and half-bird forms on land, so the writer did a in-between both traditions) and ever since then, they have fascinated me.

[TerryOCarroll]

As the song says, "By the time you hear the Sirens, it's already too late"

[SassyGirl]

I'm getting the feeling that the confusion between mermaids and sirens happened fairly early. Since even the early depictions of sirens seem to go from bird-woman, to bird and fish woman, to fish-woman.

[Pincer]

You've genuinely got a beautiful voice for storytelling. Could listen for hours, even if you would read from Wittgenstein's Tractatus. Have you ever considered writing your own stories and publishing them as audio books?

[GravityFromAbove]

By the way Cinzia, here are a few worthy obscure mermaid/siren movies: She Creature 2001 (great monster vs alluring beauty take), Dagon (Lovecraft tale with a highly unique version of the feminine creature), Spring (dark mermaid love story in Italy) The Lure (recent Polish siren musical)(!), Night Tide (Dennis Hopper in a 1961 beatnik version), and I've got Mermaid Down ready to watch. It's either that or Aquamarine... Thanks for the deep dive!

[domiricaneva]

“Clearly it didn’t look like me, however” 💀💀 your charming delivery combined with your deep research are so appreciated!!

[chrisball]

I've never been sure how Mermaids ever got their current sympathetic image. All the folktales I've read about them at best portray them as alluring but capricious beings who decide to help fishermen in exchange for some kind of cursed promise, and at worst as psychopathic fish sticks with a deep-seated love of drowning mariners. I blame Hans Christian Andersen. Which is easy, because he was a very, very weird man. I.e. Looking forward to the mermaid talk.

[AdrienneLaVey]

I’ve been waiting for a video from you about this! Sirens are one of my favorite mythological creatures. 🖤

[rosemarygilman]

Thank you! I’m loving this! What a great topic. In the beginning of the video where you are speaking over the images of the candle and the moon your voice is perfect for the words you are speaking. You could be a voice actor, it’s so perfect! Your choice of music is also exactly right. As always, you do such a good job of presenting incredibly well researched information mixed with humor and fun. I’m looking forward to the next installment.

[aeolia]

oh man!! I was just having this discussion with my French husband because mermaids and sirens are the same thing in French and French culture (les sirènes, quoi?, hahahhahahha), he was so surprised that with English speakers there was 2 different connotations. And then I told him about selkies, because those of us from celtic/gaelic backgrounds have this creature in our culture, and then I just confused him more, lol

[blackheartbooks]

You have such a nice voice for telling stories

[arcadialumina]

I love those bed sheets!!! mushrooms are very witchy and mystical

[jeremysmith]

Your voice drew me into the channel, but you are all muse, no siren. October is just the best, mostly because of all the great YouTube content. Thanks for helping make the month extra Spooktacular!

[e.urbach]

This series of videos will be really interesting to me, because my family comes from southern Italy and Sicily, including the parts at the Strait of Messina where Scylla and Charybdis and the sirens were supposed to be!

[Just-aNerd]

Soooo,
If sirens have wings, one could write a story in which sky sirens lure pilots instead of sailors.

[daskraut]

i only remember that the sirens got a little bit... annoyed... when obelix asked for food.

[lindanelson]

Your opening for this video was absolutely hypnotic!