The Sirens

Monsters of Mythology

by Bernard Evslin

Describes the origins of the sirens, half-women, half-birds, who lured sailors to their deaths with their irresistible voices, and relates their encounter with Ulysses

Genres: Mythology

83 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Bernard Evslin was an author best known for his adaptations of Greek mythology. With over seventy titles, which include both novel-length retellings and short stories, Evslin is one of the most widely published authors of classical mythology in the world. His best-known work is Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths, which has sold more than ten million copies worldwide and has been translated into ten different languages. An estimated 30 million students have come into contact with Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths due to its repeated use in high school and college classrooms over the years. This bestselling anthology includes such well-known stories as "Theseus and the Minotaur" and "Perseus and Medusa." He also published non-Hellenic titles such as The Green Hero, based on the Irish mythological character Finn McCool. He also was involved in an audio book called: "Children of the Corn." It included "Whistling Boy" a Native American tale; "Pancho's Puppets," a story about a boy in Mexico, and other stories.

Reviews

[Tim Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick and easy read, one I easily finished in an afternoon, a book devoted to the origin and stories associated with the Sirens in Greek mythology. Like the one other book in the series that I have read so far (_Ladon_), it was told not in an encyclopedic or reference book style but instead as a story, complete with scenery descriptions and dialogue. The book wasn’t entirely devoted to the two nymphs who became Sirens (Teles and Ligiea), as various other figures in the Greek myths figured into the story, particularly Poseidon, Aphrodite, Athena, Circe, Proteus, Cora (a meadow nymph), and a mortal man by the name of Butes.

It was good to see another take on the Sirens and their origins, with Bernard Evslin’s retelling of the myth playing up the role of Proteus and Circe, who along with Teles and Ligiea, were all working hard to advance Athena’s plots against Poseidon (with Athena hoping to attack Poseidon by driving away worshippers from him, for if Circe and the two nymphs – not Sirens at first – wrecked ships and enslaved the sailors, Athena “would be making her enemy suffer in the only way that gods can suffer – by being diminished” as fewer and fewer people would worship Poseidon).

I liked how the theme of shape changing and mutable forms figured heavily in the story, whether it was explored through Proteus (a demigod whose main ability is the ability to change shape), Circe (famous for changing shipwrecked sailors into various animals), Butes and Cora (who changed shape permanently into something else in the course of the book), and of course Teles and Ligiea who went from being sea nymphs (or nereids) to Sirens.

I also liked seeing yet another version of what Sirens looked like, with instead of the more common (as far as I can tell) Greek treatment of half bird, half woman, the two sisters essentially kept their nereid form but also gained wings (in this telling of the tale the wings of some sort of sea-hawk). However, their nature changed as well, as the partial transformation also gave them even more powerful singing voices and a carnivorous appetite (as before they did not eat meat), though interestingly they didn’t necessarily become eviler.

The author also wrote that the name Siren meant “’noose-throwers” or “those who bind,” referring to how they ensnare passing sailors with their songs so that their ships wreck on partially submerged rocks.

A good quick read, it didn’t have anywhere near the sparkling dialogue of _Ladon_ and despite lacking the deaths of _Ladon_ (though if one counts the sailors, far more people die) it was actual a bit more somber, lacking the many humorous conversations of _Ladon_. Once again I liked the public domain artwork selected, particular favorites being _Goldfish_ by Gustav Klint, _Moonlight, Wood’s Island Light_ by Winslow Homer, and a particular piece I have always loved, _Ulysses and the Sirens_ by Herbert Draper (and yes the Siren encounter by Ulysses and his men does indeed figure into the book).

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the Evslin’s that I never read as a kid, this one was a really fun read! I’ve always loved the character of Circe, who is a major antagonist in this story, but also appreciated the Butes myth, one I’d never heard before. Particularly interesting was his escape from the goddesses, which was reminiscent of the Judgement of Paris, with Aphrodite winning again. I also enjoyed that, unlike many of the other monster books, this one featured the creatures prominently. I’ve always found the winged monsters (sirens, harpies, furies, etc) to be of particular interest, so I appreciated that immensely. Lastly, tiny shout out to the scene where Butes meets the gods, as I loved the description of them all shining with their own light, from Apollo’s sunny hue to Hephaestus’ forge-glow to Aphrodite’s warm pink aura. Really cool to imagine how that would look.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great background on the Sirens from Greek myth. Short and easy read. Enjoyable.