Sirens
With a name now synonymous with seduction, these mythical creatures were believed to lure sailors with their enchanting voices, causing ships to crash into rocky cliffs. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus ordered his men to plug their ears with beeswax and tie him to the mast of their boat so that he could hear the sirens’ song but wouldn’t be able to steer the boat towards the noise. Some say the fact that someone was able to resist their song was the reason that the sirens perished. Others believe their demise came after losing a sing-off with the Muses. Though commonly thought of as mermaid-like, sirens were more often described as half woman, half bird.
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