Tuesday, January 31, 2012

POW: In your opinion, do Sirens exist?

Last week poll was, In your opinion, do Sirens exist? And here are your answers.

33% Totally Yes!

33% Maybe They Do?

33% If They Did Exist, Was a Very Long Time Ago.

0% Nop, never!

So I'm feeling kind of disappointed. I was hoping to find some info that could sate my thrist of learning about some modern world sightings or some recent stories about them, but all I got was the myth stuff. But hey at least you guys have a very open mind, and none of you think they didn't exist at all.

Sirens, are mythical beings, who were believed to have the power of enchanting and charming, by their song, any one who heard them. When Odysseus, in his wanderings through the Mediterranean, came near the island on the lovely beach of which the Sirens were sitting, and endeavoring to allure him and his companions, he, on the advice of Circe, stuffed the ears of his companions with wax, and tied himself to the mast of his vessel, until he was so far off that he could no longer hear their song. (Yeah, the dude wanted to hear them, he even beg to let him go in the water, but his sailors couldn't here him)

According to Homer, the island of the Sirens was situated between Aeaea and the rock of Scylla, near the south-western coast of Italy. Homer says nothing of their number, but later writers mention both their names and number some state that they were two, Aglaopheme and Thelxiepeia; and others, that there were three, Peisinoë, Aglaope, and Thelxiepeia, or Parthenope, Ligeia, and Leucosia. And some say they were a lot of them, like the whole coast of the island full of them. Their place of abode is likewise different in the different traditions, for some place them on cape Pelorum others in the island of Anthemusa, and others again in the Sirenusian islands near Paestum, or in Capreae. The Sirens are also connected with the legends about the Argonauts and the rape of Persephone. When the Argonauts, it is said. passed by the Sirens, the latter began to sing, but in vain, for Orpheus rivaled and surpassed them; and as it had been decreed that they should live only till some one hearing their song should pass by unmoved, they threw themselves into the sea, and were metamorphosed into rocks. 

Some writers connected the self-destruction of the Sirens with the story of Orpheus and the Argonauts, and others With that of Odysseus. Late poets represent them as provided with wings, which they are said to have received at their own request, in order to be able to search after Persephone (In some stories they were Persephone handmaidens), or as a punishment from Demeter for not having assisted Persephone, or from Aphrodite, because they wished to remain virgins. Once, however, they allowed themselves to be prevailed upon by Hera to enter into a contest with the Muses, and being defeated, they were deprived of their wings. 

There was a temple of the Sirens near Surrentum, and the tomb of Parthenope was believed to be near Neapolis. Achelo′is. A surname of the Sirens, the daughters of Achelous and a muse. Ligeia or Ligea (Ligeia), (Ligeia), i. e. the shrill sounding, occurs as the name of a seiren and of a nymph. Parthe′nope (Parthenopê). One of the Seirens. At Naples her tomb was shown, and a torch race was held every year in her honour.

If you have any info that I could add to this post let me know, If you have some modern stories it will be great.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

I read a book called "The secret teaching of all ages" by Manly P. Hall. In it, he states that some Mystery Schools held sirens as repesentatives of water elemental allegories. To teach certain alchemical principles encoded within the narrative. I do not believe they ever existed manifested in this physsical plane. However, i cannot state the same on some other plane or dimension. Maybe they have manifested for a moment. It could even be a demonic appearance of some sort. But that is just my opinion based on biased information.

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