Mermaids vs Sirens - Distinct Features that Set Them Apart
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- čas přidán 17. 03. 2023
- Dive into the mystical world of mermaids and sirens as I'll explore the key differences between these enchanting sea creatures.
In this video, I'll unveil their unique characteristics and origins.
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#mermaids #sirens #mythicalcreatures #mythology #myths #greekmythology
I literally got into an argument with my high school British literature teacher about mermaids and sirens being different in front of my whole class. Printed out material for her the next day highlighting all the lines where it explained they weren't mermaids but half birds. Let's just say she wasn't happy with me at all. I stood my ground though haha
Good for you :) show her this video. :)
@@MythosTheHistorian oh goodness. That was about 12 years ago at this point. I’m probably the only one who remembers that altercation 😂
@@emmalarson Well done, on standing your ground. Sometimes it's hard, but you did the right thing.
@@jessicaswinbourn.320 thanks! I’m still proud of 15ish year old me 🤗
@@emmalarsonFind her and show her this video! 😂
In my own research I did years ago. In Odyssey, when the sailors survived the encounter, the sirens were doomed to die as some kind of mystical result. So they shed their wings and took the tails of fishes to survive. It’s not explained of how they did it, they just did. Merpeople mythology is older; for the -maids would sit on the rocks while combing their hair and singing. Nearby sailors with jump overboard trying to reach them only to drown from the undertow. Mermen did the same thing to selling to women.
This is like, the opposite of Zora to Rito, lol.
@@Black-And-WhiteWorldview88 Sailing ⛵ women I meant. SAILING. It’s one of those errors when speaking into ur phone, and if I edit to correct, I’ll lose the love emoji.
The Odyssey was what I learned about mythology
Its nice that someone finaly make video about differences between sirens and mermaids :)
I was thinking the same thing. We can't just call mermaids sirens just because we like the name better
What about sirens and harpies
@@cynthiafarris1051 in italian there isn't a word for mermeid. They are the same
No ma’am sirens have wing like fins but they are not birds they are fish and mermaids are to there are more hybrids within their species
So in the past Mermaids were actually considered vicious and predatory in their own right. In japan mermaids were hunted so that people of great influence could eat their flesh and gain immortality. In Hans Christian Andersen's original story of the little mermaid, the mermaid had green skin and fish eyes and could live for up to 300 years, she also sought the affections of Eric not because of love but because of a selfish desire to be able to walk on land and sea and the only way for her to do that would be to win his heart, then kill him so that she would be neither human nor mermaid full time. In some stories it was said that a Mermaid's song could call storms which considering that in Greek myth they are descended from Triton who was the son of Poseidon, doesn't surprise me.
The confusion that actually started the depiction of a Siren being half fish half woman actually came from the French who before being christianized were worshippers of many Gods and Goddesses one of which was a water Goddess named Melusine. She was depicted as a crowned woman with long flowing hair and legs that were actually two elongated fish tails (now currently shown on the Starbucks logo which people seem to ignore for some reason) and was known for her operatic vocals which further led to the now modern misconception of the depiction of a Siren.
damn!! I am enjoying my education today! thank you
Thank you for all this!
Bro Islam is a whole other thing 😂 here there's no mermaid but ghouls , like "jinns" who pretend to have a nice voice but they never show their appearance, sometimes if u unlucky u could see them floating on top of the water , they also could have an extremely terrifying voice , they're highly dangerous so you're absolutely not supposed to play on the beach at night cuz some of them doesn't have to be deep in the ocean , night is enough for them
In spanish the confusion is worse, because both words are translated to Sirena (singular) and Sirenas (plural) altough there is a spanish word for «mermaid/s» which is *Nereida/s" but no one uses it, because very few people know that the word exists.
gracias hermano por este aclaracion
Yes, the *Nereidas* are the nymphs of the water/sea/ocean, and apparently the word is the "correct" translation of Mermaid, because, to be fair, a proper translation would be *Mermedia,* but that word doesn't exists in spanish, so.
@@tropicobkun121 De nada.
Same in Polish just there's no other word for mermaid even if you want to use difrend word for this two
@Black-and-WhiteWorldview "Syrena" for both
The Book Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan from the Percy Jackson Series does a good job depicting the Sirens. And I actually like to go by that interpretation because I know the author did his research.
The Sirens are Bird Women in his book, but the way he depicts the Siren Song is the most unique and really brings together many different interpretations.
The Siren Song reveals to the listener their deepest desire, and that’s how it draws people to the Sirens. They swim toward the desire the song makes them see.
So, in essence, the victims that hear the Siren Song never see the Siren until it’s too late. Instead, they hallucinate their deepest desire and chase after it.
I always thought sirens were evil mermaids.
I think the problem also stems from lack of consistency with the Sirens. In most of the pictures the sirens have no wings and look like regular maiden's lost at sea from a shipwreck or just because they are Amazons who live on an island, etc. Because there's not a lot of consistency with the Sirens, it only makes sense that Sirens became more of an idea of a female temptress of "some" kind. Someone can easily make a joke and say well hey what about flying fish? LOL but yeah I think lack of consistency with how they look played a huge part in either the confusion or maybe just the new adaptation.
Also, some story/theory said that sirens have their appearance literally. But on the other hand, some story/theory also said that the sailor can look siren's appearance only as their illusion. But in "reality", they actually can only hear their voice calling from the sea.
Mermaid is a peaceful creature but siren brings violence and danger
Mermaids ain't peaceful, their oblivious to their lethalness
🤦♀️
Mermaids will flat out drown people......
They both are demons and are dangerous
@@davidaikswemin3027 tf…🤦♀️
I always like to think Sirens are like harpy mermaid hybrids.
Me too. In my head sirens are like the flying fish. They can swim in the water but also fly and catch their prey.
Have you seen sauce.90 videos? The government went on his boat doing something shady when he had videos of Sirens. I’ve been listening to people from Jamaica, Trinidad, Zimbabwe just to name a few on here telling stories about their local ones and what the past generations have told them. Some of the comments telling of other encounters with mermaids and sirens that sound amazing and horrifying at the same time.
Well yes, it seems crazy they are superstitious but certain parts of world has these beings and Bible can explain it all
I highly recommend Siren to everyone it's so great one of my favorite shows
What’s the difference between Sirens and Harpies? Both are bird-like but what are the major differences between the two creatures?
I guess harpies aren’t pretty and they screech and doesn’t have nice voice?
Harpies don't sing, they're horrible carrion bird-like beings who were the embodiment of storm winds, and they were part of the punishment of King Phineus of Thrace, who used his foresight to betray the gods. Zeus set him alone on an island with a table that would fill with delicious food, only for the harpies to snatch it up and devour it, or smash it about and dirty it until it was inedible. Sirens are beautiful, and sing alluring songs to force sailors to dash themselves upon their rocks, and get conflated with mermaids.
People wouldn't be thinking mermaids are kind and gentle if they seen the documentary mermaids the body found. Which was very entertaining even though its a hoax documentary. The mermaids on there was anything but sweet and gentle. I loved every second of it lol they need to make it into a full series.
Thankyouthankyouthankyou for posting this video explaining the differences between the two! I get so annoyed when people give mermaids siren qualities or say that sirens are half-fish people.
What's the difference between a Siren and a Harpy then?
Good question. :) But there are differences: Sirens have the upper body of a woman, and a lower body of a bird. Harpies are depicted as the whole body of a bird and just the woman head. And of course the other characteristics doesn't exist in harpies: like beautiful voices and seductive powers.
Harpys sound as awful as they look and steal shiny objects
@@MythosTheHistorian
From my looking. Harpy are head and torso of a woman with the rest, wings, legs and tails of birds, but we're ugly, hideous features.
Sirens were more like angels. They were half human half bird, but had 2 arms and bird wings on their backs or something, but still bird legs. No description on features.
May be wrong.
The differences is their looks. Sirens r beautiful while harpies r ugly.
Put into hilarious description: Female version of The Angry Bird.
This was a really nice video, thank you. Could you do something similar on the differences between fairies, faes, and nymphs? I feel like they get jumbled up a lot
Thank you! Noted! But I think In August or September, because until the the schedule is full with other videos :)
Both sirens and mermaids are demonize creatures
In Russia, they have the mythological "Sirin", which is very similar to the Greek Bird-Women Sirens.
Now we need Siren Vs Harpy comparisons video!!
Wow,so much differences between sirens n mermaid but really interesting n intimidating video😯😉😊What difference about harpy n siren n more creatures🤨🤔Great job making the video,editor💕👏😎
I can remember that I watched one of the cartoons of Axterix and Obelix where Cesar gives 12 tasks that could be only done by gods. One of them was the challenge of facing enchantresses who lived in a separate island and when they rowed their boats near they could hear them sing and got enchanted. At the end they manage to escape them.
Wow. I watched this video today and this morning I happened to watch this cartoon again on TV. 😅 What a beautiful coincidence
Also my teacher said that in ICE AGE there are demon fish who lure Diego, Manny and Sid in and they deceit them with images and voices of their loved ones or things but in reality they are evil fish.
My sir said that that's why mermaids are thought to be half human and half fish. But yes. There are male mermaids too. What you say make a lot sense. Aren't there any male sirens???? I hate when people say sirens (mermaids) got a half women body because they are beautiful, deceitful and lure men. No one talks of male sirens. Wonder if that is because these stories are more associated with sailors ofcourse men who sail the see which is rarely done by women. But don't they produce babies? 😅 I used to wonder as a kid 😂😂😂
czcams.com/video/vsotCuGVi6k/video.html
Check this out. From 21:51 onwards
Lol. Good questions. As I am aware of the husband of the mermaid is named Triton, like the lizard :)
Good video & hopefully now people will understand the difference between them that didn't know before 👍🏻
thank you mate!
@@MythosTheHistorian 👍🏻 have a good week
@@MythosTheHistorian there’s no original myth in Greek mythology please make that clear on future videos .there are many myths about sirens being fish like creatures.
THANK YOU FOR THIS!
Very good report❤❤❤❤
Interesting video 🤝
thank you for sharing. at 2:57 i feel that.
Mermaid vs vampires
Fairies vs pixies
I have come to develop an affection for mermaids recently. Thank you, Lexie.
I also wanted to mention there are mermaids in African folklore too not just Asian and European. There are also mermen too which need more love. They’re also really interesting. There may be more cultures as well but these are the only 3 I personally know. Good video though, it seems that somewhere down the line mermaids and sirens have become somewhat of a hybrid.
Yes they are. I spoke about them here: czcams.com/video/K3NTuh3ctgs/video.html
@@MythosTheHistorian Thank you, and thanks for replying as well.
Beautiful❤
Okay, when Sirens are more Bird/Women and not Fish/Women then we need the next video which tells the difference between Harpies and Sirens. Both would be a mixed between human and birds.
From the greek myth sirens is a bird with human head, if I remembered correctly they are a god and a goddess who got cursed, while harpies is a beast in a form resembling a women with bird features they have wings instead of hands and a claws instead of feet, they are a type of mythical beast, and yes siren have their males counterparts but harpies exclusively only female.
And fairies too
love it because it tells the difference between mermaids vs sirens
Half-bird is the pre-7th century depiction of sirens similar to harpies. Half- fish is the post-7th century depiction of sirens which is why the words siren and mermaid are interchangeable. When a mermaid sings she is using her siren call which is also know as her siren song.
I just depends on the culture.. both sirens and mermaids have been in multiple cultures all over the world and they just so happened to mix as cultures mixed. In some cultures Sirens really are aquatic and other times winged, while in some cultures sirens aren’t winged or aquatic
Loved it
I would love to add to this harpies
I wonder why in Spanish it’s the same name for both: Sirena
I read a sirens way of mating is by biting their mates neck being they are supposed to produce something that impregnates them , they aren’t intentionally killing sailors but falling in love with them and trying to bring them to mate forgetting they can’t live under water and dying and eating them in the process of trying to mate /smacking them with their tail and such idk just my take their purpose is to bring company to lonely sailors I don’t believe the one where they are half bird bc it wouldn’t make sense how they would go after sailors and not land people If they were half bird.
They failed to protect Persephone so she turned them into “monster” it’s kind of sad
I love this do more🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤!!!!!!!😘
Correct, Bigg Shepp. Sirens are identified in 1 Enoch (Book of Enoch). The Ethiopian Church still have 1 Enoch canonized in their Bible. 🇪🇹 Even The New Testament book of Jude chapter 1 verses 14-15 quotes directly from The Book of Enoch chapter 1 verse 9.
The rest of this Story Puzzle is out there now for all to read and discover!
I have never heard of sirens having wings. This is all new to me. Lol.
So a Siren is more of a Harpy than a Mermaid.
Very nice...bene factum
Now am curious what a harpy is
just wanna ask what is the difference of sirens and harpies?
how about you make a video about the white mermaid and brown mermaid? thanks for video now I understand
According to Disney:
Mermaids fear human
Sirens are feared by human
I guess we'll never know for sure!
I always love mermaid
2:56 - In the original story that image is depicting, Sirens primarily used their great knowledge, rather than their singing itself or their beauty. Especially not their beauty, since at the time we see through found pottery, that they were literally a completely anatomical bird, with just the head of a beautiful woman lol. Later on the stories changed a lot though, yea. I prefer the original concept. More interesting.
3:42 - Yea that's the stuff!
I’m curious how these two got combined
this scared me so hard it's midnight
What about sirens and harpies
I thought the half winged ones were called harpys
Harpies are different. Sirens in art often look like songbirds, and sometimes have arms so that they can play musical instruments, or are even just women with wings and bird's feet, but are usually beautiful to look at. Harpies are usually carrion-eating birds with human heads (and sometimes breasts), who were gaunt, filthy, and ugly. The siren is known for singing and luring sailors to their deaths, while harpies are best known as the punishment of King Phineus of Thrace, carrying away any meal set before him and either devouring it or just defiling it with their filth until it was inedible.
If it's true that siren is bird-like woman creature. Then, I'm confused between siren & harpy appearance. Harpy also is bird-like woman creature.
Considering that they are both mythology and stories often change and evolve I don't think it's wrong to say they are the same or different versions.
I have said say it was depicted as half bird, and half fish. So I believe that the two have a recent common ancestor.
I fucking hate it when people misunderstand sirens and mermaids.(specially the 2018 tv show " siren")
Thanks a lot Hollywood
Hey that show is awesome
@@lifeisberserk9566 ngl I like it also😏
Are Harpies and Sirens same thing?
Siren-BEYONCE
mermaid-HALLE
I believe both .. I believe some have truly fell in love with a sailor and they took advantage of her for money, sold her.. and then that was a rippling effect causing war between the woman of the sea and sailors
wow
nereid, slyph. I rather refer sirens as temptations and death
Ngl I am literally listening to siren music right now😅😅
So sirens is winged woman or angel or bird woman or kentaur? Cos they are all has different job.
Sirens are miss understood if you think about it
I've always ask myself the difference. Because in french Sirens and Mermaids were both label under the same names ! Sirens. It's only later reading old version of Greeks mythology that I've actually learn that the Greek sirens had actually wings in pottery painting. And was offen mistaken for Harpys. Maybe you should explain next time. The difference between Harpy and Sirens ? Just an idea.
So sirens are basically harpes?
I'll take my chances w/ Mermaids over Sirens anytime and anywhere 24/7
Sirens are harpies that you see in various videogames.
I knew the difference, but I read both were deadly. While sirens used voice and beauty to lure enthralled sailors to their deaths upon the rocks causing shipwrecks. Then killing any who survived drowning, on land.
Mermaids were said to deliberately drown sailors who were enchanted by their beauty and lured into their "loving" embraces (which were thought to be exceptionally strong).
Neither of those choices is ideal! Lol!😄😄😄
* Although I've always thought mermaids were the cuter of the two.😉
In French both are called Sirène and Sirène ailée (winged Siren).
You cant blame Siren for wanted to defend there home
I hate water so much. I would never be enticed by a mermaid, because I wouldn't be near the shore to begin with.
However, as an avian enthusiast, I would definitely try and catch a siren. For educational purposes, of course ;)
I don't know about sirens and I never seen a marmaids but if I'll have to choose between the two i prefer marmaids
Now I know😊
So sirens are harpie ladies. Interesting
In Portuguese, both types of creatures are called “sereias” .
I really thought that sirens and mermaids are the same,, both sea creatures..
Interesting. The french word for mermaid is Sirene. Maybe the french have them mixed up?
Lmap back in the day, we use to think they were the same thing 😂😂
Sirens and Kinnaras (Hindu and Buddhist Myth) are similar.
Well there’s good and bad in everything. Balance in all.
I feel so weird to say this but when I was young I once encounter a bird who had human face Idk as a child if I was exaggerating things 😅 well I tried to search everywhere does a bird like this exits but found no result ...
In italian we don't have a word for mermaid. We have just Sirena
In some story in Greek myth state they are singing of vast knowledges and experiences and this is what tempts men. In this sense they are not evil men are just nosey. lol The sirens sing almost all the time so they aren't purposely luring anyone, the men are just unlucky and cannot resist them. In Greek myth their body is mostly bird their looks are not always appealing as it is argued just how much of their body is woman. In some myth they have the head of a woman and body of a bird and others torso of a woman and lower half and wings of a bird (similar to harpies) but more often than not they were not very large or strong like a harpy would be (another thing sirens get confused with are harpies). So if someone crashes their ship in the rocky edges of the island they live on they could not really help them. Harpies are the ones who actually purposely terrorized people by their own will or the command of the gods. In one myth Sirens were given wings to help find Persephone by Demeter her mother and their song was them calling out to Persephone. Other myth it was actually a curse given by Demeter as the Sirens use to be Persephone's handmaidens and as punishment for allowing Persephone to be abducted and not finding her. Demeter turned the handmaiden into winged creatures. Demeter is notorious for not being very nice so this is also somewhat believable. So as you can see they are not as evil as people make them out to be.
Weird linguistic of my country. "Sirena" a Filipino term for mermaids.
not weird cuz it's derived from espanol
0:10 Would be more acurate to say they "were" not.
Enchantress is a negative name?
It's funny how ancient greek mythology don't have mermaids but have mermans XD
4:18 Though mermaids have a better reputation, they can very well be deadly, both represents the dangers of the sea. And i think that calling sirens evil for killing peoples is a bit exagerrated.
اممممممم....
*زهرة اللوتس عند قدماء المصريين...جعلوها احدى رموزهم...فهل كانت ترمز الى جنّ البحار...
like a harpy
So - _Daisy Duck_ & _Magica De Spell_ are basically Sirens *...* .
*( ´¯¸¯` )j*
In spanish we only have one word: sirenas. Sounds like Sirens but it is for mermaids... so i though they were the same
This is wrong though. Sirens were part bird until they lost a singing contest to the Muses. The Muses plucked their feathers to make themselves crowns and that’s how they fell into the ocean. Hera organized the contest. Read Pausanias. Homer isn’t the alpha and omega of Greek Mythology
So mermaids are the OG but sirens copy them to lure them?
i read a book where sirens are the good guys and mermaids are the bad ones
Greek Sirens= similar to Harpies
Rest of the world sirens = Mermaid
Gotcha! 🤣
similar but not quite :)
I'm siren mermaid
Anything can tempt men😂😂
Mermaids save men's lives and sirens lure men to their death