In the beginning, there was an idea.

I've loved myths and folktales as long as I can remember. They were among the first material I read as a young child, and knowing them has enriched my sense of spirituality and made me feel like a part of something greater. Being a writer, I tell stories as well, but no matter what I write about, I always feel as though these stories, these ancient tales that were passed down from generation to generation, are more perfect than anything that has come from the mind of a writer in this day and age. So, recently, I began to toy with the idea of sharing these myths with readers all over the world. Only a few days before this blog was created, my mother and I were talking and she suggested I make a blog and gather together information that would otherwise remain scattered over literature and the Internet. Why not myths? Why not make a blog that tells, picks apart, and analyzes popular (and even not-so-popular) myths, stories and folktales from around the world?

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Siren Songs

My least favorite holiday is on Tuesday, and I had a couple of ideas pertaining to how I would acknowledge it. One was a Greek myth, Eros and Psyche, which I will be posting in a couple of days. The other has become the topic of tonight's post: Sirens.



The creatures known as sirens are human-avian hybrids found in Greek mythology, most notably Homer's The Odyssey. They are described as having the bodies of birds and the heads of women. They sit on rocky shores and sing, drawing sailors to their untimely deaths. In his quest to return home from Troy, the hero Odysseus was forced to sail past their island, and had his crew plug their ears with wax so that they could not hear the sirens' song. Odysseus himself, however, wished to hear what they sang, so he ordered that he be tied to the mast.

Alkonost
Russian artist Ivan Bilibin's depiction of an Alkonost


A very similar creature in Russian mythology is the Alkonost. It, too, is a bird with the head and the upper torso of a beautiful woman. Their voice is supposed to make those who hear it forget about the world around them and its troubles.

Huldra
In Scandinavian folklore, a Huldra was a beautiful woman with the tail of an animal, most often a cow or a fox. In some legends, she would seduce men, rewarding those who could satisfy her and killing those who failed.

Lorelei
Die Lorelei; photo taken in June, 2008, by my aunt


A personal favorite of mine, Lorelei or Loreley is the name of a rock on the eastern bank of the Rhein. Die Lorelei is also a water spirit who sits upon said rock, combing her golden hair and singing to sailors, drawing them to dash themselves upon the rocks with her song. Back in '08, I had the opportunity to see the rock, upon which sits a statue of the maiden.

Read Heinrich Heine's poem here:
http://ingeb.org/Lieder/ichweiss.html

Undine
A figure in the folklore of Western Europe, notably Germany, the Undine is a water spirit who, born lacking a soul, can gain one by marrying a mortal man and bearing his child. In a German legend, Ondine (or Undine) was one particular nymph who did just that, forfeiting her immortality in the process. Shortly after the birth of their child, however, Ondine discovered that her husband had been unfaithful to her, and so she cursed him, saying that should he ever fall asleep again, his breath would cease, and he would die.

"Undine's Curse" is the historical name for an actual congenital ailment. Read about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undine%27s_curse

Rusalka
The Rusalki were Slavic demons, resembling mermaids, who would lure men to the river bottom to their deaths. Many legends state that the Rusalka are the spirits of women and children who suffered violent or untimely deaths, often water-related, whose souls are not at rest.


Sources:
"Alkonost - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkonost>.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siren#See_also
"Huldra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huldra>.
"Lorelei - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorelei>.
"Undine (alchemy) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ondine_(mytholo
"Rusalka - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rusalka>.
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