Sirens (Greek mythology)
The Sirens are dangerous singers encountered by sailors in Greek mythology. In Odyssey Book 12, OdysseusOdysseusOdysseus is the legendary hero of Ithaca, protagonist of The Odyssey and a Greek leader in The Iliad. His long return from the Trojan War to Penelope (Greek mythology) and Telemachus centers on cunning, disguise, endurance and recognition.Open the full entry follows CirceCirceCirce is a goddess associated with drugs and transformation in Greek mythology. In The Odyssey she turns members of Odysseus’s crew into pigs, later restores them and gives essential guidance for their onward journey.Open the full entry’s advice: his crew block their ears with wax and bind him to the mast, allowing him to hear without stopping the ship.
Contents5 sections
Key facts
Song Along the Voyage
Before departure, Circe warns that those who approach the Sirens’ song do not safely return to their families. The threat works through a listener’s decision to interrupt the journey rather than an armed attack. The encounter precedes the passage involving Scylla and Charybdis.[1]
The Promise of Knowledge
The Sirens address Odysseus by name and claim knowledge of the suffering at Troy and events throughout the world. Their attraction includes recognition of the listener and a promise of knowledge, not simply a pleasing sound. This passage does not name them individually.[1]
Wax and the Mast
Odysseus softens wax and blocks the crew’s ears, while they bind him to the mast. When the song makes him signal for release, Eurylochus and Perimedes tighten the bonds instead. He is freed only after the ship has passed beyond hearing.[1]
Hearing Without Abandoning the Voyage
The episode separates Odysseus’s wish to listen from the crew’s duty to keep rowing. An advance arrangement remains effective even when he wants it reversed. Escape consists in passing the danger without stopping, rather than defeating an opponent.[1]