History of Mermaids and Their Origins in Ancient Greek Sirens

History of Mermaids and Their Origins in Ancient Greek Sirens

Odysseus and the Sirens, eponymous vase of the Siren Painter, c. 480–470 BC (British Museum). Credit: Jastrow / Public Domain Mermaids, folkloric creatures with the head and upper body of a woman and lower body of a fish, appear in many cultures across the world. Many have traced the contemporary conception of a mermaid to the ancient Greek figure of the Siren, even though similar creatures can be found across the world. Sirens were dangerous cr…