The Difference Between Mermaids and Sirens

Often confused the one for the other, sirens and mermaids are not the same creature. It’s true that both mythological beings are supposed to be beautiful women with magical abilities, they can both be either helpful and loving to humans, or deadly. So, what exactly are the main differences then?

• Origins: mermaids are creatures that you can find in almost any folklore around the world. Many civilizations were built near water and used mermaid as a way to explain the dangers you can find in the ocean. Sirens, on the other hand, have only ever been mentioned in Greek mythology.
• Appearances: both creatures are described as being part beautiful woman. Mermaids are half woman and half fish, whilst siren, on the other hand, are represented as half birds. Depending on what myth you read they are described differently, mostly they are portrayed as having a bird body and a woman's head, but others say they were women with bird-like wings.
• Beautiful voices: although modern folklore depicts mermaids as beautiful singers, that is only a recent feature for them. Sirens were always the singers and creatures with beautiful voices, who would use it as a weapon to lure and kill men.
• Evil nature: depending on what myth you read about mermaids, they weren’t always evil. Sometimes they are described as shy creatures that help sailors get back home. Sirens, however, have always been presented as forces of evil/

Hopefully, you can now understand the difference between these two creatures. If you wish to read about fantasy stories with mermaids or any other magical creatures, check out our online library www.hublmedia.com.