Ecology of the siren

In Greek mythology the sirens were three nymphs granted the power of flight by Demeter to find her daughter Persephone after Hades “abducted” her. They had beautiful voices that lured sailors to their deaths. Odysseus was the only man to survive hearing their song, which provoked them into committing suicide.

In fantasy gaming they’re fuckable. Despite being human-headed birds. I find it all a bit silly, but what are you gonna do?

Harpies versus sirens versus mermaids

Originally the harpies, sirens and mermaids were all clearly distinct. Sirens and mermaids were conflated in medieval bestiaries and fiction, with sirens acquiring fishy features and mermaids acquiring enchanting songs. Harpies and sirens remain distinct in popular culture, except in Dungeons & Dragons where harpies have gained the enchanting voices of sirens for no apparent reason.