Chrysti the Wordsmith > Radio Scripts

The sirens of Greek mythology were a trio half-bird and half-woman creatures who lived on the island of Cyrene in the Mediterranean Sea.

Whenever sailing ships passed nearby, the sweet and beguiling voices of the sirens lured passing mariners to their island's rocky shores, where the waves dashed the ships to bits. The seductive bird-women then rushed in to devour the hapless sailors.

It wasn't until 1590, in a play by Shakespeare, that the word siren was used figuratively to refer to an enticing woman, in allusion to the beguiling singers of the Mediterranean. In the 20th century, the word was given a far less romantic connotation when it was applied to the warning devices on police cars, ambulances and fire engines. The link between sirens and danger is most vividly illustrated by the wailing distress signal used in the UK during WWII, warning citizens of impending air raids.

Dugongs and manatees, sunning themselves on the shore, are said to resemble human females. Because of this, and their association with islands, these creatures have been given the order name Sirenia after the ancient Sirens of the Mediterranean sea.

Radio Script > Siren