History Main / EnthrallingSiren

Sirens are enthralling creatures who lure victims to them through supernatural means. They lure these people to their doom, though not ''necessarily'' immediate death. In some versions, their powers only work on men. This detail is entirely NewerThanTheyThink (for example, Princess Ariadne is killed by sirens in some versions of the myth) and has no basis in the original myths. In fact, the idea of sirens being an AlwaysFemale race is itself likely NewerThanTheyThink; while rare, male sirens did show up in Ancient artwork.

[[folder: RealLife]]

* ''WesternAnimation/LloydInSpace'': One episode has an exchange student from the centre of the universe named Sirenia who is able to hypnotize the boys, albeit with her [[HypnoticEyes eyes]] instead of her voice. The only way to break the spell was to [[spoiler: get a boy from the same place to hypnotise her]].
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' includes Sirens in DW's retelling of ''The Odyssey''. Unlike in the original story, they look like beautiful women who lack the attributes of birds, and they try to lure the sailors by playing DW's favorite song, "Crazy Bus."

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Disenchantment}}'': You should plug your ears or tie yourself securely to the mast when sailing near Mermaid Island and Walrus Island. For one island is populated by monsters whose voices enthrall all who hear them and lure them to their doom, [[BaitAndSwitch the other island has mermaids]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries,'' Angel (Experiment 624) seems to have been inspired by this trope. Her song has the power to [[MirrorMoralityMachine turn people evil]], though playing it backwards reverses the effect. Stitch and 625 are [[ImmuneToMindControl immune]], having been created after her, but both wind up falling in love with her.

* A number of insect-predators make use of Enthralling Siren tactics (Batesian-Wallacian mimicry) to lure prey. Examples include female ''Photuris'' fireflies imitating the light-flash patterns of other firefly species' mating displays, and ''Mastophora'' spiders' release of pheromones that mimic the sexual attractants of moths. The katydid ''Chlorobalius leucoviridis'' even uses a CompellingVoice for this purpose, by generating the clicking sounds of courting cicadas in order to attract its lunch.

* ''Webcomic/WildeLife'' has an unusual and sympathetic version: Lorelai seems to be a normal human woman, but certain men who hear her singing will find themselves becoming more and more drawn to her, while also experiencing bouts of delirium, nightmares and personalized TimeDilation. [[PowerIncontinence She does not have control over this]] and winds up accidentally using it on Oscar, though she only realizes it after they've started a relationship. The only way for the spell to wear off is if he stays away from her, so she opts to leave town without telling her where she's going.

* ''WesternAnimation/IceAge4ContinentalDrift'': Sirens appear as giant prehistoric lungfish with MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily. They're also [[MasterOfIllusion Masters of Illusion]], appearing as the object of the beholder's desire... which causes the funniest moment in the film when Scrat goes up to one of them and promptly starts stomping its head into the ground, because he sees it as his acorn. [[spoiler:They do manage to take out the film’s villain, Gutt, when he comes across them after his defeat in the final battle.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks'': The villains, the Dazzlings, were originally [[SirensAreMermaids merhorse]] (hippocampi) versions of sirens in Equestria before being banished to the human world by Star Swirl the Bearded. They managed to retain some of their magic in the human world, though, final battle aside, they are more-or-less human most of the time. [[HumanoidAbomination More or less]]. Funnily enough, the sirens' one weakness in the film, a battle of the bands, actually does have basis in the original Greek myths; Orpheus managed to save Jason's crew by playing music better than theirs...

* In ''Film/TheThiefOfBagdad1924'', the hero comes across a few of these in one of the trials he has to face. He's tempted... but then he looks at his beloved's ring, and snaps out of it.

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' had a gorgeous female siren who worked as a stripper and convinced her clients to kill the woman closest to them, usually their wife or elderly, sick mother. She was revealed to be a hideous, melting fish thing whenever seen in a [[GlamourFailure mirror]]. Sam starts getting involved with a HospitalHottie who appears to be the siren, but she's actually a RedHerring; the siren morphed into an attractive male FBI agent who has befriended Dean, in order to get him to kill the most important man in his life (his brother, Sam).

** In general (Greek): They were bird-women, they lured people to their deaths via song that took them into rocky cliffs, there were between two and five, though [[RuleOfThree three was common]]. Their names were a little... [[TransliterationTrouble fluid]].
** In ''The Argonautica'', the Argonauts also run into the Sirens. They survive thanks to [[TheBard Orpheus]] who sang an even more beautiful song that drowned out their call. Some versions of this one say that the Sirens were so heartbroken at being defeated that they cried out in anguish and [[DrivenToSuicide threw themselves off of their island]].

* Merrow in Myth/IrishMythology were similar; they were beautiful sea [[SirensAreMermaids mermaids]] who enchanted men into following them under the sea... where they would use their magic keep them alive and live HappilyEverAfter with them. Apparently, male humans were more attractive than male merrow.

* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'': Three sirens pop up in "The Scotsman Saves Jack". The Scotsman doesn't demonstrate any particular willpower, he just doesn't like the music, and he drowns their singing out with [[EverythingsLouderWithBagpipes his preferred tunes]]. They aren't bird-women or fish-people, they're fully human-looking... [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toAWvBd7FXY except for]] [[PowerGlows the glow]]. And then we find out that they're a ScaledUp three-headed... [[SequentialBoss thing]]. Still called sirens, though. [[spoiler:Apparently hydras and sirens decided to mingle over the years...]]

* ''FanFic/WaterAreobicsForTheAquaphobic'': During a poorly-planned Hogwarts field trip to [[Manga/RanmaOneHalf Jusenkyo]] that resulted in most of the students being cursed into various forms after falling in the enchanted springs, Theodore Nott ended up transformed into a Siren, portrayed as a magical creature resembling a beautiful, very naked woman with sharp teeth and fingernails and a taste for human flesh. When in Siren form, Theodore is less a seductress and more a vicious predator who tries to eat other students, with the seductive appearance being a way to lure humans close enough to strike.

* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'', did a spoof of The Odyssey where Odysseus(Jason Sudekis) has his men put beeswax in their ears and tie him to the mast to resist the Sirens(Christina Applegate, Kate [=McKinnon=] and Cecily Strong) whose singing enchants sailors to crash against the rocks of their island. However they sing songs by female artists from TheNineties like Lisa Loeb, Paula Cole, Music/ShaniaTwain, Sheryl Crowe and TLC which Odysseus can't help but love and sing along to:

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Played with in "Wild At Heart". Nightclub singer Veruca appears to have this affect on the male Scoobies, particularly Willow's boyfriend Oz. However it turns out that Veruca is a werewolf like Oz, and that's what is drawing them together.

* ''Literature/TheFrostGiantsDaughter''. As the SoleSurvivor on a battlefield, Conan is lured away by Atali, a beguiling woman [[ExposedToTheElements virtually naked despite the freezing temperature]] who taunts Conan to a lustful frenzy and lures him away to his doom. Or at least that's the plan...Conan proves difficult to kill.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''Webcomic/StoneToss'' portrays [[UsefulNotes/AndrewYang Andrew Yang]] and his famous UBI policy as this. The pilot who sees him promptly manages to wreck the ship.

[[folder:Fan Works]]

Sirens are enthralling creatures who lure victims to them through supernatural means. They lure these people to their doom, though not ''necessarily'' immediate death. In some versions, their powers only work on men. This detail is entirely NewerThanTheyThink (for example, Princess Ariadne is killed by sirens in some versions of the myth) and has no basis in the original myths.

* ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'': In the stage version, Eric's shipmates warn him at the end of the song "Fathoms Below" that the song of the [[SirensAreMermaids mermaid]] he is pursuing will lead them to ruin.

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'': Wonder Woman has faced off against sirens and those acting under their sway on multiple occasions. Probably the first time was with Mona Menise, who was trouble on her own before she picked up a wooden bangle containing a vengeful siren [[{{Transflormation}} that had been turned into a tree]] by Aphrodite in antiquity.

* ''WesternAnimation/IceAge4ContinentalDrift'': Sirens appear as giant prehistoric lungfish with MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily. They're also [[MasterOfIllusion Masters of Illusion]], appearing as the object of the beholder's desire... which causes the funniest moment in the film when Scrat goes up to one of them and promptly starts stomping its head into the ground, because he sees it as his acorn.

* ''LightNovel/IsekaiShokudou'': The friendly fish lovers Arius and Iris. Hilariously, the anime portrays their enthusiastic singing as quite poor but still enthralling.

* ''ComicBook/AgentsOfAtlas'': [[TheChick Venus]] is a rare heroic example of this trope, being retconned into being a siren instead of the actual Goddess of Love as initially believed, and using her CharmPerson powers for good. Even then, it's revealed that she used to be very ''nasty'' as a soulless monster that lured sailors from their ships to devour them and racked up an large bodycount before being given a soul by a mystic and becoming the AllLovingHeroine she is today.

* ''Webcomic/WildeLife'' has an unusual and sympathetic version: Lorelai seems to be a normal human woman, but certain men who hear her singing will find themselves becoming more and more drawn to her, while also experiencing bouts of delirium, nightmares and personalized TimeDilation. [[PowerIncontinence She does not have control over this]] and winds up accidentally using it on [[TheProtagonist Oscar]], though she only realizes it after they've started a relationship. The only way for the spell to wear off is if he stays away from her, so she opts to leave town without telling her where she's going.