Triton and Siren, Legendary Creatures


Triton and Siren in tendrils engraved by Lucas van Leyden, 1510. Triton is a mythological Greek god, the messenger of the sea. He is the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, god and goddess of the sea respectively, and is herald for his father. He is usually represented as a merman, having the upper body of a human and the tail of a fish. In Greek mythology the Sirens were dangerous and beautiful creatures, portrayed as femme fatales who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. The Sirens were later encountered by the Argonauts who passed by unharmed with the help of Orpheus, the poet drowning out their music with his song. Odysseus also sailed by, bound tightly to the mast, his men blocking their ears with wax. The Sirens were so distressed to see a man hear their song and yet escape, that they threw themselves into the sea and drowned.


Size: 4830px × 2379px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -, 1510, 16th, animal, art, artwork, bird, bw, century, creature, creatures, dagon, drawing, dwelling, engraving, fabled, famous, fantasy, fatales, female, femme, fictional, fish-, folk, folklore, folkloric, folktale, god, greco-roman, greek, historic, historical, history, hybrid, illustration, imaginary, important, legend, legendary, leyden, lore, lucas, male, man, marine, men, mer-man, mer-men, mermaid, merman, mermen, messenger, monster, myth, mythic, mythical, mythological, mythology, notable, nymph, ocean, ocean-dwelling, part, religion, roman, sea, sea-dwelling, seirenes, siren, tale, tendrils, triton, van, woman