Fionnula Coralbroom is at it again! This sinister sea-witch/kraken/enchantress (because why be just one thing when you can be all three? 🧜♀️🐙💫) makes appearances all throughout The Gryphon Chronicles. For those of you who have read the complete series... You are well aware of her chilling habit of casting spells through song?
🎼✨ A+ if you guessed the inspiration behind her eerie vocal magic comes straight from the ancient legends of the Sirens! 🎯📚
In Greek mythology, the Sirens were notorious for their hauntingly beautiful voices, which they used to lure unsuspecting sailors to their doom. 🚢💀 Their hypnotic songs would draw ships straight into the rocks, smashing them to pieces. And if any sailors somehow survived the wreck? Well… legend says they were either cannibalized or left to waste away in despair. 😱😵💫 Bon appétit, I guess?
🎭 The exact location of the Sirens’ island is still debated, but most agree it lies somewhere among the Greek or Italian isles (Mediterranean cruise, anyone? 🏖️💀). Interestingly, the original Sirens weren’t fish-tailed like modern mermaids—they were actually half-woman, half-bird! 🦅👩🦰
📜 One of the most famous tales featuring the Sirens appears in Homer’s Odyssey. The hero, Odysseus, knows he’s sailing near their treacherous shores. He wisely commands his crew to plug their ears with beeswax so they won’t be tempted… but he wants to hear the song. 🙉🎶 So what does he do? He has himself tied to the mast of his ship, ears unplugged, and begs his crew not to untie him no matter what. 😵💫
Sure enough, the moment they pass the Sirens’ isle, Odysseus goes mad with longing, demanding to be released and steered toward them. But his crew holds firm, ignoring his pleas and rowing until they’re finally out of earshot. (Now that’s teamwork! 💪⛵️)
👁️🗨️ The image of Fionnula singing, magic swirling, may just send a shiver down your spine… and that’s exactly how she likes it. 😈💫
🧭🌍 What’s your favorite mythological tradition?
Do you gravitate toward the wild wonders of Celtic lore?
The mysterious magic of Egypt?
The epic heroics of Norse sagas?
Or the drama and danger of Greek mythology?
Tell us in the comments! We’d love to hear which ancient legends make your heart race (or your hair stand on end 👻).
Comments
I loved and hated Fionnula through the whole series. I was a huge fan of Greek and Roman mythology in my growing up years. I always imagined the sirens as mermaids and kept picturing them as such even after I learned they were bird women. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought they could be a sea witch/kraken, but you made me believe it was possible and created a character so real, I’ll never get her picture out of my mind.
