tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458380.post3849030362892260178..comments2024-02-14T13:04:30.499-05:00Comments on Good To Begin Well, Better To End Well: Sirens vs MermaidsAmalia Dillinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005039978668326144noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458380.post-26460972486392674432013-03-27T19:38:18.599-04:002013-03-27T19:38:18.599-04:00Totally!! I hadn't thought of it that way, hon...Totally!! I hadn't thought of it that way, honestly, but so true!Amalia Dillinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13005039978668326144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458380.post-42886602794149812832013-03-27T18:19:00.396-04:002013-03-27T18:19:00.396-04:00They've always been birds to me. Birds sing. F...They've always been birds to me. Birds sing. Fish don't sing. :pjouskaaftermeantimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17906742982757094459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458380.post-46063708792109473052013-03-26T21:10:37.528-04:002013-03-26T21:10:37.528-04:00So strange that even the modern Greek sense of the...So strange that even the modern Greek sense of them has shifted toward the fish-women when classical mythology paints them with wings! Amalia Dillinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13005039978668326144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458380.post-89142216160276369182013-03-26T21:04:06.386-04:002013-03-26T21:04:06.386-04:00My WIP novel, tentatively titled Sirens in Santori...My WIP novel, tentatively titled Sirens in Santorini is about Sirens in the Greek sense-Mermaids, water nymph s, although I did start off writing about Selkies. It's paranormal fantasy and I may take liberties with myths and mash up but they definitely have fins! I'm curious about the Amanda Hocking series too.Melpomene Selemidishttp://www.melanie.selemidis.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458380.post-15905436159236258912013-03-26T15:43:36.012-04:002013-03-26T15:43:36.012-04:00no idea! but I could see it being adopted in later...no idea! but I could see it being adopted in later from the later Latin in the romance languages. I'm pretty sure Italian broke off well before the middle ages, but really, I am no linguist at all, so don't trust me!Amalia Dillinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13005039978668326144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458380.post-7884506099284111882013-03-26T15:36:09.432-04:002013-03-26T15:36:09.432-04:00That would also make a lot of sense. (When did Ita...That would also make a lot of sense. (When did Italian become a separate language?)<br />faithlessonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07125027436810125034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458380.post-21054269707951742082013-03-26T15:26:29.988-04:002013-03-26T15:26:29.988-04:00or Medieval Latin, which is when we start getting ...or Medieval Latin, which is when we start getting that conflation happening in art!<br /><br />Nympha for mermaid makes sense, especially if mermaids were associated more with naiads for a while, which is where I would have put them, category-wise, in my head. It makes a lot more sense than bunching them with sirens! Amalia Dillinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13005039978668326144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458380.post-57598932954068583232013-03-26T15:20:51.202-04:002013-03-26T15:20:51.202-04:00I only found out last week, actually!! (Helping my...I only found out last week, actually!! (Helping my cousin with her Spanish homework - she had to write a short story, and she's obsessed with mermaids.) When I saw the translation, I wanted to find out how many other languages had similar words.<br /><br />I'm guessing it was something around the Romans. Interestingly though, my Classical Latin dictionary lists "Nympha" for 'faithlessonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07125027436810125034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458380.post-25737078856527537652013-03-26T13:56:49.675-04:002013-03-26T13:56:49.675-04:00Interesting!! What's the title?Interesting!! What's the title?Amalia Dillinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13005039978668326144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458380.post-40111060975756439542013-03-26T13:35:46.042-04:002013-03-26T13:35:46.042-04:00There's a newish series by Amanda Hocking that...There's a newish series by Amanda Hocking that features sirens as the paranormal creature. I like her take on them, because it blends the Greek mythology with the contemporary understanding—sometimes they have fish tails, sometimes they're giant birds, and they're always luring men to their doom with their voices. :) The origins are firmly placed in Ancient Greece, too.Anassahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11554524219883438465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458380.post-7584577296834649682013-03-26T11:38:14.125-04:002013-03-26T11:38:14.125-04:00Right?! it is totally my pet peeve in life. Becaus...Right?! it is totally my pet peeve in life. Because when I see Siren, I think BIRD-LADY-MONSTER! <br /><br />I guess my head is just stuck too far in the past!Amalia Dillinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13005039978668326144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458380.post-9887316552391606152013-03-26T11:25:00.209-04:002013-03-26T11:25:00.209-04:00THANK YOU! It always bothers me when people automa...THANK YOU! It always bothers me when people automatically equate the two together.<br /><br />I also didn't know that about the various languages. So interesting!Natalie Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01116611923169722657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458380.post-20056158204708350652013-03-26T10:51:50.618-04:002013-03-26T10:51:50.618-04:00THAT I did not know.
But CLEARLY they cannot be t...THAT I did not know.<br /><br />But CLEARLY they cannot be the same thing, because they are totally different lady-monsters! I'm thinking this means we have to blame the Romans, because for Siren to become the word for mermaid in that many languages, the conflation must have begun a loonnng time back.Amalia Dillinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13005039978668326144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458380.post-66776642799749656452013-03-26T04:00:52.775-04:002013-03-26T04:00:52.775-04:00I think the modern problem is mainly down to the w...I think the modern problem is mainly down to the words.<br /><br />Do you know what the Spanish word for "mermaid" is? Sirena.<br />French? Sirène.<br />Italian? Sirena.<br />Polish? Syrena.<br />Croatian? Sirena.<br />Albanian? Sirenë.<br />Esperanto? Sireno.<br /><br />Obviously this doesn't work with all languages, but it's probably part of the issue. :Dfaithlessonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07125027436810125034noreply@blogger.com