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Loreley, a water fairy, rides her chariot drawn by two goldfish. She was a siren, singing and distracting fishermen, until she fell in love with one of them.

Loreley in her Chariot

Loreley, a water fairy, rides her chariot drawn by two goldfish. She was a siren, singing and distracting…

"The Sirens were sea nymphs who had the power of charming by their song all who heard them, so that the unhappy mariners were irresistibly impelled to cast themselves into the sea to their distruction." —Bulfinch, 1897

Siren

"The Sirens were sea nymphs who had the power of charming by their song all who heard them, so that…

In Greek legends, the sea nymphs that were seated on the island of the Sirens, off the southwest coast of Italy.

Siren

In Greek legends, the sea nymphs that were seated on the island of the Sirens, off the southwest coast…

"Rotate the disk slowly, blowing meanwhile through a tube of about 3/16 inch bore, the nozzle of the tube being held opposite the interior ring of holes. As each successive hold comes before the end of the tube, a puff of air goes through the disk. As the speed of the disk increases, the puffs become more frequent, and finally blend into a whizzing sound in which the ear can detect a smooth tone. As the disk is given an increasing velocity, this tone rises in pitch." -Avery 1895

Siren

"Rotate the disk slowly, blowing meanwhile through a tube of about 3/16 inch bore, the nozzle of the…

"Sound siren used to reproduce the sound generated by the tuning fork." -Avery 1895

Siren

"Sound siren used to reproduce the sound generated by the tuning fork." -Avery 1895

A siren is a loud noise maker. The original version would yield sounds under water, suggesting a link with the sirens of Greek mythology. Most modern ones are civil defense or "air raid" sirens, tornado sirens, or the sirens on emergency service vehicles such as ambulances, police cars and fire trucks. There are two general types, pneumatic and electronic.

Noise Making Siren

A siren is a loud noise maker. The original version would yield sounds under water, suggesting a link…

"In Greek mythology, one of two, or three, or an indeterminate number of sea-nymphs who by their singing fascinated those who sailed by their island, and destroyed them. In works of art they are represented as having the head, arms, and generally the bust of a young woman, the wings and lower part of the body, or sometimes only the feet, of a bird." &mdash;Whitney, 1889. <p>This illustration is of two of the sirens depicted on a funeral marble in Chios. The top siren appears to be dancing. The one on the bottom is playing an instrument.

Sirens on a Greek Funeral Marble

"In Greek mythology, one of two, or three, or an indeterminate number of sea-nymphs who by their singing…