Sirens
| |
| Siren | |
|---|---|
| Powers and Abilities | Reads minds and causes humans to fall under its spell by infecting them with its saliva. |
| Vulnerabilities | A bronze dagger dipped in the blood of someone under its spell. |
| Appearance | Humanoid with pale skin, hollow eyes, and a large mouth. Can appear human. |
| Episode(s) | 4.14 Sex and Violence |
Contents
Sirens in Supernatural
In Supernatural, a siren can change its shape to appear human. It may seem to be either male or female, depending on how it chooses to approach a victim. It can manipulate feelings of love, whether sexual or platonic, and causes its victims to kill someone they love.
The siren's call in Supernatural is transmitted through saliva. It first charms its way through the victim's defenses by reading their mind and pretending to be the "perfect person" for the victim. It then infects them by fluid transfer. The infection leaves traces of oxytocin in the victim's blood - this is a love hormone that provokes feelings of euphoria.
A siren's true face can be seen in a mirror. The only way to kill a siren is to stab it with a bronze dagger dipped into the blood of someone it has infected. The death of a siren releases its victims from its spell.
Characteristics
Powers and Abilities
- Can take on human form.
- Can read minds.
- Can make humans fall under their spell by infecting them with its saliva.
Weaknesses
- It's true face can be seen in a mirror.
- A bronze dagger dipped in the blood of someone under its spell.
Appearances
4.14 Sex and Violence
Sam and Dean travel to Bedford, Iowa where the siren has been using a strip club to find victims. It has disguised itself as various strippers to match the ideal imagined by various men, has seduced them, and has caused them to murder women close to them.
Once the siren realizes that it is being hunted, it disguises itself as an FBI agent named Nick Munroe and makes friends with Dean. Eventually the Siren infects Dean by sharing a flask. It then convinces him that it should be Dean's brother, rather than Sam. By the time Sam returns to the hotel room, Dean is fully under the Siren's power and is prepared to kill Sam for the Siren. The Siren then infects Sam by spitting at him and pits the brothers against each other.
Bobby arrives just in time to stop the boys from killing each other. Bobby stabs an infected Dean with a bronze knife to get siren-envenomed blood onto the blade. Bobby then stabs the siren with the blade, killing it and releasing Sam and Dean from the siren's spell.
Sirens in Lore
In Greek mythology, different sources speak of two, three or five nymphs with varying names, including Leucosia, Ligeia, and Parthenope. They were originally portrayed as hideous, bird-like women, but later, because they were often associated with the sea, they were sometimes imagined as mermaids. They sang an irresistible song that compelled sailors to come to them, wrecking their ships and killing themselves in the process.
Homer tells of how Odysseus was curious to hear the sirens sing. He ordered his companions to stuff their ears with beeswax and to tie him to a mast so that he would not be able to follow the siren song. When the sirens failed to lure Odysseus, they flung themselves into the waves and perished.
