#modharmonia

The main difference between sirens and mermaids is their appearance.

The image below is what a siren is:

Sirens are half-bird, half-human.

Sirens have wings, and most texts describe them as having the body of a bird, usually a vulture. Their head, in some cases, turns into the person the victim loves most. Others say they lure victims with singing and music.

A siren’s goal is to lure victims, like sailors or pirates, towards them. Sirens will live on cliffsides facing the ocean so when their victim jumps overboard to follow their lure, they drown in the dangerous waters.

The image below is what a mermaid is:

Mermaids are half-sea creature, half-human.

Though mermaids are usually drawn with the bottom half of a fish, they are sometimes drawn with the bottom of an octopus, sea horse, or any other sea creature.

Not all mermaids are depicted as the same. Some mermaids are playful and flirty and some sink ships out of vengeance. Several myths claim that mermaids can even be accidentally dangerous: they forget that humans need air to live and drag them down into the ocean, drowning them.

Mermaids (generally) have no goals or purposes. Of course, some harbor harsh grudges against humans and make it their job in life to kill as many as they can, most just frolic aimlessly and play with humans.

Before you go on to make your mermaid or siren OC, be careful to avoid this mistake: mermaids and sirens are not interchangeable. A popular misconception is that mermaids lure victims to drown with their music, out of petty vengeance. While mermaids can be dangerous, it is generally a siren who lures victims with music.