“Sweeter than a Siren”

This chapter covers the depiction of sirens in songs. The depiction of sirens tends to balance between contraries as their singing would either enchant or bewitch listeners. Due to Isidore's Etymologies and the Christianizing natural history of the Physiologus tradition, the aforementioned representation of sirens dominates during the medieval period. The chapter acknowledges the power of signing to captivate and prompts the speaker to reflect on the penetrative power of all senses. It highlights the sirens' appeal to vision with their looks and to hear with operatic reading. Moreover, songs featuring quasi-sirens engage with archaism, and the narratives of transformation often come with a cost.