Myth of the three sirens: Leucosia, Partenope and Ligea

According to some versions of the myth, Leucosia, Partenope and Ligea were three sirens, half women and half birds, who lived on the rocks on the coast of Campania, other versions of the myth instead place them in the Strait of Messina. The three sirens, hidden among the rocks, enchanted, thanks to their song, the sailors who had the misfortune to pass near them, causing them to lose control of the ships to end up, once shipwrecked, devoured by the sirens. The three sirens would have been changed into monsters by Demeter to punish them for not having helped their playmate Persephone (daughter of Zeus and Demeter), when Pluto, the god of the dead, kidnapped her while she was picking flowers in the plain of Enna together with They. The myth tells that when Ulysses plugged his companions' ears with wax and had himself tied to the mast, he managed to pass unscathed listening to their song, annoyed at not having succeeded in their intent, they killed themselves by jumping into the sea.

The Myth in Sicily

In Sicily, we have already told of the sirens on the occasion of the return journey of the Argonauts from the conquest of the Golden Fleece which do not become a meal for the Sirens, thanks to the melodious sound of Orpheus' lyre. 

The myth of the sirens touches Sicily also for the story of Homer in the Odyssey which describes their song as follows:

“First you will meet the Sirens, who enchant

all the men who approach them.

Whoever, without knowing it, lands on the earth

of the Sirens and listen to their voice will never return home:

his wife and little children will not be able to stay close to him,

because the Sirens enchant him with their melodious voice.

They are stationed in a meadow, next to them is a pile of bones

of rotting men; around the bones, the skin decomposes.

You stay away, fill your ears with soft wax

of your companions, so that no one can listen

their voice. If you, on the other hand, want to listen to them

have your hands and feet tied on the fast ship:

stationary and tied by ropes to the base of the tree

you will be able to listen to the song of the Sirens and enjoy them;

if you order your companions to untie you,

those will have to tie you in even stronger knots.”

When your teammates have passed them[1]     

It should be noted that unlike other versions of the myth, in the Odyssey there are only two sirens, as can be seen from the following verses:

“Come here quickly, glorious Odysseus, great pride of the Achaeans;

stop the ship so you can hear our voice.

No one ever leaves here in his black ship,

if first he does not hear the voice from our lips, sound of honey;

then he sets off again full of joy, knowing more things.”[2]

The Myth in the IWB Register of the Sicily Region

The place of the Myth of Leucosia, Partenope and Ligea identified in the Strait of Messina, has been entered by the Sicily Region in the LIM Register (Places of Identity and Memory of Sicily), sector of the Places of minor gods and divinities.

[1] Odyssey – Book XII. Verses 39-55

[2] Odyssey – Book XII. Verses 184-188

Extract from the Book "Myths of Ancient Sicily”   by Ignazio Caloggero ISBN:9788832060157 © 2022 Centro Studi Helios srl