Ancient cultures around the world saw the sea as a dangerous place, filled with beings who preyed upon people - especially men. The legatus of Gaul once wrote to Emperor Augustus claiming that he found a considerable number of nereids dead upon the sea-shore. Although most retelling of the Odyssey depict the sirens as little more than dangerous women leading men to their deaths, there have also been some studies that provide more depth.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://martinifisher.com/2021/05/24/the-wisdom-from-the-sirens-lips/