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Their seductive melodies could mean disaster for entire crews. Their alluring voices could entice sailors to cast them- selves into the sea. Or steer a course of destruction into rocky shores. They were the Sirens. Daughters of the river god. Witches of the shallow waters. With the head of a beautiful woman, and the wings of a bird. According to Greek mythology, these sea nymphs terrorized sailors until con- fronted by Odysseus and his crew of Argonauts. Odysseus filled his men's ears with wax, and had himself bound to the ship's mast to resist their sensuous music and song. So overcome with grief at this rejec- tion, the Sirens threw themselves into the sea. As they hit the water, they were changed into stone, eventually washing up on the shores of Italy where Naples stands today. Of course, accounts of these deadly beauties were believed to be the result of sunstroke, or the doldrums that drove even the most sea-worthy of men insane. But no matter how nightmarish or frightening the tales, they did not deter other explorers in their quest to cross and conquer unknown seas. This story is one of a series, "Myths of the Sea,"compliments of Gulf Oil Trading Company, a leading supplier of quality Veritas marine lubricants and fuels. © 1983 Gulf Oil Corporation PO. Box 1563, Houston, Texas, U.S.A. 77251 THE BODY OF A BIRD. THE FACE OF AN ANGEL. THE POWER OF A DEMON. Gulf Oil Trading Company Write 199 on Reader Service Card A Division of Gulf Oil Corporation
