Kiersten Brown
Professor Pressman
ECL 305
4/8/24
Final Essay: Siren
The Freeform series Siren depicts mermaids as frightening predators. Siren contrasts the town’s celebration and folklore of mermaids as romantic and docile, shown in their Mermaid Days annual event. With the reality of the mermaids off their coast who are, as their leader Ryn shows, animal-like. Mermaids are not the romanticized version the people of Bristol Cove have created for their own fantasies. This show illuminates how mermaids are creatures of nature and the ocean, not creatures of human culture or creativity. This thus serves as a reminder that mermaids are fierce creatures of the ocean, not human entertainment or fantasies. Siren’s depiction of Ryn and mermaids is a reminder that just because humans might not understand mermaids, these unknown creatures are not ours for the taking. We do not get to claim their narrative and history by using one singular reference, they are unknown and confusing creatures. Siren acts as a reminder to keep learning these different narratives with an open mind. I see that this narrative is evident through the main character Ryn, who, despite her innocent and helpless appearance, is actually strong and violent through the show’s depiction. As this mermaid is navigating her new pair of legs in episode one, we see how this narrative that Bristol Cove has created about mermaids being weak and docile, is false. The narrative is false, even though mermaids in general are a matter of fascination and folklore, the narrative in Siren that Bristol cove has created is proven to be false. In this show we see how humans in Bristol cove believe that mermaids are romanticized folklore and myth, which is proven to be wrong when Ryn is brought into the show, animal-like and fierce. So although this narrative is subjective to this show, it is proven to her false by her behavior and depiction. This is important because it highlights that mermaids do not have just one depiction and folklore, but they are rich in diversity, background, culture, and more. We see this not only in Siren but also in texts from the Penguin book of mermaids and others texts we read in this class, proving that mermaid folklore is rich and diverse. There is no one narrative that is correct.
In the first episode of Siren we can see how Ryn is portrayed as fierce, fending for herself in a new environment. This is breaking the narrative that Bristol Cove has created around mermaids, as they are celebrated in the annual parade, and are portrayed as innocent, cute, blond blue-eyed, and romanticized in general. This is a common stereotype we see society portray when it comes to mermaids, Siren proving this to be false. I want to pull a quote from Professor Pressmans essay Siren: An Allegory for the Anthropocene and Example of the Contemporary Mermaid Craze. “Mermaids have been a part of human history and storytelling for a millenia, but recent mermaids narratives confront and defy expectations of alabaster skin and and blond hair, Christian ideals of female sexuality and heteronormative romance, and other genre conventions solidified in the wake of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid (1837) and Disney’s famous animated adaptation of it (1989). Today’s mermaids are Black and Brown, queer, aligned with Indigenous knowledge systems; the contemporary mermaid craze presents a cultural thread that connects and disrupts the historical record.” (page 2) I wanted to point out this specific quote, as it highlights what narrative Siren is trying to depict about mermaids, but also everything this class has taught me about mermaids. In Siren we see this heteronormative and romanticized ideals of mermaids to be false, for Ryn is a creature of the Ocean, and is not a blond, blue-eyed ditz. She is strong, fierce, and as I proceeded to watch the show, she just wanted to find her sister, her family. She has human qualities, but she is not an object for humans to use as entertainment. Ryn’s presentation as a fierce creature could suggest the fear humans have of the unknown world. We see this with humans being scared of Ryn, and scared of her sister who the government was using as a test subject. Humans do not like the unknown, we do not like when we cannot understand something, that’s why we have science. Siren highlights this fear we have, with mermaids and characters like Ryn and her sister.
The history of mermaids in Bristol Cove is the lore that the founder of the town fell in love with a mermaid, painting the picture that she was obedient and docile to him. This is shown with the parade celebration, as well as the statue built for the founder with the mermaid sitting at his feet, as if she is worshiping him and docile. This “love story” described between the mermaid and the founder turns out to be quite false, as he was obsessed and fascinated by her. As the episode goes on this idea of mermaids being docile and tame to humans is proven to be quite untrue, as Ryn cannot be tamed or controlled by the men around her. Ryn’s true nature is portrayed through her actions, first killing the man who tried to assault her, and navigating the human world on her own without the reliance on a man to save her. When she killed the man in the car, blood splattered everywhere, depicting more of an animal-like kill, showing Ryn’s true nature. This scene of Ryn protecting herself and being a creature of violence, reminded me of the introduction in The Penguin Book of Mermaids. In the introduction to this novel, which holds stories and folktales, we got an introduction to the past stereotypes of mermaids. “When dwelling with the mermaids symbolizes sextual bewitchment of a forbidden liaison or an extramartial affair, the experience is conveyed as the man’s disappearance from the human world– the only proper socal world– into an abyss that is not described. This silence in the narrative futhers the perception of the captivating mermaid as monstrous.” (page XIX) The introduction of the Penguin gives many new narratives and ideas like this, widening the stereotype of the Chrisitan mermaid, to the other cultures and folklores that differ. This quote futhers the argument of Siren, that mermaids are powerful and monstrous creatures, not one’s just for humans to romanticize and have affairs with. This narrative that the show Siren shows is how mermaids are independent and cannot be held down by humans or men. Not only this, but Ryn is depicted as a predator; eating rats, scaring sea lions, killing men, and refusing help from the other main character Ben. Not only did Siren’s new narrative show that Ryn can take care of herself, but when she turns back into a mermaid in the water it is almost demonic and disturbing to watch.
One of the most interesting portrayals of mermaids in “Siren” is the depiction of Ryn’s transformation from human to mermaid. While the town celebrates the depiction of mermaids to emphasize the beauty of a mermaid, Ryn’s transformation is depicted as almost demonic and is honestly disturbing to watch. Her tail, for example, is far from being covered with shells and pearls as it has more of an animal-like appearance, which further reinforces the show’s narrative of the connection between animals/nature with mermaids. This depiction is somewhat of a visual narrative for the untamed nature of mermaids, emphasizing not only their strength but also showing their connection to being creatures of the ocean. Not only is the imagery of Ryn’s transformation more animal-like, it is also shown as very painful. Ryn is slowly dying, as she is separated from the water, also furthering the mermaid connection and need for the ocean. Not only does she rely on it to survive, but it is a part of who she is. She is not meant to be out of the water and live with humans, she is meant to be in the ocean preying on animals and sea creatures. As Ryn changes it is not a beautiful image of her shifting from human to mermaid, but is quite painful. Depictions of her feet being sewing back into her tail, fins breaking the skin of her back to form, and her teeth morphing into sharp fangs. These images show the savage-like characteristics of mermaids, and that they are predators of the ocean.
Throughout episode one, Ben is the only person who is genuinely trying to help Ryn. Before he realizes what she is, he also views her exterior as harmless and innocent. He learns this is not true, as when he jumps into the water to try to save her assuming that she is helpless and weak. Her exterior is deceiving to him and others, as it seems that she is lost and cannot speak english, he feels inclined to save or help her. As he jumps in he immediately sees her mermaid form, not as inviting as her human one. She sees him and attacks, going into her predatory mode and shifts from quiet and innocent to violent. Although Ben did nothing to hurt or provoke her, it was as if she forgot his kindness before an attack, quite literally like a rabid animal. This depiction of Ryn further supports the narrative of mermaids the show Siren is trying to provoke, that they are animals and creatures of the ocean, not lovers and worshipers of humans. Humans are their prey in the ocean, nothing more than that. Once Ben escapes the water, with a bite on his neck from Ryn, he realizes just what he was dealing with. This new narrative of mermaids challenges all Ben has ever known of them, all the stories and folklore from his town proven to be false. The narrative of mermaids being beautiful tame creatures and lovers proves to be quite false. As Ben was taken by Ryn’s siren song, he describes to her that it had been stuck with him since she sang it to him. This is showing the power of manipulation that Ryn holds as well, furthering the power she has over him and others. This has been questioning everything he’s ever known, and provoking new ideas and conceptions of mermaids.
Through the character of Ryn, Siren shows that mermaids are not tame and beautiful creatures, and instead the show presents mermaids as frightening predators. They are creatures that are capable of violence and murder. Ryn might have been seen as harmless in her human form, but the minute she hit the water she was no longer the prey, but she was the predator. The show Siren was able to portray the narrative that mermaids are a part of nature and the ocean, and are maybe even closer in relation to animals than humans. Ryn was strong, independent, and violent. She did not need a man to save her or the assistance of others, as she kept running away from Ben’s help. She was self-sufficient and able to take care of herself, although she didn’t quite know how to navigate the human world, she did not need the protection of a human or a man. By taking away the romanticized notions that Bristol Cove had of mermaids, and emphasizing the primal nature of the creatures, Siren offers a compelling reinterpretation of this iconic mythological creature, one that resonates with themes of power, autonomy, and the untamed wilderness of the ocean. Ryn represents a new narrative of mermaids, not one that hasn’t been shared before, as from being in this class I have learned that one culture/peoples story/folklore is not everyones. There are always other diverse narratives and stories, Ryn just being another one being brought to the surface. Siren illuminates not only that mermaids are fierce creatures of the Ocean, but the importance of seeing and hearing other narratives and stories. It is important to take all of these tales and histories into consideration, not using The Little Mermaid as your only reference on mermaids. Mermaids are complex, diverse, rich, and important figures of Ocean Centric history, and it’s important to remember that they are not terracentric creatures. They are not toys for humans to poke and prod, they are their own beings with their own history and stories.
Works Cited
Bacchilega, C., & Brown, M. A. (2019). The penguin book of mermaids. Penguin Books.
Pressman , J. (2024). Siren: An Allegory for the Anthropocene and Example of the Contemporary Mermaid Craze.
Siren, Freeform