The sound of sirens roaring down the main street outside my company made me wonder: Why do we call them sirens? Sirens, in Greek legend, drew you towards danger. We’re supposed to avoid the oncoming sirens.
Shouldn’t we call them “alarms”?
Okay, maybe they need to give me more work to do around here.
The sirens did call you towards danger, but upon hearing them you were meant to avoid them. Therefore the name pretty much fits in that respect: stay away from the sirens as danger lies that way.
Comment by Kav — 09/20/2005 @ 5:49 pm
But if you heard the Siren, you were irresistibly drawn to them. Ulysses had his men wear earplugs and tie him to the mast, and not untie him no matter what he did or said, until they were past the Sirens.
Even if you only heard a note, the magic drew you in.
Comment by Meryl Yourish — 09/20/2005 @ 8:03 pm
Sounds as if the original Sirens brought out the inner lawyer in everyone who heard them.
Comment by Sabba Hillel — 09/21/2005 @ 12:35 am
I see what you mean, but it still seems right to me. If you hear the sirens attempt to avoid them. Anyway, alarms probably would have been a better term. Like you I wonder why we ended up with siren?
Comment by Kav — 09/21/2005 @ 6:51 am
The siren calls you to danger, which most reasonable people seek to avoid. The speeding vehicle, itself, is a danger, and following it leads you to other dangers. Those who follow it are fools or heros.
Comment by htom — 09/21/2005 @ 11:17 am