In Greek mythology, a siren is a creature that lures sailors to their doom with their sweet song. They are traditionally depicted as female, but similar figures with beards can be labeled either as Sirens or as daemons. The Sirens are half-bird and half-woman creatures, and they are dangerous creatures who live on rocky islands. According to Homers Odyssey, the hero Odysseus escaped the Sirens call with the help of the sorceress Circe, who advised him to fill his crews ears with wax so that they could not hear the Sirens. Sirens are considered to be evil creatures who live in the sea, and they are known for luring in sailors with their enchanting songs and then killing them. In art, the Sirens appeared first as birds with the heads of women and later as women, sometimes winged, with bird legs. The Sirens seem to have evolved from an ancient Near Eastern tradition, specifically North Syria or Urartu.