By Katie Manuel
Photo/Image Credits Philippine Urban Legends
Just as the Western world has its mermaids, the Philippines has the sirena. Similarly to the western mermaid, some forms of the Filipino sirena are characterized by having the lower body of a large fish and the upper body of a human female. Some descriptions report the sirena as hairy, while others describe them as having two tails instead of one. The Filipino sirena is also said to carry a fishy smell and ask their victims about their favorite food - if the victim elects to answer with any form of meat, fish, or curled vegetable, the sirena will promptly drown them, as these foods are reminiscent of their appearance (the creatures are often depicted with curled hair).
The concept of the sirena is commonly believed to have come to the Philippines during the time of Spanish colonization, though descriptions may vary by region, island, and tribe. Before this more European version of the name was introduced to the Philippines, it may be possible that these creatures already existed in the mythologies of certain tribes - after all, other forms of the sirena include the ugkoy (female) or siukoy (male) in Tagalog and Visayan, and magindara in Bikol.
Many tales depict the sirena as a dangerous force, luring farmers, fishermen, and other unsuspecting humans into bodies of both freshwater and saltwater. According to these stories, they inhabit rivers, lakes, oceans, and the like, using human-like wails of distress to attract their victims. Some legends even report sirenas taking children from land and raising them as their own in their underwater homes.
Despite smaller differences between tales, one thing is for certain: should you ever visit the Philippines, be wary of the waters!
Check out HALO HALO's own sirena, Dalisaya, in our Filipino-inspired Zodiac.
