SIRENS The daughters of Phorkys and Acheloos, the Sirens had been nymphs and playmates of Persephone., and aspunishment for their not trying to prevent the carrying off of her daughter by Hades, Demetertransformed them into beings half woman and half bird, then changed her mind later and gavethem the lower half of fish. There were three whose names are known, and they are Parthenope, Ligeia and Leukosia. During the time when they were half bird in form, the Sirenschallenged the Muses to a competition in singing, but they lost, and the Muses plucked theirfeathers from the Sirens, bedecking themselves with them.