Editing Merrow (section)

===Invasions of Ireland===
The medieval ''{{lang|ga|[[Lebor Gabála Érenn]]}}'' ("The Book of Invasions") relates how a band of [[Goidels]] on a migratory voyage were stalled on the [[Caspian Sea]] by ''{{lang|ga|murdúchand}}'' (translated as "sirens" by Macalister) who lulled them to sleep with their songs. Wax [[Earplug|ear-plugs]] for the shipmates prescribed by Caicher the Druid proved to be an effective [[wikt:prophylactic|prophylactic]].

Even though Caicher the Druid is present in either case, different sets of voyagers, generationally-shifted from each other are engaged in actions with the sirens, depending on the variant text groups. In the First Redaction of ''{{lang|ga|Lebor Gabála}}'', the Goidels settled in [[Scythia]] embarking on an exodus, led by men such as {{lang|ga|[[Lámfhind]]}} were the ones upon which the sirens wreaked havoc, while in the Second and Third Redactions, their [[wikt:progeny|progeny]] the [[Milesians (Irish)|Milesians]] led by {{lang|ga|[[Míl Espáine]]}} met the same fate.{{r|"macalister-v2-p20"}}{{r|"van_hamel"}}{{r|"meyer-quote"|group="lower-alpha"}}{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|As to which of these version is the more reliable account, [[Geoffrey Keating]]'s ''History'' (ca. 1634) adopted the version where the Scythian Goidels had been the ones who encountered the mermaids (''murdúchann''),{{r|"keating"}} whereas [[Michael O'Clery]]'s recension of the ''Book of Invasions'' use the version where the Milesians meet the mermaids.{{r|"oclerys-lge"}}}}

These ''{{lang|ga|murdúchand}}'' resemble [[siren (mythology)|sirens]] defeated by [[Odysseus]] to such a degree, "[[Homer]]ic influence" is plainly evident.{{r|"morse-bertha"}}{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|name="meyer-quote"|Kuno Meyer illustrated the similarity to the ''[[Odyssey]]'' using a quote from the ''{{lang|ga|Lebor Gabála}}'', except he merely referred to it as a "tale of the [Irish] [[Mythological Cycle]]" found on [[Book of Leinster|LL.]] p. 3a.{{sfnp|Meyer|1885|p=77}}}}

The medieval scribes of ''{{lang|ga|Lebor Gabála}}'' eschewed physical descriptions. However, [[Michael O'Clery]]'s 17th century recension of the ''Book of Invasions'' interpolated a decidedly half-fish half-female depiction of the ''{{lang|ga|murdúchand}}'' in his copy of the ''{{lang|ga|Lebor Gabála}}'':
<blockquote>
In this wise are those seamonsters, with the form of a woman from their navels upwards, excelling every female form in beauty and shapeliness, with light yellow hair down over their shoulders; but fishes are they from their navels downwards. They sing a musical ever-tuneful song to the crews of the ships that sail near them, so that they fall into the stupor of sleep in listening to them; they afterwards drag the crews of the ships towards them when they find them thus asleep, and so devour them... 
{{right|— {{abbr|tr.|translated}} Macalister & MacNeil (1916), p. 205.{{r|"oclerys-lge"}}}}
</blockquote>