Sirena (Philippine mythology)

The Sirena is a mythological sea creature from Filipino culture. Popular in folklore in many regions of the Philippines. In Philippine mythology, the Sirena is a mythological aquatic creature with the head and torso of a human female from waist down and the tail of a fish. The Sirena is an Engkanto –' the Filipino counterpart of English mermaids. Engkantos are classified as one of the Bantay Tubig, (guardian of a body of water) a Filipino term for mythical guardians of the water. In addition to the Sirena, other examples of Bantay Tubig are Siyokoy, Kataw, and Ugkoy. The male version of a Sirena is called a Sireno. Sometimes, Sirena are paired with Siyokoy. A popular mermaid character in the Philippines is Dyesebel.