The word “banshee” comes from the Gaelic “bean sídhe”, meaning “woman of the fairy hill” or “woman of the mounds”. It’s a being from the legends of Irish mythology. More generally, they can be found in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. Terrifying, she is often considered a messenger from the world of the dead, belonging to the same supernatural universe as the Sidhe, or Irish fairies. Her shrill screams would herald a death to come.
The banshee can take many forms. She is sometimes described as a ghostly-looking old woman with white hair, dressed in rags. Being in pain, she’d have gaunt hands, an empty gaze full of pain. Her torn white dress gave her the appearance of a floating spirit, as if she weren’t walking on the ground.
At other times, she appears as a strikingly beautiful young woman.
In some legends, it can even take the form of an animal, such as a raven or a marten.
As you’ll have gathered, the banshee remains a multifaceted creature in the Irish subconscious, often presented as a female figure.
The banshee’s most distinctive feature is her piercing cry, a sound that resonates like a lament or a wail. The Banshee is also, by definition, a being in pain, manifesting its suffering in truly inhuman screams. These howls would be so intense, they’d bleach the hair of anyone who heard them!
This cry is supposed to be a premonition of impending death. When someone in an Irish home hears the cry of a banshee, it’s generally accepted that a family member is about to die.
In the literature, his cries are depicted as a mixture of children’s howls, wolves’ howls and the wails of women in childbirth. Add to that the cry of the wild goose, and you’ve got a good idea of the unbearable cacophony of a Banshee howl!
Legend has it that these howls herald the imminent death of a loved one or someone important. Many equate her with the grim reaper, except that the Banshee only announces death: she never causes it.
Legend also has it that the great Irish families have their own Banshee. It would only announce the deaths of family members, and not those of outsiders.
The banshee is said to appear regularly in Ireland by rivers, lakes and fairy mounds. She is generally invisible to those she comes to warn, although there are stories of people having seen a banshee crying and combing her hair with a silver comb. (Legend has it that the men and women who caught sight of him turned their hair white all at once!)
She would wander through the dark nights on the Irish moors, screaming her pain and sorrow.
That’s why the most superstitious Irish prefer to stay at home at night: a way of avoiding a confrontation with an absolutely terrifying banshee!
Of course, it’s important not to generalize: the Banshee remains a mythological, folkloric creature in Ireland. Although it’s told and taught to Irish schoolchildren, few Irish people believe in it anymore. However, it is important to respect the beliefs of those who value them.
What about you? Have you decided to believe?
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