Tag: banshee

The banshee ( /ˈbænʃiː/ BAN-shee), from the Irish bean sí [bʲæn ˈʃiː] (“woman of the sídhe” or “woman of the fairy mounds”) is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld.
In legend, a banshee is a fairy woman who begins to wail if someone is about to die. In Scottish mythology the creature is called the bean sìth or bean-nighe and is seen washing the blood stained clothes or armour of those who are about to die. Alleged sightings of banshees have been reported as recently as 1948. Similar creatures are also found in Welsh, Norse and American folklore, such as aos sí (“tumulus folk”).
The story of the banshee began as a fairy woman keening at the death of important personages. In later stories, the appearance of the banshee could foretell death. Banshees were said to appear for particular Irish families, though which families made it onto this list varied depending on who was telling the story. Stories of banshees were…