Banshee

Summary: The Banshee, derived from the Irish term 'bean sídhe', meaning “woman of the fairy mound”, is a mourning spirit associated with the ancient pre-Christian deities of Ireland. Often seen combing her long hair with a silver comb, her wail foretells death, particularly within noble or old Gaelic families. Contrary to some beliefs, the Banshee does not cause death but signals it. Her presence is considered a grim blessing, offering a chance to prepare for the inevitable.

The Harbinger of Death.

The Banshee appears in many forms: a pale young woman with flowing red or silver hair, a matronly figure in grey, or a withered old crone with rotting features and bloodshot eyes. Her clothing is often a shroud or traditional Irish garb, sometimes stained with mud or blood.

She is almost always seen combing her long hair with a silver comb, and to touch or take it is said to bring a curse.

Categorization.

Origin and Meaning

The term Banshee derives from the Irish bean sídhe, meaning “woman of the fairy mound” — marking her as a Sídhe (a spirit or fae) associated with the Tuatha Dé Danann, the ancient pre-Christian deities of Ireland.

Rather than causing death, the Banshee foretells it. Her role is as a mourning spirit attached to noble or old Gaelic families [1]Scott, Walter (1 January 1836). Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft. Harper & Brother, Sir Walter Scott letters on demonology banshee , particularly the surnames O’Neill, O’Brien, O’Connor, O’Grady, and Kavanagh. Her wail — known as keening — echoes from the hills or passes through walls, signaling that someone is soon to die.

In older lore, she was considered an ancestral spirit, mournfully watching over her descendants. In modern retellings, she’s often mistaken for a malevolent ghost — but this is a misunderstanding of her nature.

Banshee Keening.

In Ireland and parts of Scotland, a traditional mourning figure is the keening woman (bean chaointe), who expresses grief through a lament—known in Irish as caoineadh (‘weeping’). This term is pronounced [ˈkɯiːnʲə] in the Munster dialect and southern County Galway, [ˈkɯiːnʲuː] in Connacht (except southern Galway) and much of Ulster, and [ˈkɯːnʲuw] in northern and eastern Ulster dialects, including County Louth.

Sometimes, the keening woman was a professional, with the most skilled mourners highly sought after. Irish legend tells of a fairy woman, or banshee, who would sing a lament when a family member died or was near death, even if the death occurred far away and the family had not yet received news.

In such cases, her wailing served as the household’s first warning of the death [2]Lysaght, Patricia; Bryant, Clifton D.; Peck, Dennis L (15 July 2009) Encyclopedia of death and the human experience SAGE . The banshee is also seen as a death omen. If someone is about to face a situation where survival is unlikely, she warns by screaming or wailing, which is why she is also called a wailing woman.

The banshee is linked to the death coach, believed to either summon it through her keening or to accompany it on its journey. When multiple banshees appear together, it signals the death of someone great or holy [3]Yeats, W. B. “Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry” in Booss, Claire; Yeats, W.B.; Gregory, Lady (1986) A Treasury of Irish Myth, Legend, and FolkloreFolklore encompasses myths, legends, jokes, prover More. New York: Gramercy Books. p. 108 .

Some stories describe the banshee not as a fairy but as a ghost, often that of a murdered woman or a mother who died during childbirth [4]Briggs, Katharine (1976). An Encyclopedia of Fairies. Pantheon Books. pp. 14–16 . In some parts of Leinster, she is called the bean chaointe (‘keening woman’), whose cry is said to be so sharp it can break glass.

In Scottish folklore, a similar figure is the bean nighe or ban nigheachain (‘little washerwoman’) or nigheag na h-àth (‘little washer at the ford’), seen washing the bloodstained clothes or armor of those soon to die.

Welsh folklore has a comparable figure known as the cyhyraeth [5]Owen, Elias (1887). Welsh folk-loreFolklore encompasses myths, legends, jokes, prover More: A collection of the folk-tales and legends of North Wales. Felinfach: Llanerch p 142 . References to these beings go back as far as 1380, including mentions in the Cathreim Thoirdhealbhaigh (Triumphs of Torlough) by Sean mac Craith, with banshee mentions also appearing in Norman literature from that period.

Behavior and Sightings

The Banshee’s keening is chilling, haunting, and unforgettable. Witnesses describe it as a cross between a woman’s scream, a fox’s cry, and a sorrowful wind. It can shatter glass, stop clocks, and paralyze listeners.

Sometimes she is seen washing bloody garments in a river — a death-omen called the Washer at the Ford. Others hear her cry near a window, under a tree, or at crossroads — all liminal spaces where the veil between worlds is thin.

Though terrifying, and unlike her Mexican equivalent La Llorona, she never attacks. Her presence is a grim blessing — a chance to prepare for what comes.

Symbolic Interpretations

In Irish mythology, the Banshee is also known as the Sidhe (pronounced “Shee”.) The Sidhe are a race of supernaturalSupernatural narratives evoke forces beyond nature More beings believed to inhabit mounds and hills. They are closely associated with the Tuatha Dé Danann, an ancient race of deities who were said to retreat into the mounds after being defeated by humans. The Sidhe are considered powerful and are often portrayed as tall, radiant figures who rarely interact with mortals unless provoked.

“We were just boys, camping out near the ruins.
I remember the stars vanishing, as if the sky itself held its breath. Then we heard her. Not a scream. Not even a cry. It was a mourning so deep it split the earth — a sorrow that didn’t come from lungs but from beyond.
And when we went home, my grandfather was already gone.
The Banshee didn’t kill him.
She just sang his soul to sleep.”

Anon.