Banshee


    The Legend of the Banshee originates from an Irish tale based around mourning the death of a family member. The banshee is a fairy-like creature, whose appearance varies from a beautiful young woman to an ugly old woman depending on how the tale goes. It’s believed that the banshee’s gut-wrenching screams of sorrow foreshadow the impending death of a family member. When someone hears her wails they know someone in the family is going to pass not long after the screams start. The people who have ‘heard’ the banshee’s wail often describe it as a haunting bone-chilling scream. Banshees sparks fear for many people who believe in Irish folklore because of the banshee’s deep association with death, rather than any malicious intent. Actually, the banshee isn’t known for having any evil intentions or doing any harm to people, she’s known for being an entity that feels compassion with the grieving families that are about to lose a loved one. The tale of the Banshee shows the values and beliefs that are held in Irish cultures. The strong family bonds and devastating grief felt when losing a family member is an important part of it, therefore it’s the drive of this tale. The Irish tale has evolved after being passed down generations and through the different regions.

Bunworth Banshee,
Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland,
by Thomas Crofton Croker, 1825


     There are three main versions of the banshee’s legend: the washerwoman at ford, the solitary mourner, and the guardian of families. The washerwoman tale is when she appears as a ‘washerwoman’ washing bloody clothing or armor in the river (also known as a ford). The clothing being washed are believed to be the clothes of who is going to pass soon. It’s believed that by washing their clothes she is representing the cleansing of their soul for the afterlife. In this tale she is a heavy presence that death follows behind. In the solitary mourner’s tale, she is seen as an older woman standing alone in the distance, clothed in a white or gray robe with an accompanying veil or thick shadows over her face. Her wails hold nothing but deep sadness and distress for the person about to die; this open mourning for someone makes the mythological entity relatable to the general people around. The guardian of families’ tale states that the banshee is tied to specific families with old Irish lineage. She acts similarly to a guardian angel for these families, using her wails to alert the families that someone is soon to die. This tale makes the banshee a familial part of the families’ history and Irish heritage. The legend of the banshee is old and has adapted over time to many cultures, but still shows the universal truth of mourning and grief.

Location: Ireland

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