Banshee
Monster Class:
Spirit
Monster Type:
Mythological
Characteristics:
Red eyes from weeping. Wildly flowing white hair. In Ireland she wears a white or green dress and gray clock. In Scotland, her hands are red w/blood. She cries out with an unmistakable eerie wailing sound.
Prey:
None but she will wail out the name of who will die next.
Location:
Moors and remote hills of Ireland. Remote lakes in Scotland.
Special Abilities:
In Irish legend if you catch her, she reveals who will die. Scottish legend differs in that she will grant a wish to anyone clever enough to sneak up on her and suck her breast. Uh ok...
Weaknesses:
Capturing her will only bring bad things so your better off leaving the banshee alone.
Discussion:
You might have heard it, but for your sake I hope you have not. If your out in the Irish countryside at night and you hear the shrill mournful wailing of a woman, you better hope she is not wailing for you! For it may be the cry of the banshee that you just heard, and her wail means that someone is about to die. The banshee is a female spirit or fairy that is not necessarily hostile, but is usually an omen of death. If you are unfortunate enough to lay eyes on her, it could mean that you will die in a horrible way or be murdered. Her cry is unmistakable and can be so piercing that it can shatter glass.
Although the banshee is commonly associated with Irish mythology, she also exists in Welsh, Norse, and american folklore. For example, in Scottish Gaelic mythology, she is known as “bean sith” or “bean nighe”. The word banshee stems from the Irish word “bean si” meaning “woman of the barrows”. Some legends say that she is the ghost of a murdered woman or a mother who died in childbirth. It is very possible that the banshee legend originated from a myth that when a person died, a woman would sing a lament “caoin” meaning to weep or wail for them at the funeral. These women were referred to as keeners. The best keeners would be in high demand especially amongst the most prominant families.
The sightings of banshees date back to the middle ages. They have been reported as recently as 1948. How would you know one if you saw one? If the cry didn’t give her away, you might recognize her by her appearance. She is described as a frighteningly ugly old woman dressed in white clothes, with long pale white hair. She also is known to comb her hair with a silver comb. Similar to mermaid myths, in Ireland there is a legend that if you ever see a comb lying on the ground, you should never pick it up. It belongs to a banshee who placed it there in hopes of trapping unsuspecting humans.
If you were to hear several banshees wailing together, this would indicate that someone of great importance or someone holy was about to die. Here is a quick video describing the legend of the banshee. If you’d like a slightly longer tale, sit back enjoy a warm cup of coffee and listen to this chilling tale and history of the banshee told by an Irish member of the Inroads Ireland Tours. If that didn’t chill you, then this one might. It’s a very specific Irish ghost story that takes place in Dublin, Ireland in 1901. Try not to get too scared when your listening to Blood of the Banshee.