When someone mentions a ghost, most of us think of cemeteries, haunted houses, and transparent figures draped in sheets. Likewise, the word “faerie” is linked with cute little figures with wings, and merry mischief. However, mention a Banshee, and people squirm. The Banshee, like a ghost, can represent death, but that is not her actual role in folklore, or in our lives.
She can appear transparent, and is the size of a living person. Nevertheless, like her fae counterparts, she is associated with a more magickal Otherworld.
Perhaps she is the link which shows us that the Otherworld is a vast place, inhabited by many kinds of beings, including faeries and ghosts.
The Banshee, in Irish the Bean Sidhe (pronounced “bann-SHEE”), means “spirit woman” or sometimes a spirit (perhaps a faerie) dressed in white. She is usually described as a single being, although there are many of them.
Your Irish Family’s Banshee
According to legend, one Banshee guards each Milesian Irish family. These are the families whose names start with O’ or Mac, and sometimes Fitz, though those prefixes have been dropped, particularly by American families.
There is a Banshee for each branch of these families, and the family Banshee can follow the descendants to America, Australia, or wherever the Irish family travels or emigrates.
The Banshee protects the family as best she can, perhaps as a forerunner of the “Guardian Angel” in Christian traditions. However, we are most aware of her before a tragedy that she cannot prevent.
Traditionally, the Banshee appears shortly before a death in “her” family.
The Banshee is almost always female, and appears filmy in a white, hooded gown. (The exception is in Donegal, Ireland, where she may wear a green robe, or in County Mayo where she usually wears black.)
However, if she is washing a shroud when you see her, she may merely signal a major life-changing event in your future. The way to determine this is to go home and burn a beeswax candle after seeing her; if it burns in the shape of a shroud, her appearance foretells death.
The Banshee’s Wail
The night before the death, the Banshee will wail piteously in frustration and rage. Her family will always hear her, but many others in the area will, too. For example, Sir Walter Scott referred to “the fatal banshi’s boding scream.”
One of the largest reports of this wailing was in 1938, when the Giants’ Grave in County Limerick, Ireland, was excavated and the bones were moved to a nearby castle. Those who heard the crying throughout central Ireland, said that it sounded as if every Banshee in Ireland was keening.
That wailing of many Banshees is unusual but not unique. There have been other reports of several Banshees manifesting together. When a group of Banshees are seen, it usually forecasts the dramatic illness—and perhaps death—of a major religious or political figure.
In Irish mythological history, the Banshee tradition may link to the fierce Morrighan as the “Washer at the Ford,” a legend of Cuchulain. In this story, the Morrighan appeared as a young woman who prepared for an upcoming battle by washing the clothing—or perhaps the shrouds—of those who would fight and lose.
Does the Banshee Cause Death?
Despite her grim reputation, seeing or hearing a Banshee is not what actually causes the death. In fact, the Banshee is traditionally a very kind woman. As poet and historian W. B. Yeats commented, “You will with the banshee chat, and will find her good at heart.”
Perhaps her appearance and wailing before a death are efforts to protect her family from a death or other tragedy that she foresees.
This is where we see the clearest link to what are popularly called “ghosts.” In many stories, the spirit appears to warn the living about danger, illness, or death. Gothic novels often feature a ghost whose appearance forecasts death.
Likewise, in the Sherlock Holmes story, the Hound of the Baskervilles howled before a family death.
In real life, my maternal grandmother and her siblings were individually visited by the spectre of their mother, to warn them of her imminent death in a hospital many miles away, and to say good-bye.
This level of concern for the living is consistent with many ghosts, as well as the Banshee.
Whether the Banshee is more correctly a “ghost” or a “faerie” is an discussion that may never be resolved. However, the Banshee provides clear evidence that the line between ghosts, spirits, and faeries is vague at best.
For more information about the Banshee, one of the best studies is The Banshee: The Irish Death Messenger
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14 Responses to The Banshee
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I love this article – it’s just what I was looking for. Many thanks and blessings.
I was wondering if banshees had names..
If people suspected they were a cirtain person, because of the fact they used to be women.
are there any complete stories?
who was the first banshee?
Is there evidence of banshees existing?
just wondering…
Olivia, there are some excellent sociological studies of banshees, including Patricia Lysaght’s book, The Banshee.
I’m sure that they have individual names, but I’ve never heard them called anything except by the general term, “banshee.”
Having heard a banshee, I have no doubt about their existence. It was a chilling experience.
Back in 1999 I lived in a converted pub over the river from Carlisle castle. The house was haunted and the 7 of us living there all experienced various ghostly encounters. One that stood out for me was what I would describe a bachees wail. Myself and boyfriend at the time experienced the wail at night twice, with a few mintues apart. It was definatley a female and a sound very difficult to describe as it was like a silent slow scream and both times she came close to our ears inbetween us, but we were in the dark and neither of us saw her. Do you think this could be what is described as a banchee.? No-one died in either of our families at that time but the house was very haunted so it was possibly related to someone that had died there.
Joanna,
Since I’ve heard the banshee’s cry, I think you might be describing it. It’s anguished to the point of being almost silent. It’s definitely slow.
Remember, the banshee wails because she sees a tragedy that she can’t prevent. However, nothing in life is necessarily set in stone, so perhaps someone else was successful at preventing the tragic event the banshee saw.
When I heard the banshee, the event was avoided, too. I’m still not sure how, but the most likely outcome did not occur… to the relief of everyone involved.
– Fiona
The Banshee doesn’t always make a terrible anguished crying/moaning sound . . . it is sometimes a very eerie singing that carries on the breeze . . . it’s quite unnerving.
Tara,
You’re right, but to list all the possible words describing individual Banshee’s keening… well, it’d be a very long article.
The cry is sometimes described as keening, coming from the Irish word caoin, which — as my research suggests — was originally used to describe the sound… and only that sound.
Every Banshee is unique. Each of them will make a different kind of sound but — as you said — it’s always unnerving.
Cheerfully,
Fiona
[...] black tea, lightened and sweetened, and tell us stories about home. It was the story of the Banshee that took root in my young mind. Rarely seen, the Banshee moaned like a restless wind or screamed [...]
John Irving makes allusion to a Banshee in his book A Prayer for Owen Meany. Although this book is a work of fiction, and based on something of a supernatural occurence, the reference to the Banshee by a celebrated author tends to give credibility to the existence of such a being (to me, anyway).
A few nights ago I was also awoken by a banshee,at least I believed it was. At first I thought I had simply screamed in my sleep but then while I was slowly examining the darkness of my room I heard it again. In fact it wasn’t just me but everyone sleeping in my house had heard it and came into my room. I suppose in a way it would be more comforting to believe it was a banshee then trying to figure out what else could sound like a woman screaming, dog growling, and owl hooting all at the same time.
What a great description of the very weird sound of a banshee!
Of course, I’m sorry you and your family heard it. Just remember: It doesn’t always predict an unavoidable tragedy. In my own life, I heard the banshee and changed a few plans — remember, it can be something small that simply takes you on a different route, literally or figuratively — and a potential tragedy was avoided.
A 1% change in your daily routines means close to a full-circle life change over the course of a year.
In addition, it’s not just personal tragedy. It could be something local, if you ask people who live in your town if they heard “a weird noise” recently. People may have heard it at different times, or may not have heard it yet, if it’s something significant, locally. That could be anything from a factory closing to an elected official facing a significant difficulty to… well, it varies from region to region.
Mostly, you’ve given a great description. I describe mine as a screeching violin combined with the noon whistle at a factory, but I like your description better.
Fiona Broome
I’m trying to find out the name of the O’Connor banshee. I’ve been researching and have found the O’Brien banshee is Eevul, and the O’Neill banshee is Maeveen. If anyone has info on the O’Connor banshee, I’d greatly appreciate it!
Hello, Katy,
I’m not sure where you found that information, but there isn’t just one banshee for a particular surname. Think of banshees like guardian angels: Every household has one of their own, so it’s not reasonable for every one of them to have the same name.
In addition, there is no Irish name “Eevul” (“evil”) or Maeveen, per se, because there’s no letter V in the traditional Irish language.
In other words, the person who gave you that information is telling you a tall tale. You’ll be well-advised to raise an eyebrow at anything else that person tells you.
Even the O’Connor name isn’t really “O’Connor.” It’s O Conchobhair or O Conchuir, and it’s a name used by six distinct family lines. Here’s one family history: http://www.araltas.com/features/oconnor/ and to learn more about the O’Conor dynasty in general, Wikipedia will keep you busy for days: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:O%27Conor_dynasty
Sincerely,
Fiona Fitzgerald Broome
http://faeriemagick.com/
Wow, thanks so much for clarifying and for all the info!