Banshee - Irish Female Fairy

Irish Mythology and Folklore

Mar 11, 2010
Susan Keeping

Irish Shamrock - MeHere

The Banshee appears to announce the imminent death of a family member. Her cry or scream has been called supernatural.

Whether it be the banshee or the leprechaun, or the heroic tales of Finn mac Cumhaill, Irish culture has some intriguing mythology and folk tales surrounding it. While every country has its own folklore, for some reason, more than those of many other countries, the folk tales of Ireland seem to capture imaginations the world over. The story of the banshee is no exception.

What is a Banshee?

A banshee is a female fairy. The name itself literally means "woman fairy"; ban = woman or female, shee (from sheehaugh) = fairy. Interestingly, the name of the goddess Venus also comes from the root ban/van. The banshee is also considered to be a "spirit of death."

Banshees have been widely written about by everyone from Oscar Wilde's mother to W.B. Yeats. Each writer has a different view of the banshee but there is one similarity in all accounts; the appearance of a banshee foretells the imminent death of a member of a family. She only appears to announce the death of an important person or one who belongs to an old and aristocratic Irish family; one banshee is said to follow a family through many generations and even to different continents.

Banshee Appears as an Old Woman

A banshee will often resemble a beautiful woman of the family who has died in the past, but, more often than not she will resemble an old, haggard woman. The banshee is usually dressed in white garments; she wears a grave-dress and has long white hair that reaches to her ankles. She will appear up to several weeks before a death and will visit nightly until the death occurs.

According to Lady Francesca Sperenza Wilde, the banshee “may be seen at night as a shrouded woman, crouched beneath the trees, lamenting with veiled face, or flying past in the moonlight, crying bitterly; and the cry of thus spirit is mournful beyond all other sounds on earth.”. The cry of the banshee was also described by William Pulleyn in The Etymological Compendium, as "supernatural."

Irish Fairy-Folk

Throughout Irish history there have been many stories and tales about the fairy-folk. Many in Ireland still believe in the fairy-folk, while many view them as just fiction and mythology. No matter how they are viewed, the fanciful stories about the fairy-folk make for a rich cultural heritage. Much like the leprechaun, the banshee is a part of Irish culture that is widely discussed and known throughout the world.