The Banshee is one of the most widely known of the Irish fairies…. probably due to the appearance of Banshees in movies. There is considerable debate over the exact nature of the Banshee. Is she a true fairy, a spirit, or a mortal form? No one knows for sure but all are agreed that the Banshee is associated with death. Some think the Banshee forewarns certain families of the death of its members. Others think the Banshee was offended in some way by a family forcing the fairy to follow the family and rejoice when a family member dies.
The Banshee Fairy generally appears in one of three forms…a young woman, a matron, or as an old hag (she has also appeared in a variety of other forms…e.g. a crow…but these are her usual forms). Folk wisdom has it that the Banshee only cries when members of certain Irish family members are about to die.
However, it is generally thought that the intermarriage of these families with other families has led to the Banshee appearing more generally. The Banshee appears not only in Ireland but anywhere Irish immigrants are found. The Banshee’s cry foretells the death of someone. On those occasions, one may get a glimpse of her washing her hair, blood from a blanket, a face reflected in a window, etc. Whatever the form, it is unwise to disturb the Banshee because those who have done so have met untimely deaths.
