Facts about Banshee (Irish Messenger Spirit)
- 05
Some accounts in Irish folklore describe the banshee as combing her long hair while wailing, and it was considered dangerous to pick up a comb she left behind.
- 04
Keening, the mourning wail associated with the banshee, was also performed by human women called caoineadh in traditional Irish funeral practice.
- 03
A banshee's appearance varies across Irish folklore, sometimes described as a young woman, sometimes as a haggard old crone known as the cailleach.
- 02
In Irish tradition, the banshee is associated specifically with ancient Gaelic families, traditionally those whose surnames begin with 'Mac' or 'Ó'.
- 01
The banshee, from the Irish bean sídhe meaning 'woman of the fairy mound,' is a female spirit whose wailing cry foretells the death of a family member.