Banshees

Death omens have long been a part of culture for centuries, from Stikini to the Acheri they come in all forms. But we have yet to cover one of the most infamous death omens on the blog until now…the Banshee. In folklore, she appears to be neither good or bad but a solemn warning of death.

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In english, Banshee translates to a bit of a less omninous sounding phrase - "woman of the fairies." However, it doesn't cover up the fact that she is most often seen as a symbol of dying and death. It is said if you hear wailing late at night it fortells the death of a family member...and if you heard the call it was likely you who may die. 

Similar to where she may go during the day, the banshees true appearance appears to be a mystery. Some tales describe her as a old woman with long white hair, gnarled claw-like hands, and a wrinkled face. Some describe her as ageless, somewhere just past a young woman who is tall and graceful and clothed in an all-white tattered dress. More stories still describe her as eerily beautiful, always wearing a sad expression.

But, no matter how she may appear the one thing is constant: her warning wail of death. She is neither good nor evil, angry or gleeful, or, I would venture, either totally connected to or totally disconnected to humanity. Fairies often like to play with human’s emotions--some trick humans into falling in love, some gain joy (and power) from tricking humans, and others take humans as sustenance. But the banshee is somewhere in-between. Though decidedly not of the human world, she also has a connection to the human world. Involved enough to share warning and prepare humans for the grief to come.

When I began looking into the banshee I was wondering if I would find anything new about banshees, as I have heard tell of them since I was young. And I did: One thing folks may not realize about the banshee is her comb. Children in Ireland are often warn never to pick up an errant comb in fear that it may be the banshees comb, her only (and most prized) possession. In general, the banshee seems to be a more passive creature of folklore. 

But if her comb is picked-up, or worse, stolen from her, she will chase down the culprit in shrieking fury. She corners them in her house or a field or a graveyard her shrieks growing in fury until it seems they could bring down the whole world. Can the comb-stealer escape with their life? Yes--if they return the comb and throw it gently in her direction. 

Thanks to @millie_christine for this blogstonishing suggestion!

The featured image depicts The Banshee Appears by R. Prowse (1862) and is licensed in the public domain.