There are creatures called the banshee that originate from Irish folklore. They’re always female, and they’re known for their frightening wailing sound, which is meant to represent death. The banshee probably originated from the mid-18th century when Ireland was suffering from a great famine. This famine wiped out over half of Ireland’s population, so it wasn’t uncommon to hear women’s screams echoing through the air due to the passing of loved ones. The sound of the banshees replicate this sound, and has become a terrifying omen to people who still believe in their myths.
A banshee’s appearance signifies death, though in a slightly different way than the grim reaper. Banshees do not have any weapons, and they do not appear angry or frightening. Instead, they look like they are mourning a terrible loss. They are generally dressed in white or grey, and they have long, silver hair. They are also well known for the silver comb they carry. This may seem trivial, but this comb makes many travelers wary. A common folklore told in Ireland is that the banshees leave these combs on the ground in hopes a human will pick one up. If a human does, a banshee will appear and take the spirit of the human away. Many disappearances in the woods have been explained by this superstition.
Banshees are usually portrayed as ugly and frightening hags, but they also have the ability to appear to humans as a beautiful woman. They can pick whatever age they want, and they usually use this beauty to lure humans towards them. Scarily enough, this attribute is not what frightens people the most. The wail of a banshee signifies death, so it is believed that a banshee will show up and start wailing right before someone dies. There are even Irish families that people believe have banshees attached to them! If they are superstitious, the families become wary of any sounds that are similar to that of a banshee. Banshees also appear to families after someone has died. Their loud wailing alerts everyone else in the area that someone has passed. Since the myths of banshees are more common in rural areas, this method of “communication” was actually quite effective.
Banshees have also foretold the death of great people. For example, an Irish seer went to see King James I of Scotland in 1437 in order to tell the King that he would be murdered by one of his earls. After the King died, it occurred to the people that this seer may have been a banshee. There are other records that indicate other prophets (or banshees) would appear to the royalty and foretell the deaths of other important people.
It makes me wonder whether or not the banshees are trying to help out humans when they appear as prophets. I mean, were they genuinely concerned for those people, or did they just enjoy unnerving them and watching as they became paranoid about the “certain” death before them? Whatever the case, I think banshees are a rather unnerving type of creature. They signify death, but they kind of just show up and wail whenever something bad is about to happen. I can’t imagine that’s something I would want near my deathbed.
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