What is a banshee?
The banshee is a female fairy of Irish folklore, her name derived from the Gaelic for “fairy woman.” Before a family member dies, she is said to wail mournfully near the house, announcing that death is near.
Folklore and features
The banshee has been believed to be attached to particular old Irish families. She is described as having long hair and wearing a gray cloak or white clothes, and is said to have red eyes swollen from weeping. The banshee is sometimes seen combing her hair, and there is a saying that if you pick up a comb lying on the road, you will be carried away. Scotland has a similar fairy in the form of a “washer woman” who washes the clothes of those about to die in a river.
A fairy who announces death
The banshee does not kill people; she only grieves for and announces death. In English, loud wailing is sometimes described as “crying like a banshee.” Another Irish fairy that foretells death is the dullahan.
