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In Fermoy, Ireland |
The Banshee, Bean-Sí, Bean-sídhe.The Banshee or 'Bean-sidhe' is an Irish familiar spirit - ban (bean), meaning a woman, and shee (sidhe), and means fairy woman or more literally means Woman of the Hillside. (The Hill referred to is a burial hill). Traditionally, when a person died a woman would sing a lament (in Irish: caoineadh, meaning "to weep, to wail") at the funeral. These women are sometimes referred to as "keeners" and the best keeners would be in much demand. Here is where fact turns into myth: as with most myths and legends their beginnings start in something that happened way back in history. In its retelling and retelling, it turns fact into legend, then myth. Legend has it that for five great Gaelic families — the O'Gradys, the O'Neills, the O'Briens, the O'Connors, and the Kavanaghs — the lament would be sung by a fairy woman; having foresight, she would sing the lament when a family member died, even if the person had died far away and news of their death had not yet come, so that the wailing of the banshee was the first warning the household had of the death. The Banshee can appear in one of three guises: a young woman, a stately matron or a raddled old hag. These represent the triple aspects of the Celtic goddess of war and death, namely Badhbh, (pron. bov) Macha and Mor-Rioghain. Badhbh is the Irish war Goddess, said to be able to shape change into a crow or raven. (Badb Catha meaning Battle Raven) whereas Macha means "battle". She is also one of the Triple Goddesses in the Morrigan. 
She looks like an old woman with deep-set, glowing red eyes, and wears a cloak over a green dress. Another description places her with wild, long, red hair and in a long white dress. Another, still, described her as a beautiful woman, veiled, with a posture conveying great sadness. Or she can wear either a grey, hooded cloak or the winding sheet or grave robe of the unshriven dead. She may also appear as a washer-woman, and is seen apparently washing the blood stained clothes of those who are about to die. In this guise she is known as the bean-nighe or washing woman. She always has long flowing hair and eyes red from crying.
When someone is about to die, the Banshee appears at the family's home during the night and weeps and wails. Sometimes, the Banshee cries for several nights in a row, as she cannot know the exact time of death. Her sharp, cries and wails are also called 'keening'. The wailing of a banshee pierces the night, as it announces a mortal's death. She is a solitary woman fairy, mourning and tradition has it she forewarns only those with most ancient Celtic lineages, whose names begin with 'Mac/Mc' or 'O'. According to tradition, the banshee can only cry for five major Irish families: the O'Neills, the O'Briens, the O'Connors, the O'Gradys and the Kavanaghs. Intermarriage has since extended this select list.
Each Banshee has her own mortal family and is familiar to the person, so if they move to another land, the banshee also moves. When a familiar Irish person is dying, she paces the dark hills about his/her house. Dressed in white with long flowing silver grey hair, which reaches to the ground, she stands out against the night's blackness. Her face is pale, and her eyes are red from centuries of crying. The caoine, or the Irish funeral cry, is said to be an imitation of her own cry. She is also known as White Lady of Sorrow and Lady of Death. Unseen, banshees attend the funerals of the family dead. But, out of love or respect, she never forgets her blood ties. And sometimes she can be heard wailing, as her voice blends in with the mournful cries of others. |
