Celtic Mythology & Folklore: The Banshee

In Celtic mythology and folklore, a banshee is a type of fairy or spirit - either a young woman or an old crone - whose wail in the night is meant to be an omen of death.

There are banshees in Irish folklore (Bean Sidhe), Scottish folklore (Ban Sith), and Welsh folklore (Gwrach y Rhibyn).

From some of the sources I've combed through, it seems that whoever hears the banshee's scream is the unlucky fellow fated to die. Other sources say that the person who hears the scream isn't necessarily going to die, but that a family member of theirs could be the one the banshee is yelling for.

Some sources claim that banshees are totally evil - and honestly, I can't blame them for such an interpretation.

I mean, can you imagine walking through the woods at night and hearing an otherworldly, bloodcurdling scream? Especially one coming from what would appear to be a ghost?

Personally, I'd be terrified. So I get it. I understand why many people might believe the banshee is evil.

But at the same time, we should consider this: in old Irish and Scottish tradition, there was a part of the mourning period called the "keening."

Basically, keening was an act of love. It was a way to mourn the dead, and it was usually done by women. Keening ranged from singing to screaming, but it was always very guttural and emotional, much like the cry of the banshee.

Keening was also believed to be important whenever someone died. In fact, a lot of people believed that the act of keening allowed the deceased's soul to leave their body.

The more I read about the banshee, and about keening, the more I've begun to wonder whether the banshee could actually be (maybe) a somewhat loving creature. Her scream in the night is terrifying, yes, but what if she's crying out not to scare people, but to mourn for them?

I hope you enjoyed August 2023's favorite folktale!