Banshees - who are they? Irish mythology. History of Banshee (character eyes the horror game) Banshee mythology japan
It is difficult to imagine that there is a more strange, remote, mystical place in the world than cool, often cloudy, full of castles and stone megaliths, Ireland. All the strangest evil spirits, popular in popular culture, wandering from song to song, from one Gothic novel to another, are somehow connected with this country.
Probably, the Irish themselves cannot imagine why so many different evil spirits settled in their green fields and hills. It is also worth noting that Irish mystical images are so original that finding more or less suitable prototypes in the mythology of other peoples is always very problematic.
The image is probably one of the most mystical in Irish folklore. Few aliens from a parallel world receive so many film adaptations and reflections in poetry and prose. Peculiarity is that she, like most of those strange spirits that live in foggy Ireland, has Celtic roots, and the Celts were very original people.
Celtic folklore takes into account the slightest change in nature, a change in a person’s mood, penetrates into the very depths of the human soul and finds there secluded, shady nooks and crannies through which strange images move.
If we remember that the Celts were primarily considered priests, then we can understand why the Banshee can be called one of the most mystical images created by them. After all, the priests, with the help of their spells, probably knew how to penetrate into those depths, where they could find an image, which later became embodied in the image of the mysterious Banshee - “woman from the hills” translated from Irish Gaelic.
Appearance of Banshee
Who is Banshee? The average Irishman, familiar with his folklore, will describe her something like this: she is a woman, and her obligatory attribute is long gray hair. True, folklore speakers give different names for this woman’s age. For some, this is a beautiful young girl, and for others, she is an old woman who is not very attractive in appearance.
There are also different opinions about the clothes of Women from the Fields. The banshee may wear a cloak, but its color varies depending on what the narrator remembers about his folklore. For example, a cloak can be green, because green is the traditional color of evil spirits, especially Irish ones. But more often it is white, because it is the color of death and emptiness. Banshee is, to some extent, the embodiment, or rather, its inexorable harbinger.
The Celts were particularly sensitive to the nature that surrounded them, and therefore it was from them that the perception of the Banshee as a part of nature came. It is believed that no one prevents her from appearing in this world in the form of trees, rivers and fogs. In general, Banshee is Nature in person, its integral part.
Why does Banshee come?
Irish mythology figuratively talks about the Banshee, but has no clear idea of what exactly the function of the sinister lady is. The fact that this is not Bones herself is quite clear, but why the Banshee actually “works” for Death is not clear from the folklore that has come down to us.
Some legends claim that the Banshee is the spirit of a woman who in the past was a mourner at someone's funeral. Apparently, she got so used to the role that even after her death she had to come back from the other world and disturb the Irish with her inhuman scream.
And if you can still sort out the hair and the color of the cloak, then with the Banshee’s voice everything has long been determined. The Harbinger of Death comes at night under the windows of houses and wakes people up with a prolonged howl. Probably only the Celts, with their eternal desire to create something out of the ordinary, could have come up with such sophisticated mysticism.
The scream of a Banshee under the window does not bode well. It is believed that with her cry she warns of the impending death of someone living in the house. Legends describe this cry in the night as unbearable, heartbreaking, piercing through and through.
Some Irish legends say that the Banshee can not only scream, but also appear to travelers on lonely roads or near bodies of water. In an old or young guise, this messenger can answer any questions, but in return she will demand that you honestly tell her everything she wants. And you can't lie to her.
The Irish, not without pride, note the “nationality” of the Banshee. This means that neither the Russian nor the Chinese will see her, either in the form of an old woman or as a cry in the night. The banshee appears only to the Irish and Scots, that is, to the descendants of the Celts. There is also a version that the Banshee is the ancestral spirit of one or another Irish family. She comes to tell those she protects about the impending danger.
One way or another, the Banshee is one of the most striking and extraordinary images in Irish folklore. It is not just scary, but also in a special, Irish way, gloomy and full of all the most otherworldly things. This is probably precisely because in cool, cloudy Ireland it is difficult to come up with something less terrifying.
Is this you, inside? ©
According to legend, a banshee glides like a ghost through the forests of Ireland in the dead of night, crying and wailing...
/Masa has been wanting to do this for a long time and finally took up the legends again. Somewhere I already have a set of material on the Headless Horseman and the Wild Hunt. It's your turn Banshee- what kind of creature this is, where it came from, what it is like and what it is capable of. If possible, I collected and sifted through as much information as possible.
Murmurmur:3/
Ireland is very rich in myths and legends about fairies, ghosts, leprechauns and other strange creatures. But none of these creatures evokes such awe and fear in us as a banshee, as soon as this word leaves someone’s lips. We immediately imagine a supernatural howl coming from the direction of the forest, where the banshee herself is hiding under the cover of the dark night.
“A banshee is a woman who, according to legend, appears near the house of a person doomed to death and, with her characteristic moans and sobs, notifies that the hour of his death is about to strike!”
The Banshee has many names and nicknames - Banshee, Bensi, Bansia, bean shi ("heavenly women"), fairy, Lady Death, Angel of Death, White Lady of Sorrow, air nymph, spirit of the air.
No matter what you call it, it is still the same creature. A banshee is an incorporeal creature, a ghost, in other words.
The banshee did not immediately gain a bad reputation. Initially, if we turn to Irish mythology, banshees are fairies into which gods from the Tribes of the goddess Danu turned after the sons of Mil, the ancestors of the Irish, appeared on the territory of modern Ireland. These gods and goddesses were forced to go deep into the earth and live under the hills in the thickets, hide among the swamps in enchanted forests, and among the clouds in magical skies.
Then it was believed that banshees could take on any form - a cloud, a shadow, a bush, a girl, etc.
Every decent Irish family should, of course, enjoy the protection of a woman from over the Hill (or from under the Hill, which is essentially the same thing). Because if a family is deprived of this protection, then how decent is it, really?
This is where the belief comes from that banshees are protected only by ancient families, whose roots go deep into the history of modern Ireland. (but more on that later)
The banshees watched over many things: the birth of babies and the upbringing of young men, the hearth and to ensure that the horse did not catch fire and the spear did not break. She is either a wise mother or an older sister. If an Irishman dies, the women of his family gather to mourn him. And among them are banshees. In the last minutes, she appears in mourning white clothes to comb the dying man’s hair with her silver comb and water his face with tears, and then steps aside and sings the funeral song with the other women.
She scratches me with a silver comb
And sheds streams of tears.
(English folk ballad "Alison Gross")
This silver comb, with which she combed the hair of the dying, is often mentioned in legends and stories about her, although the real meaning of this comb has long begun to be forgotten.
She has many guises. Some people see her as an ugly old woman with a mane of gray hair, others as a beautiful young girl with white skin. In some cases, as they say, she may appear in the form of a washerwoman on the banks of a river or lake. Only the clothes she washes are usually bloody.
The myth of bloody clothes and washing them in a lake or river has given the Banshee a lot of bad reputation. Although initially this idea most likely came from the famous Irish myth of Cuchulainn. So, the ominous Morrigan met the famous hero Cuchulainn before the last battle - she washed his bloody armor in the stream and sang kaoinead. Cuchulainn realized that this battle was his last, and it became so. But Morrigan was a goddess, not a banshee.
Sometimes she is seen as a beautiful fairy with long blond hair, which she combs with a special silver comb. According to superstition, finding and picking up such a comb means great bad luck, since the banshee leaves this thing in certain places to lure unsuspecting people and lead them to death. (here is the comb)
The enchanted forest from Arthurian legend was inhabited by lovely fairies. One of them, the Hard Lady, a sorceress-temptress described by the poet J. Keats, was a banshee who lured mortal knights-errant, instilling in them reckless passion, and then left them, devoid of the will to live, to wander the hills "in sullen solitude and without meaning".
But the most characteristic and well-known feature of a banshee, no matter what form it appears in, is its crying. The banshee cries in a language that no one understands: her cries combine the cries of wild geese, the sobs of an abandoned child and the howl of a wolf. The voice of a banshee is similar at the same time to the howl of a dog and the plaintive cries of birds. The howl of the banshee is full of sorrow, it has a melancholic echo of the wind, but there is also something of the human voice. Howling and crying can be clearly heard from a great distance.
The author of Demonology and Witchcraft, Sir Walter Scott, believed that the banshee was not so much a creature with an appearance as an ominous death howl that filled the nights of Ireland and the highlands of Scotland with terror.
Her terrible, frightening cry warns human creatures about imminent inevitable death... Hearing her sad voice is a sign that soon someone will be on the other side of life.
It is also often said that the banshee is very shy to show itself to mortals. The slightest sound - and she is instantly lost from sight, disappearing like fog.
It is believed that the myth of the banshee came from the widespread tradition in Ireland of mourning for their dead: women cried during funerals, so for many in the village this cry, spreading through the air, was the first signal that someone had died. These people who cried at funerals were known as "mourners" and their services were highly valued. It was from this tradition of honoring the dead that the legend of the Banshee was born.
Traditionally, if a person dies, it is customary to mourn him - at his funeral, women mourners do this. Many large Gaulish clans have a fey woman associated with them. When a family member dies, she appears to mourn him. Stories describe how a banshee appears when a family member dies far from home, or the cry of a banshee may be the first indication of death. However, most often in legends they are encountered by a person who does not yet know that one of his relatives has died.
When these Irish oral traditions were first translated into English, there was a difference in the interpretation of the banshee between the original version and the translated version. Thus, the funeral lament for the deceased turned into howling and lamentation, foreshadowing death. In these stories, the howl of a banshee foreshadowed the imminent death of a family member, and the one who saw the banshee was soon to die himself.
If the Irish still retained a good memory of the banshee, then the Scots (they called the mourners bean nigh or bean sheath) came to the conclusion that the mourner comes directly from the world of the dead to prophesy death to those who would still live and live. At the same time, again, washing of bloody clothes or Mythical creatures - Banshisavana (“bean nigh” means “washing woman”) is often mentioned, which makes one suspect the machinations of the Morrigan... From a beautiful girl, bean shith gradually turns into a monster: then they will discover there are membranes between the fingers, then fangs, then saggy breasts. Of course, white no longer suits such a “beauty”; Scottish mourners wear green. Some dispute the afterlife essence of bean nigh - they say that it is “only” akin to a hag monster.
There is another hypothesis: they say that a banshee is an elf, a fairy, or maybe a human woman who died in childbirth as a result of some fantastic neglect on the part of her husband. This, on the one hand, explains the shrillness of her voice, and on the other, her actions; It is believed that the banshee is a hundred times more willing to cause death to men than to women. In this case, she will calm down if she personally ends things with her ex-husband; and if he manages to die his own death - that’s it, she will chase men forever.
According to the third version, this is a sorceress (or, again, an elf), whose grave was destroyed and placed in its place... here opinions differ - either a tavern, or even a brothel. The banshee cannot fly up to the tavern and give its regulars a concert at the request of the banshee, and the premises must be razed to the ground alive.
Whatever version you accept, it follows that the usual, so to speak, physical elimination of the banshee will not last long (if it succeeds at all). In a maximum of a year, and most likely - on the next full moon, the spirit will again flutter out of the ground, and it will not show itself to anyone. Moreover, even for a couple of days, only a true saint can put her to rest, who quite by chance happened to be close to the banshee’s victim - or, perhaps, a sorcerer, but in the latter case, the recipes are carefully guarded.
“...The night air was cut through by a low howl, turning into a piercing screech. Rod's eyes shot open. Siren? In this culture? The sound came from the left, he looked up and saw a castle on top of the hill. And there, at the base of the tower, something was burning and screeching shrilly, like a “black crow” mourning the death of several patrol cars. The patrons ran out of the inn in disarray and crowded into the courtyard, staring and pointing.
That's a banshee!
No, everything will be fine. Hasn't he appeared three times already? But the queen is still alive!...” (K. Stasheff “The Reluctant Sorcerer”).
When several banshees gather together, it foretells the death of one of the great people.
This is interesting: in one version of the story about Macbeth, instead of three witches, three banshees appear - they do not address Macbeth directly, but simply mourn first the Thane of Cawdor, then the Scottish king, and then Macbeth himself. It’s quite logical: for such noble people, one bean shea, of course, is not enough. They did not predict Banquo to become the “ancestor of kings”, because this character was already invented by Shakespeare - wanting to create a “great ancestor” of the then reigning King James I.
There is a story about how a certain woman saw a banshee in her window. She was sitting outside, on a stone ledge; she had red hair that seemed to be on fire against the background of her white dress and deathly pale skin. She hummed something monotonously, and then suddenly disappeared, as if she had melted into thin air. The next morning it turned out that the woman’s brother died that night.
There is also a story: a certain farmer met a banshee at the bridge. He saw an old woman sitting on the railing, said hello and only then noticed that the old woman had very long hair, red, with a purple tint. The old woman sat slumped, as if saddened by something. When she turned to face the farmer, everything inside him froze: the skin was pale, like a corpse, the face was spotted, like a turkey egg... The old woman straightened up to her full height, and it turned out that she was three times taller than the tallest man. The farmer mentally said goodbye to life, but the old woman stepped off the bridge straight into the water and disappeared. The next morning the farmer learned that his neighbor Starkey, the last in an ancient family, had died during the night.
Since there is a lot of controversy about the very essence of the banshee, we can turn to another theory of the appearance of these creatures.
Some Irish believe that the souls of the dead do not leave the earth, but are here, attached to this world. They either enjoy the happiness that they received for a life well lived, or (if they lived in sins and succumbed to passions all their lives) they are punished for the years they lived. Spirits who pay with eternal suffering are usually tied to a specific place - they are forced to pay for their sins in those places near which these sins or crimes were committed.
Banshees are spirits that are attached to the earth. They say they only care about ancient families. It is believed that banshees follow the family (with both bad and good intentions), watching over it until the very last descendant dies and is buried (although it is said that banshees, for example, do not follow the family in other regions, if she decides to move further away).
Regarding their connection with a certain family, there are two options: either these creatures had very close and strong ties with the family during life, that the desire to watch and be with them did not disappear even after death, or during their lifetime they had reasons to hate this family.
This gives us two completely different types of banshees.
Capernia (Friendly Banshee)
The friendly banshee is not the disgusting and ugly creature we usually imagine. Banshees are very rarely seen by anyone, but from time to time they remind you of themselves. They are said to appear as young, beautiful girls, with pale faces, black or golden hair, and wearing flowing white robes.
The singing of such banshees is full of sadness and longing. The songs are filled with love and care for those they love. For them, this singing is a warning.
It is believed that the singing of a banshee foretells the death of one of the family members within a few days. Screams and singing are most often heard at night. In addition, they are most often heard by those to whom the warning is addressed.
At the other end of the spectrum are banshees that are much more familiar and recognizable to us.
During their lifetime, evil banshees had reasons to hate their family, which is why even after death they are terrible visions for those family members towards whom they felt anger or hatred. She looks scary, warped, with distorted features and hatred literally oozing from every line on her face. The screams and howls of an evil banshee are enough to make your blood run cold. Imagine the scariest witch from the scariest horror movie you've ever seen. Now make her even scarier and uglier, making terrible screams and howls in the dark night.
Rather than warning of the impending death of a family member, evil banshees would rather scream and howl as a kind of snide, sarcastic, and hateful celebration when one of the family members finally meets their end. This may, of course, be a warning, but a very terrible and frightening warning.
No one knows where Banshee has such prophetic abilities, but there are a number of theories on this matter. Some believe that each family member has a specific silent servant, an observer, who watches over them and then sends information directly to the banshee. But such an idea is not very widespread, and belief in the Banshee is gradually disappearing.
At one time, belief in Banshee was very strong. If someone did not believe in this prophetic creation, people considered such an attitude to be a real blasphemy.
In Ireland, it is believed that those people who have musical talent (who can sing or play a musical instrument) are guarded and protected by spirits; The Spirit of Life, personifying prophecies, is said to grant such people the gift of clairvoyance, while another - the Spirit of Fate - reveals the secrets of misfortune and death, and the name of this terrible messenger is precisely the banshee.
An old Irish poem tells of the appearance of a banshee in the morning:
"Hast thou heard the Banshee at morn,
Passing by the silent lake,
Or walking the fields by the orchard?
Alas! that I do not rather be held
White garlands in the hall of my fathers."
Although it is stated that the banshee was heard at noon, this creature is very rarely seen or heard in daylight. Usually this creature chooses night to visit mortals:
"The Banshee mournful wails
In the midst of the silent, lonely, lonely night,
Plaining, she sings the song of death"
The legends about meetings between people and banshees are very diverse in their presentation, but are united by a single motive: a meeting with the otherworldly is dangerous. Among all the legends, three plots clearly stand out: - A man met a banshee at night, mistook her for an ordinary woman, tried to pester her and inadvertently offended her. The banshee pushes him away out of resentment and, as punishment, leaves an indestructible mark of her palm or fingers on his body. - The man who met the banshee while doing laundry laughed at her and told her to wash his shirt too. As a result, the banshee can either unnoticed take off his shirt and actually wash it, or strangle the man with his own collar. - A traveler returning home encounters a banshee combing her hair with a silver comb. He gets the comb and takes it home, but then the banshee comes for his thing and, threatening, demands it back. In the end, she gets the comb, demonstrating that things could very well have ended much worse.
It is believed that the banshee only follows the ancient Irish families - descendants of the noble Gaelic race - families whose surnames include Mac or O:
"By Mac and O
You"ll always know
True Irishmen they say."
But if they lack
The O and Mac
No Irishmen are they."
A large room that hangs just above the wild waves of the Atlantic Ocean in the old ruined castle of Dunluce, which sits on a cliff above the green waters of the Anstream coast - said to be the home of the O'Donell family banshee.
Here, on winter nights, through the dilapidated remains of tiles, through the roar of giant storms that come from the distant north, you can hear the strange cry of a banshee, lamenting the sad fate of the great house, the bitter loss and fall of the ancient family of Gali leaders.
Along the shore of Loch Ness, next to Edenduff Carrick Castle, there is a pile of stones, similar to a chain of small rocks - the destroyed walls of the O'Neill castle still stand above the dark surface of the water, where they once stood in pride from the awareness of their power, power and property, lived one of the most powerful Gaul leaders, the great O'Neill.
Here, from time immemorial, when many misfortunes threatened the representative of one of the most ancient and great families, the cry of the banshee of the O'Neill family echoed throughout the forest of Coil Ultach and over the gray waters of Lough Neagh, rushing along the walls of the old castle, echoing from the high vaults, weeping over the graves of the great O'Neil.
Maewyn was the name of the O'Neill family banshee. She has been seen and heard many times, and the form she usually takes is that of an old woman with long white hair falling over her thin shoulders.
One of the strangest stories about the Banshee began in Dublin - at 2:30 on August 6, 1801, when Lord Rossmore, commander in chief of the British forces located in Ireland, died at home.
The day before, he attended a reception with the king's deputy at Dublin Castle. To the people he met there (including Sir Jonah and Lady Berrington), he seemed completely healthy. He remained at the reception almost until midnight. Before he left, he invited the Berringtons to a reception he was hosting at his home in Mount Kennedy. In truth, for a man of his background and position, it can be said that he spent a very ordinary evening - one that does not seem to have even a hint of strangeness or unusualness.
At about two o'clock in the morning, Ser Ion Berrington awoke and heard what was described as "plaintive sounds coming from the lawn outside the window." He would never forget the banshee's cry. Lady Berrington also heard the sound, as did their maid. Finally, at 2:30 a.m., Berrington heard a voice calling, “Rossmore! Rossmore! Rossmore! Then there was silence. The next day the Buringtons learned that Lord Rossmore had died. His servant heard a strange sound coming from his room and rushed there and found him dead. He died at 2:30.
“Lord Rossmore was dying the moment I heard his name spoken,” Sir Ion later wrote.
It was the most frightening and terrifying experience of his life.
Although this was not a secret for the Irish, they knew that at that moment Ion heard the cry of a banshee.
In modern computer games, the image of a banshee has acquired an extremely negative connotation; in general, banshees are characterized there as rather ugly ghostly entities possessing a number of skills that (according to mythology) were generally unusual for them, in particular, the ability to bring death only with a cry (keening). The original purpose of the banshee is not to bring death to the hearer, but to ascertain the imminent death of a member of the hearer’s family (clan).
Over time, many noble and noble Irish families and surnames disappeared - some of them died out, some moved to other lands - and the Banshees became just a myth, an ordinary superstition.
If you ever happen to be on the Emerald Isle and find yourself under a dark starry sky at night, listen up. You may hear a haunting song or the frightening howl of a banshee. But be careful - only death is hidden in her songs.
Favorite type of undead (except vampires). The sexiest image of a kind of emo-ghost ^__^. Although she does not belong to ghosts, rather to fairy creatures.(opinions differ here). By the way, in games I always play for the undead)))
Banshee.
Aka: Washer of the Shrouds (more on her below), Washer at the Banks, Washer at the Ford, Cointeach, Cyhiraeth, Cyoerraeth, Gwrach y Rhibyn, Eur-Cunnere Noe, Bean sidhe, Bean Chaointe, the Bean-nighe, Kannerez- Noz
Banshee Form
As for the description of the banshee’s appearance, the opinions are diametrically opposed. One thing remains unchanged - the female image. There is a certain romantic image of the banshee, mainly in children's stories, as a young beautiful woman with long blond or golden hair wearing a long white cloak with a hood. The banshee is also described as a small old woman, but again with long hair, white or gray. In general, long hair is as much a distinctive feature of a banshee as her scream. Less common is the description of black or dark hair of a banshee, as well as dark or colored clothes, since it is quite obvious that at dusk or darkness, the time when a banshee appears, it is easier to see her in a white cloak and with white, often gray, hair, which also confirms the legend of the old banshee. As for the headdress, it is mentioned extremely rarely, since it would be inappropriate given the long, developing hair. Since the banshee's cloak mostly extends to her toes, footwear is also rarely mentioned. Some bearers of the tradition believe that she walks barefoot.
Patroness of the clan
One of the central aspects of the legends and traditions about the banshee is the idea that the banshee is the patron spirit of the family that she notifies of death, that is, there is a hereditary connection between them, it can also be the ancestor of the family.
According to legend, not all Irish have banshees. In oral and literary sources, families in which death is heralded by a banshee are designated as families with "O" and "Mac", that is, it is believed that the banshee accompanies truly Irish families. However, the list of surnames of such families is much wider, since it also includes families descended from the Vikings and Anglo-Normans, that is, families who settled in Ireland before the 17th century.
The banshee has long flowing hair, gray cloaks over green dresses, and eyes red from crying. Banshees take care of ancient human families, emitting heartbreaking screams when mourning the death of one of the family members. When several banshees gather together, it foretells the death of one of the great people. Seeing a banshee means imminent death. The banshee cries in a language no one understands; her cries seem to merge together the cries of wild geese, the sobs of an abandoned child and the howl of a wolf. (Here opinions are again divided: someone claims that her crying is like “low pleasant singing”, or “the sound of two shields hitting each other”, or "a thin screech, somewhere between the moaning of a woman and the moaning of an owl"). Her screams can be so strong that glass breaks (!). Sometimes the banshee takes the form of an ugly old woman with matted black hair, one single nostril and protruding front teeth. Sometimes she becomes a pale-skinned beauty in a gray cloak or shroud. And sometimes she appears in the form of an innocent maiden from among the members of the clan who died early (she is also sometimes represented with huge breasts, which she throws back). She either sneaks among the trees, or flies around the house, filling the air with piercing screams.
There is a story about how a certain woman saw a banshee in her window. She was sitting outside, on a stone ledge; she had red hair that seemed on fire against the background of her white dress and deathly pale skin. She hummed something monotonously, and then suddenly disappeared, as if she had melted into thin air. The next morning it turned out that the woman’s brother died that night.
There is also a story about how a certain farmer met a banshee at a bridge. He saw an old woman sitting on the railing, said hello and only then noticed that the old woman had very long hair, red with a purple tint. The old woman sat with her head downcast, as if saddened by something. When she turned to face the farmer, everything inside him froze: the skin was pale, like a corpse, the face was spotted, like a turkey egg... The old woman straightened up to her full height, and it turned out that she was three times taller than the tallest man. The farmer mentally said goodbye to life, but then the old woman stepped off the bridge straight into the water and disappeared. The next morning, the farmer learned that his old neighbor, the last in an ancient family, had died during the night.
Banshees, bensies, bansii ("heavenly women"), in Irish mythology, fairies into which gods from the Tribes of the goddess Danu turned after the sons of Mil, the ancestors of the Irish, appeared on the territory of modern Ireland. These gods and goddesses were forced to go deep into the earth and live under the hills in the thickets, hide among the swamps in enchanted forests, and among the clouds in magical skies. According to legends, banshees can take on any form - a cloud, a shadow, a bush, a girl, etc. Until now, many people believe that their mournful cry, called Kiening and heard at night, certainly foreshadows imminent human death. The author of Demonology and Witchcraft, Sir Walter Scott, believed that the banshee was not so much a creature with an appearance as an ominous death howl that filled the nights of Ireland and the highlands of Scotland with terror. People imagine the banshee as a woman with long flowing black hair, in loose robes, with eyes swollen from tears, or in the guise of a vile and ugly old woman with matted gray hair. The banshee fairy can be a pale-skinned beauty in a long shroud, and sometimes it can appear in the form of an innocent maiden who died early - a relative of the family. The enchanted forest from Arthurian legend was inhabited by lovely fairies. One of them, the Hard-Hearted Dame, a sorceress-temptress described by the poet J. Keats, was a banshee who lured mortal knights-errant, instilling in them reckless passion, and then left them, devoid of the will to live, to wander the hills "in sullen solitude and without meaning".
Banshees move with a sound similar to the sound of a bird flying. Therefore, some mistakenly identify them with a crow.
Benny or the washerwoman at the creek
In the folklore of the Scottish Highlands, the banshee is a close relative. She is called the washerwoman by the stream because benny can be found near forest streams, in which she washes the bloody clothes of those who are destined to die. She usually wears a green dress. If a person spots the benny before she sees him and stands between her and the water, she will be granted three wishes. Benny will answer three questions, but she will also ask the same number, and in no case should you be disingenuous with her. She can recognize the one who plucks up the courage and puts his mouth on her saggy breasts as her stepson and will help him. However, if Benny gets angry, she begins to whip the man with underwear, and the unfortunate man’s arms and legs begin to fall off. According to some sources, bennies are the spirits of mortal women who died during childbirth, and will find peace only when the time comes to leave this world (that is, on the day on which they would have died of old age).
Banshee(Banshee, Benshee, Baavan Shea, White Shea) - in Irish folklore and among the inhabitants of the Scottish Highlands there is a special variety.
They are called differently in different parts of Ireland. A common and widespread name is Irl. bean si, consisting of bean - woman, and si - Shi, which together translates as a woman from the Seeds, from the other world.
In Irish mythology, these are fairies into which gods from the Tribes of the goddess Danu turned after the sons of Mil, the ancestors of the Irish, appeared on the territory of modern Ireland. These gods and goddesses were forced to go deep into the earth and live under the hills, in the thickets, hide among swamps in enchanted forests and among the clouds in magical skies. According to Celtic beliefs, banshees can take on any form - clouds, shadows, bushes, mist, girls, etc.
The author of the theosophical work “Demonology and Witchcraft,” Sir Walter Scott, believed that the banshee is not so much a creature with an appearance as an ominous death howl that fills the nights with terror in the vastness of Ireland and the highlands of Scotland. People imagine the banshee as a woman with long flowing black hair, in loose robes, with eyes swollen from tears, or as a vile and ugly old woman with matted gray hair. A banshee can be a pale-skinned beauty in a long shroud, and sometimes appears in the form of an innocent maiden who died early - a relative of the family.
One of the central aspects of the legends and traditions about the banshee is the idea that the banshee is the patron spirit of the family that she notifies of death, that is, there is a hereditary connection between them - it can also be the ancestor of the family. According to legend, not all Irish people have banshees. In oral and literary sources, families whose death is heralded by a banshee are designated as families with "O" and "Mac", that is, the banshee is believed to accompany truly Irish families. However, the list of surnames of such families is much wider, as it also includes families descended from the Vikings and Anglo-Normans, that is, families that settled in Ireland before the 17th century.
The banshee is described as a female figure. They appear as floating luminescent phantoms of their former selves. At night, their image glows brightly, but is transparent in the sunlight. Banshees are described as women dressed in white (sometimes green or black), with beautiful long hair, which they comb with a silver comb. However, this is not always a romantic image of a beauty. Most banshees are old and withered, but those who die young retain their former beauty. The hair of a groaning spirit is wild and unkempt. Her dress is usually tattered rags. Her face is a mask of pain and anguish, but hatred and the fire of rage burn brightly in her eyes. Very often, signs of a real monster are visible in the appearance of a banshee: sometimes they will find membranes between her fingers, sometimes fangs, or saggy breasts.
Banshees are intangible and invulnerable to weapons. In addition, moaning spirits are highly resistant to magic. They are completely immune to charm, sleep and immobilization spells. Holy water poured on them causes severe damage to them.
Banshees can sense the presence of living creatures up to five miles away.
They hate all living things and therefore make their homes in the deserted countryside or ancient ruins, and remain there forever. The ground surrounding the lair of the groaning spirit is strewn with the bones of animals that heard the cry of the banshee. Banshees devastate any area where they live. They kill without mercy. Banshee has a powerful effect on vegetation. Flowers and delicate plants wither and die, and trees become twisted and sickly, while the hardier plants, thistles and others, thrive.
A banshee's treasure varies greatly and often reflects what they loved in life. In most cases, this is a supply of gold and precious stones. Other banshees, especially those who frequent their former homes, display better tastes, preserving great works of art and sculpture or powerful magical artifacts.
Banshees hunt at night, taking the form of beauties and seducing belated travelers. They are especially attracted to those who themselves have recently acted as a game beater - such people have an attractive smell of blood.
Banshees feed only on the blood of young boys; these creatures are not interested in the blood of their diet. Before drinking the blood, they dance with the victims, hypnotizing them. They can take part in a conversation, but give themselves away with a strong, incomprehensible accent. Occasionally, hungry banshees attack women, and then their victims turn into the same monsters.
Ireland is a country with a huge number of legends and myths. From ancient times to our time, they pass from mouth to mouth, acquiring new details and obvious facts. The most famous creature from the other world is the banshee, a translucent entity that resembles a woman.
General description of the banshee
In different areas of the Irish island, the banshee has an indigenous name. The literal translation of the word “banshee” (the variant “banshee” is also found) can be read as:
- "woman from the Seeds";
- "heavenly cloud woman";
- an alien from another world.
In County Limerick it is called the weeping woman, the mourner. The southeastern part perceives the creature as a dangerous, aggressive, cruel creature. In the Middle Ages, the towers were called goddesses of war: the names Boschent, Bau, etc. are found.
The banshee is a character from Irish folklore; from a scientific point of view, its roots go back to ancient times and are associated with Celtic mythology. According to Irish beliefs, these are super-beings of the tribes of the goddess Danu, who descended to earth and eventually went to live in dense forests, marshy swamps, which hide in the clouds of the magical skies.
Creatures called banshees can be classified into 3 types.
- Literature describes the banshee as a fairy. But, in the popular beliefs of the Irish, a fairy is a good creature leading a lifestyle similar to that of a human: a beautiful woman who does not cause harm to a person. Banshees foreshadow bad events; they are lonely, suffering creatures.
- Ghosts. One of the most common versions is that the banshee is the ghost of a mourning woman. During her lifetime, she did not fulfill her duties well enough, so as punishment she continues to mourn the dead.
- Family patroness. There are legends that this is the patron spirit of the family, who came to notify about the death of a person. He may be the ancestor of the clan or related by hereditary ties. Irish mythology claims that the ghost only patronizes Irish native families.
External features
There is disagreement with the appearance - the mythical creature takes on different appearances. Sometimes it is a female figure, in other versions the spirit appears as a tree, animal or mist.
In children's fairy tales, the banshee is represented as a beautiful young girl or woman with very long blond curly hair, wearing a white cloak with a hood, or as a small gray-haired old woman, kind and affectionate.
The main distinguishing feature of a banshee is her long blond hair and piercing scream. She rarely has black or other colored hair or dark clothing, as her appearance at night and in dark colors would be unnoticeable. She is sometimes described as an evil flying old woman, with sharp teeth, dressed in a green dress, who does not leave the house of her victim, waiting for her death. This woman is barefoot. In all the legends, her cloak reaches to her feet, in the dark it is not visible what she is wearing.
Existing legends
Like other mythical creatures, there are many legends about the banshee. They all say that meetings with otherworldly people are dangerous and do not lead to anything good. Banshees cannot be classified as evil spirits, but rather harbingers. Their howl is heard only by the person who is soon destined to die.
There are many legends when a man, having met a ghost in the form of a girl or woman, tried to harm her: offend her, take away some of her things. As punishment, when she touched his body, she left a mark from her palm to remind him of the crime committed throughout his life.
There is a belief: a man, meeting a woman on the river bank, asks her to wash her clothes. If she was in a good mood, unnoticed by the person himself, she would take off his clothes, wash them and return them. It was dangerous if the banshee was out of sorts: she could hurt or strangle the traveler with his shirt.
Another legend tells how a young man stole a comb from a girl who was combing her hair. She found him, threatened him, and took her thing back. But she didn’t do anything bad: she only warned him that he could have suffered much more seriously.
The banshee is not the only mythical entity that is a harbinger of bad news.
- Gurakh-i-ribin is a representative of two worlds - the living and the dead, and has no gender. He comes to a person at the moment of his death and accompanies him to another world. Sometimes they say about him that he is an old, skinny, scary old woman with a mouth full of yellow or black teeth, or a bird without feathers. This creature comes to the house of the doomed man and tells him or his relatives who he came for, and does not leave until he has done his job.
- Another similarity to a banshee is a male skeleton, Kihiraet, without skin and meat, who comes and frightens with his presence, and also warns of future events.
- In Japanese mythology, there is a demon, Raiju, who transforms into the images of various creatures. It can turn into a domestic or wild animal. At night, he is able to become a small fluffy cat and climb into a person’s bed, foretelling trouble for him, even death. In Japan, they are used to scare naughty children who do not want to go to bed on time.
All these myths, legends and their characters differ from each other in appearance and behavior. But they all have one goal - a warning about the approach of death.
