![]() ![]() In some tales, she appears as a hooded figure with long hair and a white veil draped over her face. It is for this reason that she has also been associated with the Irish goddess, Morrigan, as she was the triple goddess of war, fate, and death. The banshee can typically have three appearances – a young woman, a matron, or an old hag. The appearance of a banshee can take on many forms, but what remains consistent is the supernatural nature of her presence. This is essentially the definition of banshee, and if you are ever asked what does banshee mean, it means “woman of the fairy mound”. The banshee is seen as a harbinger of death, and her keening (screaming, see further below) can be heard just before someone important in a family passes away. Many cultures have similar myths about female spirits who appear before death, and it has been suggested that the banshee mythology may have originated from these tales. The banshee is said to be related to the Irish goddess of death, Morrigan (see further below for an explanation of this). The use of the word banshee became more common in the late 18th century but there have been accounts of a banshee, a witch-like creature as far back as the mid-14th century, and some historians have traced the first stories of the banshee to the 8th century, based on the old tradition where women sang a sorrowful song upon the death of someone. ![]() The exact origin of the word banshee is unknown, but it likely comes from an old Gaelic term, “bean sídhe or bean sí,” (written ban sídhe in Scottish Gaelic) which translates to “woman of the fairy mound” or “fairy woman.” She was not a welcome visitor and was said to be seen combing her hair or wailing beneath the window of the family she was visiting.
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