Banshee
Hailing from Irish folklore, the Banshee is a spirit with long, flowing hair and a grey cloak. Her mournful wails predict the death of family members.
At a glance
- Tradition
- Irish folklore
- Trait family
- The Death-Criers
- Symbols
- Gray
Near this figure
Symbols
Judged against the description by a model. Meanings are our own paraphrase.
- Gray bears image-domain Grey denotes the mixture sitting between every opposite, unassertive yet present in all colour, standing for age, mourning, leaden mood and hard-won serenity.
why
Often described as a pale woman with long, flowing hair that can be white, gray, or in some accounts, red, she is typically seen wearing a gray cloak over a green dress.
Traits
Read from the figure's description, which a model wrote. Open "why" for the sentence a trait came from.
Behaviour
- Bound to a specific family lineage
why
Banshees are deeply connected to certain Irish families, particularly those with 'O' or 'Mac' in their surnames.
Sight and sound
- Blood curdling scream
why
Her mournful wails predict the death of family members.
Omens
- Mournful wail predicts death of kin
why
The Banshee, a haunting figure from Irish folklore, is a female spirit known for her mournful cries that herald the imminent death of a family member.
- Washes bloodstained clothes of the doomed
why
Some accounts even describe Banshees as protective spirits, washing the bloodstained clothes of those about to die in battle.
- Harbinger precedes disaster
why
They are not harbingers of death themselves, but rather messengers or warners of impending doom.
Utility powers
- Planar traversal
why
Their connection to death and their ability to move between the world of the living and the dead place them in a unique position in Irish mythology, embodying both the fear of death and the comfort of forewarning.
Curses
- Death omen
why
The Banshee, a haunting figure from Irish folklore, is a female spirit known for her mournful cries that herald the imminent death of a family member.
Roles
Judged from the works' own entries, not from the description. Carries: the figure holds the role. Meets: the role is in its stories, held by something it meets.
- Death carries both readings
2 citations
- Ad de Vries, Dictionary of Symbols and Imagery, s.v. "Banshee."
- Carol Rose, Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins, s.v. "Banshee."