The banshee is a mysterious female spirit in Irish folklore, who heralds the death of a family member, usually by shrieking or keening. The screeching sound is described as somewhere between the wail of a woman and the moan of an owl, a low singing or piercing loud and able to break glass. The banshee appears as an old hag or beautiful lady, but may also appear in a variety of other forms, such as that of a crow, stoat, hare and weasel – animals associated in Ireland with witchcraft. The name Banshee seems to be a contraction of the Irish Bean Sidhe, which is interpreted by some writers on the subject as A Woman of the Faire Race, whilst by various other writers it is said to signify The Lady of Death, The Woman of Sorrow, The Spirit of the Air, or The Woman of the Barrow.
Elliott O’Donnell did a thorough investigation on the banshee – partly as a professional ghost hunter (with a personal encounter) – and wrote this fascinating special of paranormal literature.
