Mitology of Ireland: the Banshee

     MITOLOGY OF IRELAND

The Banshee

A woman wrapped in a shroud weeping for the souls of those who are leaving for the afterlife. Traditionally they are described as female figures related with fairies, wearing a long robe, crying in a way that overwhelms and may even scare the listener.

There are two "versions" within the mythology of Ireland, on the one hand we find a woman who cries crouched among the trees, completely covered by a shroud can not see his face and whose disconsolate lament full of deep sadness who have the misfortune to hear. The other version, something more sinister introduces us to a hideous old woman in a green suit and a gray mantle but can also be found in forests, has an unhealthy taste for close to windows and download your lament about relatives or friends who are going to die.

In both versions, the differences are purely cosmetic, since what really characterizes the Banshee is crying for the future death of someone, but do get your sorry to all those close to the deceased future except him, and in some cases to be heard by people with no relation to the victim. Your tears may be from a piercing scream until just a whisper, but the message is always the same.

Tradition also shows us the Banshee as supernatural beings that accompany a family for generations, and some of the most important Irish families have more than one occurrence of these beings. It is said that, in 1014, King Brian Boru, belonging to the Royal Family of O'Brien came to fight in the Battle of Clontarf in the belief that he would die that day because, as he told, he had seen the family Banshee (called Aibhill) clothes washing blood of its soldiers.

Irish mythology also speaks of Áine, a woman who claims responsibility for the crossing of the souls of the life beyond. Being considered also as the protector of those who go to hell as even unborn babies, it is something like the maximum leader of the Banshees, although not one of them, but a sort of "Leader of Hell"