Banshee

The banshees ( /ˈbænʃiː/, from the Irish bean si, 'woman of the burial mounds') have been part of Irish folklore since the 8th century. They are female spirits that, according to legend, appear to a person to announce the death of a close relative with their cries or screams. They are considered green fairies and messengers from the other world.

The aos si ('people of the mounds', 'people of peace') are believed to be remnants of deities, nature spirits, or the ancestors revered by the Scotti prior to their introduction of Christianity. Some Celtic Christians and Theosophists refer to these as "fallen angels". They are also supernatural European creatures that cause disaster by screaming. Legend attributes them the power to break the eardrums of anyone who comes across them with their powerful scream.

Etymology

The word banshee is the result of the anglicization of the Irish Gaelic bean sídhe or bean sí, which means "woman of the fae mounds". » or «woman of peace». They are witches hurt by the loss of someone very close to them. Both names come from Old Irish ben sídhe: bean 'woman'; and sídhe 'of the mounds'. The bean nighe is considered by some to be the Scottish equivalent of the Irish banshee. However, the bean shìth is the linguistic and mythological counterpart, and as such occurs numerous times in folklore and mythology. The bean nighe is a specific class of bean shìth. In Scottish Gaelic bean shìth can also be spelled bean-shìdh. Síd in Irish and sìth in Scottish Gaelic also mean 'peace', and these fairies are also referred to as 'people of peace': aos si i> or daoine-sìth. The word "banshee" has been translated from English into Spanish as soul in banshee and howling spirit.

Mythology and folklore

Each banshee was dedicated exclusively to one of the great Irish families whose surnames contained the prefixes Mac or O, which they served for centuries upon centuries, although they only appear when a family member is about to die.

Traditionally, when a person died, a woman sang a lament at the funeral. These women were known as "keeners," and the best keeners would be the most in demand. Legend has it that in five great Gaelic families - the O'Gradys, the O'Neills, the O'Briens, the O'Conchobhairs and the Caomhánachs - the lament was shouted by a woman-fairy. She would cry out the lament when a family member died, even if the person had died far away and news of her death hadn't reached yet, so the banshee's cry was the first evidence the family would have of the family. death.

Later it was said that banshees paid their respects to the deceased by shouting or wailing below the dying man's window, sometimes rising several stories into the air to do so. If several banshees appear at the same time, they herald the death of an important character, even a sacred one.

A banshee can also stand at a distance as a lone figure heralding death, strolling the hills around the family home, or sitting on a stone wall. Sometimes it is not visible, but its piercing calls leave no doubt about its presence.

Features

Banshees are always female and their most common characteristics are:

• Very long and abundant hair. [Naranja, red, brown, black or white].
• Hands with long nails.
• A dress that goes missing at the bottom so you don't see your legs, usually white or gray.
• Listen to voices in his head
• Your best quality is the sound scream.
• Sometimes they predict death by dreams.

Aibhill

The most famous banshee of antiquity was called Aibhill and haunted the royal O'Brien family. According to legend, the aged King Brian Boru set out for the battle of Clontarf in 1014 knowing that he would not survive, for Aibhill had come to him the night before washing the soldiers' clothes until all the water had turned red as blood..

As a character in artistic works, television series and electronic games

• In the Impossible Mission series of 1989 episode 9 season 2 the specialized team recreates a Banshee through holograms to stop a superstitious Irish arms dealer.
• In the game MMORPG Tibia_(videogame) Banshee is an undead terrifying creature. Legend has it that he was once a mortal woman with great beauty, which has been killed by some old and forgotten ashes. Death rejected her sacrifice and returned her, cursed and distorted. And now the Banshee is a horrible thing to contemplate. His body is not ethereal as that of a ghost, but his ardent and withered gaze full of infinite pain in his face imposes terror in the heart of every mortal. Much worse than his dreadful looks, it's his worldly song. The regret of the Banshee is a melody of death that drains the life and hope of all its unfortunate victims. Few mortals who have found a Banshee and lived to tell the story.
• In the video game Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia the banshee appear as enemies
• In the game MMORPG - World Of Warcraft. The current head of war is Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, who is the leader and founder of the faction of the Renegades, allies of the Horde. This is best known as the Dark Lady and the Banshee Queen.
• In Dragon's dogma: Dark Arisen is an enemy that can only be killed with physical attacks
• In the Walt Disney film "Darby O'gill and the little people" (The fourth wish) of 1959; El Viejo Darby chases away a Banshee thus avoiding and thanks to his third desire granted by King Brian (the king of the elves "little people") that the chariot of death takes the spirit of his daughter Katie, thus taking Darby O'gill the place of his beloved daughter.
• In Fable II, as an evil spirit in WrairtMarsh.
• In the MMORPG Ragnarok Online game you can find Banshees in Cursed Monastery on Nameless Island.
• In the MMORPG Mobile Order And Chaos Online game you can find Banshees on various maps of the game.
• In the game MMORPG Celtic Heroes reference is made to the banshee crying.
• In Geewa's mobile game, Smashing Four, there is a female character named Banshee.
• In the Charmed series, reference is made to the banshee when Phoebe becomes one of them.
• In the game for PC, Xbox One and PS4 Warframe Banshee is one of the exoarmatures that the player has at their disposal.
• In the game for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 Mass Effect 3 is called banshee to converted asaris.
• In the book of the famous writer Cassandra Clare, "Shadow Hunters, The Chronicles of Magnus Bane", the Magnus himself addresses the little Clary Morgenstern by telling Banshee, because his screams are very strong.
• In the Supernatural series a banshee appears as antagonist, in the 11th episode of the 11th season. Here he attacks only during the night the person he considers weaker, producing a stirring with his screams that only the victim can hear.
• In the animated series Ruby Gloom one of the main characters, Misery (Disgrace in Hispanic America) is a banshee.
• In Harry Potter and the secret chamber, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart boasts many times of defeating a banshee.
• In Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban, the boggart (bearing to form the fears of the person in front of him) used in the class of Defense against the Dark Arts imparted by Professor Remus Lupin, took shape of a banshee before the pupil Seamus Finnigan as he stood in front of the boggart. When she began to dodge the frightening scream, Seamus left her mute thanks to the enchanting Riddikulus.
• In the Monster High series, there is a banshee called Scarah Screams.
• Within the comics of DC Comics, Siobhan Smythe becomes the villain Silver Banshee because of a curse. It's a regular enemy of Superman and Supergirl.
• In the Siouxsie and the Banshees band.
• In the video game League of Legends there is an object called the Banshee Velo.
• In Teen Wolf, Lydia Martin, one of the protagonists, discovers that it is Banshee after being bitten by an Alpha Wolf man. From there he plays a key role for the series.
• In the Halo video game saga, one of the flying ships of the Covenant coalition is called Banshee.
• In the names of the albums of the genre vaporwave, Blank Banshee 0 and Blank Banshee 1.
• In the manga-anime Mahō Tsukai no Yome (The Ancient Magus Bride), Silky, a main character of the series, is a banshee.
• The Banshee song of Santigold on his 99cents album speaks of a banshee on his shoulder that does not let her sleep.
• Chapter 7 of the first season of the American Gods series refers to the banshee when Mr. Ibis tells the story Essie Macgowan.
• A song by Vocaloid "Banshee Strikes" by NantokaP (Kiichi).
• In the game The Witcher, different types of banshee appear. When they die, they leave special manufacturing materials.
• In chapter 15 of the third season of the Sleepy Hollow series, the protagonists face a banshee.
• Sindel, character of Mortal Kombat, has physical characteristics similar to a banshee as long hair, and an attack called "Banshee Rite" consisting of throwing screams that stun the enemy.
• In the Starcraft II video game, the banshee are controllable air units for the Terran race.
• In the video game Miitopia, the banshee are common enemies on various maps.
• In the Marvel editorial comics there are two mutant characters named Banshee with the power to stun with his sonic scream. The two characters are members of the X-Men teams.
• The Yu-Gi-Oh! card game has several cards based on banshees, such as "Banshee del Necromundo" and "Altergeist Primebanshee".
• In the second season of the World of Winx series, Musa (made of music), faces his Banshee nemesis in a tough battle over the cathedral of Paris, which strikes it with its loud screams. Finally Banshee is defeated by Musa, thanks to the power of music.
• ’Banshee’ by Anna Kearney is the song that represented Ireland at the Eurovision Junior 2019 Song Festival
• In the haunted series in the penultimate chapter of the 3rd season (3x21) Phoebe becomes a Banshee when he hears the scream of one when he is affected by his break with Cole, in that same chapter Prue becomes a dog to help locate Phoebe and Banshee due to the senses of these animals.
• In DC editorial comics, Silver Banshee is a recurring enemy of Superman. Within the comics the role was first occupied by Siobhan McDougal and then by Siobhan Smythe after the reboot of continuity.
• The Phantom Pokémon Mismagius (both uneasy Mumach Mumage in Japanese) is inspired by the concept of witches and magicians, but also refers to the Banshee because of their songs.
• In chapter 45 of the Gargoyles series a Banshee appears, when Goliath along with Elisa, Bronx and Angela, arrive in Ireland.
• In the PC video game Phasmophobia the Banshee is one of the types of ghost you can find.
• In the PC Warcraft III video game, the banshees are units throw controlable conjures for the living dead race.
• In a chapter of the chilling adventures of Sabrina there is a banshee in front of the house announcing the death of a close relative
• In the series of novels/animations Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, Banshee is the name of the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Unit 02, mobile black and gold suit piloted by Marida Cruz and later by Riddhe Marcenas, which antagonizes the RX-0corn Unicorn Gundam Unit 01, piloted by the protagonist of the story, Banagher Links, and white.
• In the role-playing Skulls and Dragons, the Banshees are an enemy of the category of undead or undead living who wander corridors of dungeons or old mansions crying strongly.
• In the film The Banshees Of Inisherin, or The Spirits of the Island by its name in Spanish, it is named and shown to an old woman who might well be a banshee.
• In the Grand Theft Auto game saga, there is a sports vehicle called Banshee, inspired by the Dodge Viper.