Hello lovelies!
So, here she is, one of the most recognisable creatures from Irish folklore, as well as one of the biggest symbols of old Irish families and their heritage. Most people will know of her cry through the night, warning of someone's death, and the absolute terror it strikes into the hearts of men.
However, people seem to have forgotten that this spirit wasn't seen as a threat, or was even considered remotely dangerous, just a warning. She is an otherworldly spirit, tied to the ancient family she serves, and makes sure they are prepared for the departure of someone in their bloodline.
Possibly because of her connection to death, the banshee has become a much more feared and weaponised creature. However, I will be showing you ways in which she can be used in writing without that aspect. So, let's get started!
General Description:
There are typically two major descriptions for banshee. She is either a withered old crone or a beautiful, slender woman. However, she is always associated with the colour white and her screeching voice, with which she announces someone's death. Sometimes she is also seen washing the clothes of the soon to be deceased by a stream or a well, such as the blood of someone's armour.
Uses:
-Ancestor:
Since banshees are typically tied to a family, or a family residence, she is sometimes characterised as one of their ancestors. The reason given for her turning into a banshee often has to do with injustice or violence in her life, adding a new layer to her wailing cry.
So, if you want to write a banshee into your story, and your story is from a more familial, historical viewpoint, casting this creature in the role of an ancestor can greatly add to a sense of a long, old history. This is especially true if you add in another characteristic of the banshee: as long as the ancestral home of the family stands, no matter in what condition, she will continue to appear.
These qualities makes the banshee a highly compatible creature for a story centred on cultural heritage and family lineage. Whether you choose to include her story as a living woman, or keep it deliberately vague is up to you and how involved the specific history of a building or region is to the story. Regardless, it's a good tool to introduce a deeper layer in ancestral history.
-Omen:
This one is probably the most obvious, as well as the most villainous interpretation of the banshee, and will therefore also be the most recogniseable to your readers. The banshee as omen, specifically as an omen of death and grief, is, after all, her job.
This gives you an opportunity to do what most authors writing something scary or unsettling know by heart, do not show the source, and the imagination of the reader run wild. In this case, it's fairly easy to introduce the reader to this creature without showing her, because of her scream. You can of course still use the old "scary story told by the locals" tool, but considering the banshee's scream is her most famous trademark, you can clue your readers into what is going on.
As an omen, the banshee will be much more mysterious figure than in other interpretations or characterisations. If she is too defined or too obvious in her appearance, she loses the factor of the 'unknown. So, you may choose to not even show her, or to only get a glimpse. It's a perfect creature to cause tension, as well as mystery.
-Fae:
The word 'banshee' itself means 'woman of the otherworld', the otherworld here referring to the fae realm. So, it's safe to say that this creature can be classified as a fae, as well as an ancestor. This makes it an interesting tool to use if you want to introduce your characters to the otherworld in a more subtle way.
While the banshee only arrives at certain times, she is a type of fae with clear and distinct ties to humanity, as well as more direct contact than most other fae. So, there will generally be more opportunities to introduce this creature than there may be with others coming from the otherworld.
As a fae, even though she could once have been an alive woman, be aware that some of her morality or general mentality may have altered from when she was human. That is, if you choose to make her a former ancestress. If not, the banshee does need another reason to stick around a certain family or building. Fae can have reasons as fickle as 'the colour of the stone is a nice brown', and as deep as 'this is where my good friend died'. However, there still needs to be a connection.
I hope this will not only help people get a better understanding of what a banshee is, but also that we will see more of her traditional representation. This ancient symbol of Irish bloodlines deserves more of the reverence she once had.
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Goodbye, lovelies!
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