Could this be a lost soul?
Lost Soul
The banshee is a well known entity in Irish folklore. The legends and myths tell of a screaming young female spectre with auburn hair and blood-red eyes.
If you should see the creature, or hear her shrill screams, it means that someone in your family, or household, is going to die. The banshee doesn’t cause death, or take a life. She screams, or wails for those that are about to die.
Sightings
In Ireland, stories and sightings go back as far as the early 800’s. Also known as “Bean Sidhe”, the banshee has often been depicted as a beautiful young female apparition with scary, witch-like facial features. There have been many sightings throughout history, with the spectre disappearing in a cloud of mist once she’s seen. Of course as a result, a family member dies.
Shape Shifter
Scotland is also home to the shrieking creature . It appears as an ugly, gnarled, old woman or hag with broken teeth, instead of a beautiful young female. The Scots sometimes refer to the apparition as “Ban Sithe”. Yet, the stories are the same – she wails for the souls that are about to be lost.
The Tune
The ghostly creature is the inspiration, or subject, of more than one Irish melody. This week’s tune is simply titled “The Banshee”, and it’s in the key of G.
Typical A-A B-B format.
Listen to “The Banshee” for mandolin:
Here it is again, at 100bpm:
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They’re Everywhere!
Although most commonly associated with Irish folklore, there are myths and stories of the same type of creature from many different countries. The screaming spectre appears in the myths and legends of a number of different cultures throughout the world.
Always an omen of impending doom, she can appear in various forms and goes by many different names.
Spooky, huh? Hope you enjoy the tune.
Cy…
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