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Myth is not at all a fantastic story about the dawn of humanity, it is a timeless one that accompanies human development at all stages of history. Naturally, the “shells” of myth change; it transforms from irrational interpretations into ideological forms of substantiation of the world order. Religions are a transitory phenomenon, but myth, being a universal category, is coeternal with man: it is either in a latent state, or returns to its active form. The most actively manifested mythological tradition in Europe can be considered British, in particular Irish mythology, where the mythopoetic tradition is invisibly intertwined with works of art and integrated into everyday life modern man, becoming part of his worldview.

Characteristics of the Banshee image: myths and legends of the peoples of the world

Banshees are a type of fairy, an element of Irish and Scottish folklore. In the literary translation it is “magical woman”, but the literal translation of her authentic name is bean sí or bean sídhe, which means “woman of the hills”. Appearance The banshee is not exactly defined: to some she comes in the form of a sad, pale girl with eyes red from tears or a dead maiden from a family, and to others she appears in the form of a frightening old woman with protruding teeth and deathly pale skin with spots.

The only thing that unites all interpretations of this image is her long hair. Most often, the hair is silvery, gray in color, but there are several legends from around the 15th century where she shows people crimson-bloody hair. Banshees are found in legends in different clothes, including a gray cloak on top green dress, and a white dress glowing in the darkness, and even a shroud.

Banshee - guardian of the clan and harbinger of death

Irish mythology considers the main functional purpose of the Banshee to be guardianship over ancient families. She foresees the imminent death of one of the members of the clan and foreshadows it to his relatives with loud crying. Some American legends of the 18th century say that her heartbreaking scream caused glass to burst. In the form of the Banshee, it is not clear who is capable of making such sounds at all, because her moaning does not belong to any language, it is rather a synthesis of dog barking, slurred speech, the cries of wild ducks, wolf howls and the desperate lamentations of an abandoned child.

When in legends one of the people sees a Banshee, this means the imminent death of him or his friend.

For example, there is a legend about how a farmer met a long-haired old woman in a white dress by the river; when he greeted her, he saw how pale she was. The man felt terrified, and when he decided to go home, the old woman turned to him and stood up to her full height, towering about 4 meters above him. The farmer had already said goodbye to life when the woman simply stepped into the water and disappeared. The next day the farmer learned that his neighbor had died.

Banshees: who are these creatures - a unique brand of Ireland or one of the popular images of mythological characters who foretell death?

In Ireland, the image of the Banshee is considered unique. Although in the British Isles there are those who perform similar functions and have a similar appearance, the Banshee is a household name, known throughout the world.

Few people will remember the washerwoman Ben-Niye, the sufferer Kiheriet or the evil Baavan Shi, when there is a well-replicated cinematic story of the Banshee as a crying long-haired girl in a white dress.

In other mythological systems there are also harbingers of death: in Slavic mythology this is a brownie, in Sumerian-Akkadian - Anku.

With so many mythological analogies, the original image is somewhat blurred, and it itself acquires a wide variety of functional features. It is important to turn to the Irish source to understand the image of the Banshee, who these creatures are and what function they perform, because if you come across a description of the Banshee as a succubus who kills men, this is clearly not an Irish source.

Characters raised by the image of the Banshee: the Scottish analogy in the person of Bunny and Baavan Shi

There are several prototypes of the Banshee in the British Isles. Who these characters are and how they differ from their prototype, Scottish mythology will tell us. It is from there that we know the image of Baavan Shi. Unlike the protector of the Banshee family, this fairy is malicious, she feeds on the blood of men. You can protect yourself from them with the help of iron. With her beautiful appearance, the fairy lures men into her lair and drinks them dry. A distinctive feature of Baawan Shi is her beautiful long golden hair and a green festive dress, under which are hidden deer hooves.

In turn, Bunny is the opposite image of the evil Baavan Shi. This is a little washerwoman by the river, washing the bloody robes of people who are destined near death. Bunny are women who died during childbirth; they will leave this world only when their real hour of death strikes.

There is a belief among the peoples of the Scottish Highlands that if Bunny sneaks up unnoticed and stands between her and the water, she will answer any three questions. Nevertheless, she will also demand the same in return, and you need to answer her as truthfully as possible.

It is difficult to imagine that there is a more strange, remote, mystical place in the world than cool, often cloudy, full of castles and stone megaliths, Ireland. All the strangest evil spirits popular in popular culture, wandering from song to song, from one Gothic novel to another, is one way or another connected with this country.

Probably, the Irish themselves cannot imagine why so many different evil spirits settled in their green fields and hills. It is also worth noting that Irish mystical images are so original that finding more or less suitable prototypes in the mythology of other peoples is always very problematic.

The image is probably one of the most mystical in Irish folklore. Few aliens from parallel world has received so many film adaptations and reflections in poetry and prose. Peculiarity is that she, like most of those strange spirits that live in foggy Ireland, has Celtic roots, and the Celts were very original people.

Celtic folklore takes into account the slightest change in nature, a change in a person’s mood, and penetrates to the very depths human soul and finds there secluded, shady nooks and crannies through which strange images move.

If we remember that the Celts were primarily considered priests, then we can understand why the Banshee can be called one of the most mystical images created by them. After all, the priests, with the help of their spells, probably knew how to penetrate into those depths, where they could find an image, which later became embodied in the image of the mysterious Banshee - “woman from the hills” translated from Irish Gaelic.

Banshee appearance

Who is Banshee? The average Irishman, familiar with his folklore, will describe her something like this: she is a woman, and her obligatory attribute is long gray hair. True, folklore speakers give different names for this woman’s age. For some, this is a beautiful young girl, and for others, she is an old woman who is not very attractive in appearance.

There are also different opinions about the clothes of Women from the Fields. The banshee may wear a cloak, but its color varies depending on what the narrator remembers about his folklore. For example, a cloak can be green, because green is the traditional color of evil spirits, especially Irish ones. But more often it is white, because it is the color of death and emptiness. Banshee is, to some extent, the embodiment, or rather, its inexorable harbinger.

The Celts were particularly sensitive to the nature that surrounded them, and therefore it was from them that the perception of the Banshee as a part of nature came. It is believed that no one prevents her from appearing in this world in the form of trees, rivers and fogs. In general, Banshee is Nature in person, its integral part.

Why does Banshee come?

Irish mythology figuratively talks about the Banshee, but has no clear idea of ​​what exactly the function of the sinister lady is. The fact that this is not Bones herself is quite clear, but why the Banshee actually “works” for Death is not clear from the folklore that has come down to us.

Some legends claim that the Banshee is the spirit of a woman who in the past was a mourner at someone's funeral. Apparently, she got so used to the role that even after her death she had to come back from the other world and disturb the Irish with her inhuman scream.

And if you can still sort out the hair and the color of the cloak, then with the Banshee’s voice everything has long been determined. The Harbinger of Death comes at night under the windows of houses and wakes people up with a prolonged howl. Probably only the Celts, with their eternal desire to create something out of the ordinary, could have come up with such sophisticated mysticism.

The scream of a Banshee under the window does not bode well. It is believed that with her cry she warns of the impending death of someone living in the house. Legends describe this cry in the night as unbearable, heartbreaking, piercing through and through.

Some Irish legends say that the Banshee can not only scream, but also appear to travelers on lonely roads or near bodies of water. In an old or young guise, this messenger can answer any questions, but in return she will demand that you honestly tell her everything she wants. And you can't lie to her.

The Irish, not without pride, note the “nationality” of the Banshee. This means that neither the Russian nor the Chinese will see her, either in the form of an old woman or as a cry in the night. The banshee appears only to the Irish and Scots, that is, to the descendants of the Celts. There is also a version that the Banshee is the ancestral spirit of one or another Irish family. She comes to tell those she protects about the impending danger.

One way or another, the Banshee is one of the most striking and extraordinary images in Irish folklore. It is not just scary, but also in a special, Irish way, gloomy and full of all the most otherworldly things. This is probably precisely because in cool, cloudy Ireland it is difficult to come up with something less terrifying.

Chapter 1.
The large round moon took its turn in the sky and began to illuminate the area. The forest was filled with peace and sleep. The silence seemed so lulling, but at the same time alarming. A certain feeling of something coming enveloped all living things. Everything was drowning in darkness. Only the large mansion, standing on the edge of the forest, still reflected the light in one of the windows. If you came closer, you could see a beautiful young girl in him. Her name was Banshee. She hummed something to herself and combed her hair in front of the mirror. An ordinary night, a calm forest. It would seem that nothing foreshadowed trouble. As time went, full moon continued to shine with a ghostly yellow light. It was late in the day, but Banshee felt energized. Inspiration and emotions were seething in her, because very soon she would turn eighteen years old and she would be able to get married, start her own family and build her own future destiny. Standing in front of the mirror, she imagined herself in a ballgown at prom. But all dreams have an end, even if not the end, but a short break. Having finished her not very long lesson, Banshee left the bathroom and, with candles in her hands, headed down the corridor to the bedroom. She tried to walk quietly, afraid of waking her father, who had probably fallen asleep in his office after fiddling with his papers. Unfortunately, at that time they had not yet invented the supply of light using electricity, therefore, using a small candle, it was quite dangerous to walk around the huge house, fearing that in the almost darkness she would not notice the stairs. Suddenly a strange sound was heard and the small candle light went out. For just a few seconds, the girl found herself in complete darkness. Even the moon stopped shining for a moment, the windows turned black. The peacefully standing mansion turned into a scary and dark house. Everything that seemed familiar to Banshee for a long time took on a completely different look. Oh, how terrified the girl felt. Suddenly, a tightly closed window in the corridor opened with a whistle, and a strong gust of wind almost knocked the heroine off her feet. The oak trees growing on the site seemed to come to life and began to push their shabby branches into the window, as if they were trying to grab the Banshee. Heavy, massive branches hit the windows and wriggled deftly like a snake. But the girl was not afraid. She closed her eyes so as not to see everything that was happening, and walked forward at random, feeling the objects around her. The boards under her feet began to creak. The chest of drawers standing against the wall began to move. A large glass vase that stood on it crashed on the ground, falling under the feet of a high school student. Limping, she continued to walk forward. Finally her hand touched the door. The banshee opened her eyes. She found herself right in front of her father's office. The branches continued to reach out to the heroine, but finally the girl could not stand it and began knocking on the door in hysterics. “Daddy, daddy! Open, save me, please, daddy!” Finally, a nearby branch grabbed the girl by the neck and began to choke her. The screams were absorbed and dissipated. But then steps were heard from the direction of the door. A tall man of forty opened the door with a creak and looked at his squinting daughter with eyes filled with anger:
- What happened here? Banshee, why did you scream throughout the whole house like you were being killed!?
The girl opened her eyes. The windows closed by themselves, the wind weakened, the mighty oaks stood in their places as if nothing had happened.
-But, but, this can’t be! They tried to kill me! And the oaks, my mother asked me not to plant these oaks! They bring misfortune and death. I'm sure they strangled her with their roots!
-Calm down and stop this nonsense immediately! Your mother died a long time ago. I know this is hard to accept because you were only 5 years old at the time. But come to your senses now and live real world. Go to your room and no objections!
Then the door slammed and the girl, stumbling as she walked, went to bed.

Chapter 2.

Having reached her room, Banshee fell exhausted onto the bed and immediately fell asleep. The night dragged on for a long time and it seemed as if it would never end. The window in the hallway opened again, and a cold wind whistled through the house. The girl slept restlessly, and every now and then she screamed in her sleep.
She's been having nightmares for the past few days. Either she found herself in a fog of glances and anxiety, or she was drowning in her own blood. All these dreams seemed strange to her and seemed to foreshadow something. That night she again could not sleep. So, Banshee opened her eyes again, trembling all over, turned to the window and wanted to close them again, but suddenly she felt someone’s gaze on her. Opening her eyes, she saw a man standing right outside the window, but how?! Her room was on the second floor. The ghostly silhouette began to approach. The banshee already felt the cold, dead breath of an unknown creature. It grew closer and closer, and each time the strange sounds it made sounded more and more like separate words. "Banshee, Banshee, come to me, touch me, feel me." The voice was clearly female. So the heroine decided to open her eyes again. In front of her stood a girl shrouded in fog. The misty lady smiled tenderly and extended her smoke hand. But then the Banshee came to her senses. The girl jumped up screaming and, slamming the door, ran out of the room. Again the corridor, strange sounds, eyes following her. Everything in front of her seemed to be drowned in darkness. Fear, screams, memories. The banshee ran, not noticing anything around her. But then something sharp bit into her leg. “A fragment! I didn’t remove the broken vase!” - the girl’s consciousness immediately cleared. Feeling the pain, she immediately forgot all her fears and nightmares disappeared. Already reasoning calmly, Banshee began to assess the situation. She was next to the kitchen. The windows in the room were usually covered with shutters, so there was nothing to be afraid of going there. Realizing that she could not walk, she crawled to the kitchen. There she bandaged the wound and poured herself a glass of water. Having caught her breath, the girl did not even notice how she fell asleep.

Chapter 3.

The moon was already giving way to the sun, dawn was breaking. Bright glare of light fell on the hillock, and nimble rays of the sun were already making their way through the windows, as if talking about the beginning of a new day. Through the blinds in the kitchen, small gaps were also visible, which, after a few minutes, had already managed to illuminate the room. The banshee opened her eyes slightly, squinting from the bright light. Fuzzes of solar dust flew peacefully around the kitchen, everything looked so peaceful and beautiful, as if all the events that had happened at night seemed just a bad dream. Now the girl was ready to close her eyes again and bask in the rays of the dawn, when suddenly she heard a loud, ringing voice, which made her shudder:
Banshee! What were you doing in the kitchen at night, please tell me. I told you to go to your room to sleep.
The banshee sighed in annoyance, “why is he so angry in the morning?” Father continued to grumble under his breath:
-After your mother died, very strange things began to happen to you. Can you explain to me what's going on? It's the beginning of August! Soon the long-awaited two summer holidays will end, and you will have to go to college, and this time take the entrance exams. Have you thought about this? And who are you going to become? Daughter, you are no longer little, time is passing, there is just a little left until graduation. You have to think faster. Just a little more and you will enter adulthood. This is not a joke.
“I know, dad,” the girl answered calmly. Don't worry about me, I still have time.
-Okay, so be it. Will you have scrambled eggs? While you were sleeping, I had already prepared breakfast.
A few minutes later they were sitting peacefully at the table and talking. Time passed, so the father stood up from the table and, looking at his watch, said:
-I have to go, will you accompany me?
The girl nodded silently. Finally he went to work, and Banshee had to do the routine housework. All she had to do was wash the stairs and corridors, wipe down the shelves and remove the dust. The girl decided to start with the stairs and end with the forbidden boarded up door, the entrance to which her father personally boarded up. “I wonder what he’s hiding there.” This question tormented my daughter for several years, but she came to terms with it. Although, sometimes she imagined completely different pictures of what could be there. She was incredibly interested, and if the opportunity to look there had arisen, Banshee would never have missed it. She washed the stairs and was about to finish washing the floor in the hallway when she suddenly found a small hole in the wall. This hole was filled with cobwebs, and inside something glittered and beckoned. The girl stuck her hand in there and felt something iron and rusty. Having pulled it out, she realized that she had found some kind of key, but it did not fit into any of the rooms, and it looked like something from a hundred years ago. The banshee put the rag aside, put the bucket and mop in the closet and went upstairs to her room. There she lay down on the bed and began to carefully examine the find. Soon she got tired of it, she tied the key on a rope, put it on herself like a necklace and hid it under her T-shirt, and began reading her book in a slightly tattered red cover.
Here the sunset again drove the sun from its place. It was five in the evening. Father was coming soon.

Chapter 4.

Gradually, the sunset painted the sky in red-orange tones, the leaves of the trees rustled in the light breeze, enjoying the last rays of the sun. The mighty oak trees of the mansion stood majestically and looked like giants, menacingly looking down on everything from above. The banshee sat on her bed in her room and looked at pictures in mystical books. She took these books from her father's old library. These writings were four times the girl's age. The pages turned yellow over time, they were torn somewhere, and the text in the books was written by hand. The beautiful covers, made of real leather, sparkled with small diamonds set on the sides. On one of the books, on a chic red cover, it was written in gold letters: Mysticism, fortune telling and spells. Banshee especially loved this edition. Every evening she secretly took it from the library and read new interesting and mystical facts. But now she didn’t need it for entertainment at all: she was looking for important information about the silhouette of a foggy lady who appeared to her last night. “Yeah, I found it,” Banshee began to read out loud:
Fog Girl, mystical creature, foreshadowing people about imminent death, often attracts them to itself and kills itself, can possess other people, animals, follow the victim until the death, scare them until they faint...." The girl read in a trembling voice. Is it really time for her to retire soon and will she die so early, like her mother? The daughter lay back on the bed and, closing her eyes, began to quietly whisper a prayer for long life and salvation. About 15 minutes passed, the sunset gave way to twilight. But the whole night she could not sleep. to that lady and about the prediction in the book. Suddenly the girl remembered the key that she found in the morning. That old, rusty and attractive object. Then she remembered the boarded up door, and behind them there was a hole for the key. the key did not fit into any door. There was only hope for this door. What if something was stored there that would help the Banshee avoid death? She just sighed heavily that tomorrow, when her father left for work again, she would take the ax out of the closet. will try to break off the boards and open the door with a key. She was very determined, and now she promised herself that she would never give up what she had decided.

Chapter 5.

The treasured door. A new day has come again. It was unexpectedly hot and light. Birds sat on the branches of mighty oaks and sang their wonderful songs. Everything went according to the girl's plan. Her father had already left for work and it was time to act. Having seen off her relative, Banshee quickly rushed up the stairs to the second floor, ran into her room, took out a key and a book with spells, wrapped in a fabric yellowed with time, from the tabletop, and ran upstairs to the third floor, into the room with candles, in which she was secret door. The girl quietly opened it and entered. The banshee had already prepared everything in advance: there was an ax in the middle of the room, next to it was a rope, a bag and a flashlight, if there was anything interesting. The girl picked up an ax and walked up to the boarded up door. So she swung, and the old woman, closing her eyes, struck. She hit the boards straight. Here they are cracked. The banshee put down the ax and, going up to the door, began to carefully remove the debris. A few more splinters, a little bit of blood and the door was freed from two hundred years of shackles. The girl looked around and, spreading her arms wide, sighed joyfully. “Finally I’ll be able to see what’s there, I’ve been waiting for this. At least the key fits.” And now she has already inserted the key into the keyhole. Everything fit, but it was as if this key and the door were one whole. A few more turns and, pulling the handle, Banshee opened it. The entire door was already overgrown with moss and had small holes through which one could see what was hiding in the depths of the darkness. The moss fell off with a crunch and gave off an unpleasant smell. There was a cobweb hanging from the top panel. Oh, how the girl didn’t want to go there, but curiosity was stronger than any fears. She quietly went inside. As soon as the Banshee stepped onto the stone, moss-covered floor, there was a loud noise, which echoed through the mysterious corridors. Judging by the house plan, secret passages were hidden behind this door, which were already more than 400 years old. The girl walked carefully and quietly, afraid to see something terrible in the dark. She walked and walked, exploring new paths, but then she heard the door close with a roar. I heard the turning of a key." Oh no, it seems someone locked me in here. Not this!" The banshee was simply drowning in panic, she ran to the door and began knocking hysterically. "Please, someone open it!" A few minutes later she was already leaning on the door and in a weak, trembling voice uttered only one last word, “Ppp help.”
Chapter 6.
“Help..” echoed the girl’s weak voice. So, she was locked in cold and empty tunnels, from which it was almost impossible to get back. Roots protruded carelessly from the earthen ceiling, and there was a smell of soil. A clap of thunder was heard overhead, then another, and another... It began to rain, and gradually the corridors began to fill with water. There was little air in the corridors, so it was impossible to stay there for a long time. The banshee stood up and looked around. Two forks led to completely different ends. The girl decided to focus on the roots of those mighty oak trees that grew on the territory of the mansion. She decided to move on, because somewhere outside the area there was a large hole, apparently leading to the tunnels. Surely this was an emergency exit, but now it was covered. The banshee continued to wander the corridors like a ghost. Strange sounds and unpleasant rustling sounds were heard from the depths of the mysterious passages. The water was rising. The girl walked forward in almost complete darkness. The tunnels were quite narrow, but towards the middle of the journey they widened, and the Banshee ended up in a small sandy cave. She was very thirsty. The girl sat down on the wet sand and, catching her breath, began to catch the drops falling from the ceiling. Her vision grew dark, and Banshee felt like a mole. "Am I really going to die like this, in dark passages"? She couldn't believe it. “Who asked me to climb to this door. She stood calmly, no one touched her, and then I came and ruined everything. I’m leading myself to death. What could be more terrible? The girl howled exhaustedly and immediately lost consciousness. Time passed, and it seemed as if it had stopped forever. The Banshee woke up and again began to wander through the corridors, completely different from each other. She continued to move forward, not giving up, but with each new hour of arrival, she realized that she was gradually becoming blind. then she felt that she had hit the wall. The banshee began to feel her. She felt the roots of the tree and the wet soil, a small stream of water flowed through some hole. The girl opened her eyes, already blinded by the darkness, and immediately closed her eyes. There was a small hole in that wall. , from which the light came. The Banshee instantly gained strength. She began to energetically dig forward. Finally, a small hole appeared that she could squeeze through. When the girl walked out into the sun and looked towards the house, there was a police car at its gate. Everything was so blurry that she couldn't get a better look. After several hours of wandering through secret passages, her vision deteriorated terribly. The banshee immediately ran towards the mansion. She felt something very bad. . "What happened during my absence?"
Chapter 7.
The banshee tried to run as fast as possible and kept stumbling along the way. Her once white new dress was stained with soil, and her hair, which the girl had been doing for a very long time, was very disheveled. The banshee was squinting heavily from the sun after walking through the tunnels for many days; she had not taken even a crumb of bread into her mouth for a long time. Finally she was already near the fence. From a distance, she noticed that her father was standing next to the policeman and talking about something. The banshee rushed forward and screamed loudly, “Dad! Dad, what happened, is everything okay?”
“Hmm, I see how well you support your daughter,” the policeman drawled, not paying any attention to her words.
The father pulled his daughter by the hand and whispered in her ear:
-Where have you been all this time? What happened to you?
-I found the key to the secret door. There are moves there. One of them leads to the exit to the site.
-What did you do there? Who asked you to hang around there?
- I didn’t want to, I just wanted to look in and see what was there, and the door slammed. Someone blocked me.
-But this can’t be, there was no one in the house at that moment, I was leaving for work.
The banshee froze in horror. Did some person sneak into their house and lock them there? It can not be...
Meanwhile, the policeman kept writing something, and then said:
-Walter Digenson, you are accused of murdering your co-worker Mark Williams and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The girl stood silently and listened to all this, reeling from the shock she had just received. "My father is a killer?" She still couldn’t wrap her head around this terrible thought. The policeman continued:
- While your daughter is not yet eighteen years old, she will be looked after by a specially trained person who will arrive in exactly an hour. In the meantime, get in the car, I'll take you to the police station.
The man bowed politely to the Banshee:
-Arrivederchi, signorina.
The girl stood silently and looked after them. She still couldn’t believe what had happened: her father would rot in prison and she would never see him again, her mother had died, her sister had been lost a long time ago. The banshee thought that there was no longer any point in continuing to live.
Chapter 8.
The sunset was already giving off its last warmth and rays of life. Life was in full swing all around: you could hear mice scurrying around in their holes, leaves rustling in a light breeze, and a stream flowing somewhere nearby. But Banshee continued to stand and look into the distance as the police car drove away. She still couldn't come to terms with the fact that she had lost everything. Suddenly she heard the roar of an engine and approaching footsteps. Some woman in a respectable suit entered the territory of the mansion. She stood near the gate and knocked. The girl looked at her with eyes full of longing. She had no time for this. Finally, according to the Banshee, this aunty had the audacity to enter without an invitation. She was already approaching, but then the girl came to life again and ran in the opposite direction. Climbing over the barbed fence, she caught her dress and fell to the ground on the other side of the fence. The banshee was hit painfully, but did not retreat due to her stubbornness. She brushed herself off, stood up and ran on. However, the employee did not lag behind. She ran out of the area, got into her SUV and followed her. The banshee tried to run as fast as possible and make her way through the most difficult places so that the woman could not pass. So she ran faster and faster, and turning around as she ran, she did not keep track of where she was running and fell from a small cliff into a small lake. But then she remembered that next to it there was that very pit with passages through which it was possible to sneak into the house unnoticed. The girl, all wet, ran out of the water and squeezed through the hole. And now she was already running through the secret passages. After being here for a long time, she knew all the ways and easily found her way. Coming out of the boarded up door, she went down to the first floor and closed all the doors and windows. But how did this strange lady realize where she was? Here she was already knocking on the door:
-Banshee, open up, dear. You're a beautiful, smart girl, don't do anything stupid.
But it was after these words that a spark of anger lit up in the Banshee’s eyes. Completely distraught, she went to the kitchen and took kitchen knife and cut her mouth right down to her ears to make it look as uglier and sloppy as possible. She did not shed a single tear during this process. Blood flowed like a river. So the girl came up to the small window and, looking at the social worker, loudly and brazenly asked:
-And now it’s beautiful!? Am I beautiful now?
The woman stood and silently looked at the Banshee's disfigured face. She was in shock. So, she began to slowly retreat back. Then she turned around and quickly ran to the car. Having sat down in it and caught her breath, she drove away from this place, saying hysterically under her breath:
- Abnormal, a family of crazy people. All at once.
The banshee went out into the street and began to watch her trail. Smiling evilly, she said:
- Well, that's good. Finally, all these strange people left me behind.
The girl was sitting in a room with candles. A rope lay nearby, and an open book of spells lay on the floor. The banshee tied her hands and shouted loudly:
- Curse me! Let me leave this earth! I'm waiting for salvation! I don't want to live like this anymore. I'm unhappy, curse me, curse me...

Chapter 9

Night. Thunder struck, lightning flashed somewhere in the distance, and rain fell on the ground, turning the dry earth into loose and rich in water. The long-dried plants, which Banshee stopped caring for after her father’s imprisonment, turned green again and began to grow on their own. Only the girl herself was in deep sadness. She couldn't come to terms with everything that had happened. She considered herself unhappy and lost and asked higher power take her life from this callous, sad land. But as luck would have it, there was no answer. The clouds were still gathering over the darkened gray sky, preparing to give out a powerful, new clap of thunder and finally release lightning into the wild. The Banshee came out into the street. The weather was quite unfavorable and it was quite dangerous to go outside. The girl held her book of spells in her hand. She walked out to the middle of the lot in front of the house. She pulled chalk from the pocket of her summer dress, stained with blood, and drew a circle with an eight-pointed star. Next, she wrote some symbols inside the circle and stood in it. Raising her hands up, she let out a sorrowful cry. The sky heard. The clouds kept getting thicker and thicker, and a huge tornado formed around the girl, knocking down everything in its path. Lightning flashed inside him and together formed one. And then a powerful wave of static electricity completely pierced the Banshee. The mansion next to it looked sideways. Suddenly, a huge board on the dressing room came unhooked and, along with the nails, flew towards the tornado and swirled in it. But then it unexpectedly fell straight onto the girl’s body, and it split in half. Only pieces of intestine remained attached to the bloody head with a mutilated mouth. The Banshee's eyes filled with blood, and the blood was slightly smeared across her face. The skin on the face began to turn white, the eyelashes fell off, and the beautiful dark pink-blond hair darkened with blood and turned black. So, gradually the clouds began to spread evenly throughout the sky. Everything became clear. Only the forest was alarmingly quiet. The animals and birds were silent, afraid to make a single sound. Everyone around remained mournfully silent about dead girl. The oak trees gently bent over their gnarled, terrible branches. Thorn bushes stretched towards the body, evergreen trees darkened and tilted. The mansion was crooked. Cracks began to appear on the building itself, in some places parts of the roof were missing, the porch collapsed and formed a huge hole. There was no consecration in the house at all. Everything was so dark and depressing. Only life-saving candles and torches burned in one single room. Everything looked lifeless and empty. It would seem that Banshee’s torment was over, but higher powers punished the girl for her dislike for the life given to her. Now the curse haunted her forever: to live forever, to live forever, to kill the living, to sow death, to be the living dead. Now the Banshee, like a mortal shadow, flew around the house, emitting a sorrowful howl, foreshadowing those who came to the house about imminent death.

Irish folklore is rich in amazing and interesting images. One of the brightest can confidently be called a banshee. Who are banshees and why do they appear? How do people's encounters with these creatures end? Read on!

Banshee: the meaning of the word and its origin

In order to understand the meaning of this word, you should look in the dictionary. It comes from the English banshee, which, in turn, is the closest relative of the Irish bean sidhe, which can be translated as “woman from the other world.”

Different names for the same character

An interesting fact is that in different parts of Ireland the banshee different names. Of course, the most common is bean sidhe. But, along with the generally accepted designation, there are also local names. For example, in counties such as Tipperary, Mayo and Limerick, it is customary to call this character bean chaointe - “crying woman”. By the way, sometimes in Tipperary (and at the same time in counties Laish and Kilkenny) a banshee is called a bochenta. Residents of the southeastern part of the country call the banshee badhdh. This definition of banshee means a woman who is scary, aggressive and very dangerous. It is worth noting that in the Middle Ages the Irish called the goddesses of war with the same word. In the south of counties Wicklow and Kildare, Carlow and Wexford, the name bow is common. But in Waterford, banshees are usually called bibe.

Origin of the image

So who is a banshee? This is a character from Irish folklore who appears near the home of a man whose days are numbered. In fact, the woman messenger notifies the man himself and his loved ones about this. She does this with the help of moans, sobs and screams. Most likely, researchers say, the myth of the banshee arose on the basis of an old tradition: once upon a time a woman had to be present at a funeral, singing a special funeral song. At the same time, the woman sobbed and wailed loudly. Another version says: the concept of a banshee is inextricably linked with the legend of the ghost of a murdered woman. According to the third version, this is the mother who died during childbirth.

This hero of Irish folklore has no direct analogues in the culture and beliefs of other peoples. Researchers suggest that the roots of this image go back to Celtic mythology. Patricia Lysaft, a professor at Dublin University, devoted more than 20 years to studying the image of the banshee. In her works, she notes that the Irish themselves practically do not think about the origin of this character, they simply take it for granted. However, Patricia managed to systematize the data about him.

1. Fairies are one of the opinions about who banshees are, widespread in the literature of the 19th-20th centuries. Today, this identification has lost its relevance. The fact is that fairies are social creatures. They live in groups, and their lifestyle is similar to that of humans. Banshees are solitary creatures, and their entire connection with people is solely a warning of death.
2. Ghosts are a much more common opinion. Some Irish people say that the banshee is the ghost of the mourning woman. There is a belief that if during life the mourner did not fulfill her duties, then after death she will certainly become a messenger spirit.
3. The patroness of the clan is the main version. According to her, the banshee is the progenitor of the family, a kind of patron spirit. Only truly Irish families can boast of having such a spirit.

Appearance

Now that you know who banshees are, let's talk about what they look like. The appearance of these loud-voiced creatures causes serious controversy even today. Someone says that a banshee is a beautiful girl in a long light cloak. There is a hood on her head. Some people like the version according to which the spirit appears in the form of a wrinkled, decrepit old woman. The only thing about which there is no doubt is the hair - it is generally accepted that it is very long and light, possibly gray. It is very rare to find a description with dark or red hair, wearing colored clothes. According to the descriptions, the banshee's cloak is very long. Shoes are rarely mentioned in legends; it is generally believed that the spirit appears barefoot before people.

Irish legends

To date, three main stories related to the banshee are known. According to the first, a man accidentally meets a ghost at night, mistakes him for an ordinary woman and tries to offend her. The creature pushes the man away, leaving marks of fingers and palms on his body.

The second plot of Irish legends says that a man meets a banshee while doing laundry. He laughs at her and offers to wash his shirt too. There are two main versions further development events: the spirit can actually wash a shirt, quietly removing it from a man, or it can simply strangle someone laughing at her with the collar of his own clothes. The third legend tells of a traveler returning home and accidentally encountering a banshee combing her hair. Having obtained the bone comb of the spirit, the traveler returns home, but soon the owner comes for her thing, threatens and demands it back.

Evil spirits or simple messengers?

Contrary to popular belief, researchers of Irish legends assure: banshees are not evil ghosts, but just messengers of approaching death. Usually the howls of the spirit are heard only by those who are about to die. But there are also cases when eerie screams are heard by other people. In this case must die great person or the most respected relative.

Image in culture

The meaning of the banshee and its image have often been used in world culture. This is how Ray Bradbury wrote the story “Banshee”. The same creature was also mentioned in the novels of Clifford Simak. Charles de Lint compared the cry of the heroine of his book “Taste the Moonlight” with the cry of this spirit. Strange creatures also appeared on the big screen. In 1970, a film called “The Cry of the Banshee” was released. In 2006, another film was shot with this creation - “Music of Death”. Another film appeared in 2008 and was released in our country under the name “Night Watch”.

Computer games

The character of Irish folklore also appears in computer games:

• ghostly creatures fly and deafen everyone with their screams in the game World of Warcraft;
• Banshee is one of the most powerful fighting machines in the BattleTech universe;
• in the GTA world, banshees are the fastest cars;
• Those who have at least once played the game “Cursed Lands” are also familiar with banshees - here they call ghosts in long black robes;
• A banshee also appears in the game Mortal Kombat - here it is Sindel.

The mythological bestiary is rich in mysterious creatures endowed with special abilities and harbingers of change. Banshee is a representative Irish mythology, female harbinger of death. She has several incarnations and marks death with a soul-chilling cry.

Origin of the creature image

Mentions of the harbinger of death come from Ireland. Similar creatures exist only in Breton and Welsh myths. Researchers claim that the girl-messenger of death is related to Celtic mythology and is its brightest representative. The essence of the mythical creature is not defined. There are three versions explaining who a banshee is.

1. The literature of the Middle Ages makes it possible to believe that banshees are. This version is not the only correct one - according to research, fairies prefer to live in society and lead a normal human lifestyle. The banshee loves solitude and does not tolerate communication with people.
2. A more common version is that banshees are mourners who did not fulfill their duty during life and fulfill it in the afterlife.
3. In most legends, the banshee appears in the form of the patroness of the family, whom she... Researchers are confident that the banshee is also the ancestor of the chosen family.

Mythologists are sure that the banshee patronizes only the families of the indigenous people of Ireland.

Different names for the same creature

The main name of the female harbinger of death is translated from Irish as “woman of the Seeds.” But in some parts of Ireland there are other names for the messenger.

In the southwest she is called the mourner. In the southeastern regions she is called a terrible and dangerous woman. And closer to the east its name is bochenta. In other counties the messenger of death is called bayb and baw.

Banshee Form

The Messenger of Death has the ability to take on any form. Information about the true form of a banshee varies, but she always appears in the form of a girl. She may appear as a beautiful maiden with long hair and a cloak white. In other legends, she looks like a little old woman or a scary, decrepit witch with matted black hair. Some mythologists claim that the messenger takes on the appearance of a girl during the day, and at night chooses the image of an old woman.

In different descriptions of the mourner, common features are clearly visible:

• long hair;
• white long robe;
• bare feet.

Many myths note the tear-stained eyes and general pallor of the messenger seeking peace and

In some records you can find other images of the messenger - a witch in a black robe, an old woman in a green dress, or a tear-stained diva. But researchers and adherents of traditional mythology still prefer a female messenger of death dressed in white and with long blond hair.

Adherents of the version about the patroness of the family describe the mourner as the ghost of one of the innocent relatives who died early, who protects the family and warns of imminent death.

Home distinctive feature the messenger is her cry. It is described as a high-pitched cry or howl that fills with fear and terror. The cry of a banshee signifies imminent death to those who hear it.

Banshee in Celtic mythology

Celtic mythology depicts the banshee as a harbinger of death. Many people consider her to be an evil spirit who kills people, but this opinion is wrong. The spirit only warns with its howl, and only the one for whom it is intended can hear it.

Several messengers in one place can herald the death of many people from illness or weather disasters. Another version of the meeting of mourners speaks of the death of a strong man.

The girl's irritability is described in many legends. So, one traveler confused the messenger with an ordinary woman and was going to insult her. The angry mourner pushed the man away, leaving palm marks on his body that remained for the rest of his days.

According to another legend, seeing the mourner, one Irishman mockingly offered her to wash his shirt. The girl, who was in a good mood, agreed, but the angry messenger was capable of strangling the careless traveler with his own clothes.

There are other legends that describe the essence as the patroness of the clan. They note the lack of cruelty and vindictiveness in the messenger. She is not bloodthirsty and tries to gently warn the erring traveler, warning that reckless adventures can end in much worse events. Therefore, you should be careful with the messenger - she represents other world and can be dangerous.

In the legends of King Arthur, banshee fairies inhabited the enchanted forest and lured travelers, endowing them with passion and making them forget about everything. Later they left victims devoid of will and reason. They walked mindlessly through the forest until the end of their days, unable to think.

The image of a banshee in modern culture

The Herald of Death is gaining popularity in modern times and is often mentioned in cinema, literature, comics and computer games. The image of the mourner in some works changes beyond recognition.

In the TV series Supernatural, a ghost drives a victim crazy with a high-pitched scream and then feasts on his brain. In Charmed, the banshee is a demon endowed with abilities convert others strong witches, capable of feeling pain, similar creatures in themselves. Marvel comics named after the messenger one of the superheroes capable of creating supersonic waves. The Banshee character is also popular in Japan.

The Japanese anime presents the messenger as a young girl crying amber tears that reveal memories of her master's life. If her tears do not burn away, then the owner will soon die.

Modern art increasingly presents the banshee as an evil character bent on murder. Therefore, it is important to remember the true purpose of the mourner and distinguish the literary image from.