In Irish folklore, ghostly female spirits whose wailing or screaming warns that someone in a family is about to die.
From Irish Gaelic 'bean sídhe,' literally meaning 'woman of the fairy mound.' The word traveled into English through Irish storytelling traditions and has maintained its connection to Celtic supernatural beliefs.
Irish families used to swear they actually heard banshee wails before someone died — whether supernatural or psychological, the banshee legend reveals how cultures cope with the fear of death by personifying it as a warning voice.
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