![]() ![]() With Irelands’ transition from paganism to Christianity Aibhill lost her title and was no longer a deity but a forewarner of death. Aibhill was a banshee but she was once celebrated as a goddess and worshipped within pagan Ireland. This location is known to have been the habitation of the great spirit Aibhill. Clare, Ireland is the rocky mountain of Craig Liath. (Interestingly, both the Irish banshee and Mexico’s La Lorona are women in white connected to water, learn more about La Lorona by clicking here.) Other tales have her hands threading through blood and human limbs where a river or a lake had once resided. This act was said to be an omen of great loss soon to follow. Some stories have banshees washing bloody clothes by rivers.The Banshee is sometimes seen with a comb brushing her hair.Banshees are generally associated with the colour white however different variants have her in green, black and red.Other times she is the embodiment of a young member of the family, in question, who died in some tragic circumstance however often nobody sees the banshee at all, her piercing wail or ‘keening’ is all that is heard. Some folktales have the banshee as a beautiful mythical creature, whilst others depict her as a frail old woman.Banshees were said to warn of the deaths of families of pure Irish descent for example the O’Brien’s or McNamara however in exceptional cases banshees have wailed for those of non-Irish descent. The wail of a banshee is said to foretell death.A direct English translation from the original Irish language is “Woman of the Fairies”. I’m going to focus on the County Clare folktales. There are a few variations of the Irish Banshees across the island of Ireland. ![]()
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