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Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16 The majority of these women quite possibly could be banshees that feel the need to sing in an attempt to raise or lower the feelings of those attending.Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning, thunder bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weaponsĬondition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained One possible origin of the Banshee are "keeners," woman in Ireland that sing songs of lament at funerals. Another time they are seen as a washing woman, where she is apparently seen washing the bloodstains out of the fated person clothes.īanshee are fairly popular and enjoy the same status (in Ireland) as leprechauns. The tales sometimes recounted that the woman, though called a fairy, was a ghost, often of a specific murdered woman, or a mother who died in childbirth.Īpparently, in terms of clothing, she either wears a grey, hooded cloak or a grave robe meant for the unshriven dead (those who had died without being absolved of their sins).īanshee usually come in three of many forms, the first being a young woman, the second being a rich middle-aged lady or matron, and the third being of a fraglie old woman. When several banshees appear at once, it indicates the death of someone great or holy. Charles Bunworth, a name of Anglo-Saxon origin, and the Rossmore banshee, which supposedly heralded the death of a member of the family of Baron Rossmore, whose ancestry was predominantly Scottish and Dutch. Other exceptions were the Bunworth Banshee, which heralded the death of the Rev. One account, however, also included the Geraldines, as they had apparently become "more Irish than the Irish themselves," countering the lore ascribing banshees exclusively to those of Milesian stock. It is often stated that the banshee laments only the descendants of the pure Milesian stock of Ireland, sometimes clarified as surnames prefixed with O' and Mac, and some accounts even state that each family has its own banshee. If someone is about to enter a situation where it is unlikely they will come out alive she will warn people by screaming or wailing, giving rise to a banshee also being known as a wailing woman. The banshee also is a predictor of death. In those cases, her wailing would be the first warning the household had of the death. She would sing it when a family member died or was about to die, even if the person had died far away and news of their death had not yet come.
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Irish legend speaks of a lament being sung by a fairy woman, or banshee. This keening woman may in some cases be a professional, and the best keeners would be in high demand. In Ireland and parts of Scotland, a traditional part of mourning is the keening woman ( bean chaointe), who wails a lament-in Irish: Caoineadh, pronounced (Munster dialect), (Connaught dialect) or (Ulster dialect), caoin meaning "to weep, to wail". Though to some the comb is simply a gift to someone they love or feel is important. If one is to see such a comb, it is suggested not to pick it up or that person might be spirited away. Banshee are commonly depicted as having long, fair hair which they comb with a silver comb. When several banshees appear at once, it is said that a person great or holy has died. Banshees also appear in places where there is great sorrow and pain.
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Some also take to singing songs to do the work, and put power into it without changing the sound. Some describe it as 'low and pleasant' which can be used to comfort people or generally just to make them feel good and others as 'a mix of a wail of a woman and a moan of an owl' which can hypnotize many. The quality of her voice varies to region to region. There have been numerous reports of same thing happening to members of the royal court and other high-profile members of Irish society. In 1437, Scottish King James the I is said to have been approached by one such being. Rarely seen but heard, her mourning call is often given at night when someone is about to die. According to tradition, the banshee was only said to cry for four major families but this list seems to have been extended due to marriage. The Banshee is also said to be tasked with the job of warning selected members of ancient Irish families of the time of their death.
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