The Banshee (Bean Sidhe) is a supernatural female spirit in Irish and Scottish folklore who heralds death. Her blood-curdling scream (keen) foretells an impending death in a family. She is seen at night on hillsides with long silver hair, white robes, and a pale face.

Traditionally associated with noble Irish families (especially the O’Brien, O’Connor, and O’Neill lines), the Banshee mourns and weeps during the night before a family member dies. In some accounts, she is depicted as a woman washing bloody garments by a riverbank. The Banshee is one of the most powerful Celtic symbols of death’s inevitability and grief.