A myth is not at all a fantastic story about the dawn of mankind, it is a timeless cultural universal that accompanies human development at all stages of history. Naturally, the “shells” of the myth are changing, from irrational interpretations it is being transformed into ideological forms of substantiating the world order. Religion is a transient phenomenon, but the myth, being a universal category, is perfect for a person: it is either in a latent state or it is regaining its active form. The most actively manifesting mythological tradition of Europe can be considered British, in particular Irish mythology, where the mythopoetic tradition invisibly interwoven with works of art and merged into the life of a modern person, becoming part of his attitude.
Characteristic image of the Banshee: myths and legends of the peoples of the world
Banshee is one of the varieties of fairies, an element of Irish and Scottish folklore. In the literary translation it is “a magical woman”, the literal translation of her authentic name is bean sí or bean sídhe, which means “woman of the hills”. The appearance of Banshee is not exactly defined: to some she comes in the form of a sad pale girl with red eyes from tears or a dead virgin from the family, and to others she is in the form of a frightening old woman with bulging teeth and deathly pale skin in spots.
The only thing that unites all interpretations of this image is her long hair. Most often, the hair has a silver, gray color, but several legends are known, about the 15th century, where it shows people purple-bloody hair. The banshee is found in legends in different clothes, this is a gray cloak over a 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 custody of ancient families as the main functional purpose of Banshee. She foresees the imminent death of one of the members of the clan and foreshadows it to his relatives with a loud cry. Some American legends of the 18th century say that from her heartbreaking scream, glasses burst. It is incomprehensible in the image of Banshee who such sounds are capable of making at all, because her lamentations do not belong to any language, but rather a synthesis of dog barking, slurred speech, screams of wild ducks, wolf howl and desperate moaning of an abandoned child.
When one of the people sees Banshee in the legends, it means the near death of his or his acquaintance.
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, saw how pale she was. The man became terrified, and when he decided to get away, the old woman turned to him and stood upright, rising 4 meters above him. The farmer had already managed to say goodbye to life, as the woman simply stepped into the water and disappeared. The next day, the farmer found out that his neighbor had died.
Banshees: who are these creatures - the unique brand of Ireland or one of the popular images of mythological characters portending death?
In Ireland, it is believed that the Banshee image is unique. Although the British Isles have mythological creatures that perform similar functions and have a similar appearance, the Banshee is a common noun known throughout the world.
Few people remember the Ben-Niye laundress, the Kikheriet sufferer or the malicious Baavan Shi, when there is a perfectly cinematic story of Banshee as a crying long-haired girl in a white dress.
In other mythological systems there are also harbingers of death: in Slavic mythology it is a brownie, in Sumero-Akkadian - Anku.
With so many mythological analogies, the original image is somewhat blurred, and it itself acquires the most diverse functional features. It is important to contact the Irish source to understand the image of Banshee, who these creatures are and what function they perform, because if you come across a description of Banshee as a succubus that kills men, this is clearly not an Irish source.
Characters Nurtured by the Banshee: The Scottish Analogy of Bunny and Baawan Shi
There are several Banshee prototypes in the British Isles. Who are these characters and what is their difference from the original image, we will tell Scottish mythology. It is from there that we know the image of Baavan Shi. Unlike the protector of the Banshee clan, this fairy is malicious; it feeds on the blood of men. You can protect yourself from them with the help of iron. With their beautiful appearance, the fairies lure men into their lair and drink them dry. A distinctive feature of Baavan Shi is beautiful long golden hair and a green festive dress, under which deer hooves are hidden.
Bunny, in turn, is the opposite of the evil Baavan Shi. This is a small washerwoman by the river, washing away the bloodied robes of people who are destined for near death. Bunnies are women who died in childbirth; they will leave this world only when their real death hour strikes.
There is a belief among the peoples of mountainous Scotland that if it is imperceptible for Bunny to sneak up and stand between her and the water, she will answer any three questions. Nevertheless, in return, she will also demand the same, and she needs to answer extremely truthfully.