Followed by the Banshee

DANNY22XX

intresting article i thought id share

Followed by the Banshee
BY ROBERT GILLESPIE

Thirty years ago, I was 17 years old, walking home at 12:27, just after midnight. I was in a town in Northern Ireland and had to cross a large park. Our family was Protestant Christian, but I had become an atheist. This was to the dismay of my parents; however, when you are a teenager, you suddenly know everything about everything, quite oblivious to the real fact that you know practically nothing at all about anything. However, they put it down to a phase young people must go through at some point.

Away in the distance, I heard a very very strange noise coming from behind me. It was about 3/4 of a mile away and I could see that distance across the green parkland when I turned around briefly. I was wondering just what was making the strange noise. It was more than strange; it was like nothing I had ever heard before and was distinctly different and really "unnatural", for want of a better description. It was a type of wailing. I turned and started walking on again while listening to the really weird noise.

Things then got really outside of the norm as whatever was making the noise crossed the distance from where it was about 3/4 of a mile away to right behind me in about three seconds or perhaps less. Now I knew that there is nothing on the planet that can move that fast, or make that noise. It was suddenly right behind me, one pace behind and following me. I stopped walking and turned around to face it. As I turned, the noise stopped. There was absolutely nothing there and nowhere it could have went to. However, considering the speed it moved, I thought it could be hiding behind one of the large beech trees a little distance away.

I was working logically at this stage, looking for rational explanations. I had heard of the Banshee and was thinking that that is what it must be because of the unearthly wailing noise it was making. I expected to see a Banshee when I turned around (a fairy woman in Irish -- a little white woman with long hair sometimes combing it as they wail). Nothing was there, however, and there was complete silence as the noise stopped as I turned round.
I then started to walk again and hadn't taken half a step and the wailing started again right behind me. That was when I started to realise that this was supernatural. However, still walking and still thinking partly logically, I decided to spin round really fast to face it and hopefully catch it out before it could go anywhere. I turned very fast, about halfway round again the unearthly noise stopped. I looked everywhere, spun round a few times thinking it might be behind me, then I thought it could be in the air above my head and looked up. Nothing anywhere, absolutely nothing.

I started to walk again and the unearthly wailing noise started again right behind me before I had half a step taken. I then just kept walking and it kept wailing, I knew there was nothing I could do about it. After a minute or so I came to a built up area and the noise stopped following closely, drifted back, faded away and eventually stopped.

I went into my house and both my parents were awake watching T.V. I told them the story, initially saying to them that you are just not going to believe what happened to me a few minutes ago, but I'll tell you before anything happens, no point in saying after. My father then said that the Banshee follows our family as a death warning, that someone in the family will die, and that he had heard it the night before his brother died, but again could not see it though it was near him. My father became worried that he might die himself.

One week later to the very minute, my grandmother died.

http://paranormal.about.com/od/othercreatures/a/tales_09_01_16t.htm

hellboy99

Now thats scary :eek:

jonbravo

maybe more then one cat,could freak someone out like that,and my grand-dad used to say,you could only hear her wail the night before someone die's,i dont really know.????

kerash

I was told the banshee only cries on the 'O's' and the 'Mc's' (as in surnames beginning with O' and Mc) Has anyone else ever been told that?
I know a few people who swear and believe that they heard her the night before a family member died.
I believe it's an animal most likely a fox and a coincidence but a very spooky experience for sure.

DANNY22XX

The most frequently encountered female in folklore however is undoubtedly the banshee, or bean si, the otherworld forewarner of death. The wail of the banshee (sometimes called the bean chaointe in Irish) was regarded as a sure signal of approaching death in certain families, particularly those whose names were prefixed by 'O' or 'Mac' i.e. O'Brien, Mcnamara etc. These were regarded as the true Gaelic families:

kshiel

kerash wrote: »

I was told the banshee only cries on the 'O's' and the 'Mc's' (as in surnames beginning with O' and Mc) Has anyone else ever been told that?
I know a few people who swear and believe that they heard her the night before a family member died.
I believe it's an animal most likely a fox and a coincidence but a very spooky experience for sure.

Through marriage of people she follows a wider range now...........

DANNY22XX

kshiel wrote: »

Through marriage of people she follows a wider range now...........

:eek::eek::eek:

laura1408

and is it true that death is meant for you if she throws her comb in your direction???????

Duff

laura1408 wrote: »

and is it true that death is meant for you if she throws her comb in your direction???????

Only if you pick it up I think?

kshiel

laura1408 wrote: »

and is it true that death is meant for you if she throws her comb in your direction???????

There are many stories about the banshee, some not involving a comb at all. The only thing most of these stories have in common is that a death usually follows. She seems to be an omen of death and not the person that actually brings death itself. To me anyway she or what ever way you see the banshee, is only the messanger. Through the stories I have been told she warns us of a death to come and the other world a soul is on the way. Nothing evil or sinster at all.

the_syco

laura1408 wrote: »

and is it true that death is meant for you if she throws her comb in your direction???????

Was told that if she threw the comb at you, you'd become bald

=-=

Is the banshee pagan myth, or where did it come from?

kshiel

the_syco wrote: »

Was told that if she threw the comb at you, you'd become bald

=-=




I love that, if I could only get her to do this towards some people I know lol

laura1408

i kind of asked for that

Furious_Daz

kshiel wrote: »

There are many stories about the banshee, some not involving a comb at all. The only thing most of these stories have in common is that a death usually follows. She seems to be an omen of death and not the person that actually brings death itself. To me anyway she or what ever way you see the banshee, is only the messanger. Through the stories I have been told she warns us of a death to come and the other world a soul is on the way. Nothing evil or sinster at all.

If the banshee isn't sinister or evil in any way then why does it appear at all? The only reason I can see is to frighten people, as she doesn't tell you who is about to die, only that someone will. Hardly helpful! Serves only to freak you out that way! Why not just send you a text! Much more civilised...

6th

Furious_Daz wrote: »

If the banshee isn't sinister or evil in any way then why does it appear at all? The only reason I can see is to frighten people, as she doesn't tell you who is about to die, only that someone will. Hardly helpful! Serves only to freak you out that way! Why not just send you a text! Much more civilised...

To some she is just seen as a herald of death, she doesnt cause the death but is ust there to signal it and observe the passing.

Also, the spirit world are in talks with Vodafone.

twanda

My brother and his gfriend swore they heard the banshee one night outside our house. They were in my brothers room when they heard her wailing outside the house. They called for my mother. When my mother came in the noise outside had stopped. Not one to miss an opportunity to take the p*ss though, my mother told my brother that my 5 yr old sister had found a comb out on the road earlier that day and had put it in the drawer in my brothers room!! Pandemonium ensued !! She told them she was only messing..

He and his gfriend are still convinced it was the banshee outside that night, though. The theory that it was a cat etc. was ruled out because there were always cats around our neighbours house and we were used to that sound. My brother said this was definitely a woman wailing.

liah

I'd wager your last one was a female fox in heat. They make a very eerie noise that would very easily be mistaken for what one would call a banshee.

Furious_Daz

Maybe it was just a woman wailing? A drunken 18 year old who just had a fight with her boyfriend after a boozy night out perhaps??? Not saying they imagined it but saying its a banshee is jumping to conclusions a bit in my opinion. Then again, what do I know!

murrayp4

liah wrote: »

I'd wager your last one was a female fox in heat. They make a very eerie noise that would very easily be mistaken for what one would call a banshee.

Could also be a cat on heat, makes a horrible sound that sounds like a baby crying or a woman wailing. Quite scary actually. Easy to see how these myths began back in the day.
Also some owls make a horrible screeching sound, very creepy on a dark country night. Species anyone??

GhostInTheRuins

Furious_Daz wrote: »

If the banshee isn't sinister or evil in any way then why does it appear at all? The only reason I can see is to frighten people, as she doesn't tell you who is about to die, only that someone will. Hardly helpful! Serves only to freak you out that way! Why not just send you a text! Much more civilised...

I think originally banshee' were said to keen at the passing of someone of great importance in a community to show their respect. I wouldn't call it terrifying, I think it's rather complimentary!

I'm fairly sure the stories of banshees screaming at you warning about an upcoming death are much, much later. (I can't remember off the top of my head where I read that)