When I traveled to Ireland to develop a friends house I was immersed in the culture of the country. Most of the time it was — where I stayed. The construction workrs there would share all sorts of stories with me during lunch. One being the mythological Banshee woman. They warned me that this woman, who would appear to be old or young , makes a horrendous cry that can drive you to madness and even death if experienced. One of the workers said they lost their friends daughter to the Banshee who happened to be the child’s grandmother who was found dead the same time as the daughter was found. What caused the parents to think this was the he neighbors who heard a loud screeching next door.

None of the other workers have stories like this and most only see it as either an old tradition of mythology or something that can only be experienced form your own delusions.

Out of all the stories I was told, this one stuck out the most because I did in fact run into an old woman who was living in the house across from where I was building. She would stare through the window almost every day with her penetrating eyes. It was quite creepy and it got me paranoid. It made me wonder if this story leads people who are innately paranoid to turn the situation into a reality when coming across an old lady.

ANNOTATION

The Banshee is a long standing Irish mythological  creature/being that people believed to be real. King James I of Scotland believed that he had seen one right before his death as have many other people. This Banshee is said to wear a red or green hood and arises from her cloak to reap terror. In some tales she reveals herself to be the goddess of war.

ANALYSIS

As the informant states I wonder if the Banshee is really just a psychological event. My interpretation is that it happens before you die and is elicited by some sort disorder.

Something else to note is that the informant chose this story specifically because it resonated with a personal experience. This leads me to think that what artifacts of Folklore that survive or have what is called temporal stickines are those thus resonant the most with people who come in contact with whatever it is.