Banshees

## History

A banshee (also known as bean sí, baintsí, ben síde, baintsíde, cyhyraeth, bean nighe, ban nigheachain, nigheag na h-àth, or "woman of the fairy mound) are an always female variety of Autumnal Fae who have a reputation for the heralding of the impending death usually by unnatural wailing, shrieking, or keening.

Banshees are unique as they are not born from the Fair Lands, but hail from Earth. Specifically, they are born from Sidhean essence combining with the tumuli or "mounds" that dot the Irish countryside. While banshees can be born elsewhere on Earth, it's worth noting they tend to be quite different from the Irish variety and are known by other names (which will be discussed later).

Sometimes a newly born banshee assumes the form of a deceased woman buried near the mound from which the banshee originates. Some banshees even assumed the identity of the dead woman or girl, even having some degree of their memories which leads many to falsely believe that banshee are ghosts.

Other Banshees are created when a human pair conceive a child on such a mound, usually at night or when at least one of the parents is in a state of mourning. Such children are often born with jet black or pale blonde hair and will grow to become a banshee (though they may not realize it).

While some banshee have found their way to the Fair Lands, becoming interesting additions to the politics of the Seelie and the Unseelie, most choose to linger on Earth. Most have actually integrated themselves into the culture of Earth, becoming famed singers.

## Powers

* **Sonic Scream:** Banshees have the ability to unleash screams of a inhuman amplitude, capable of shattering glass, cracking rock and causing blood vessels to burst.
* **Death Sense:** The Banshee has an affinity for the essence of death. They feed off it. This does not mean they will always be compelled to kill, but those banshees who choose to live peacefully among humans often can be found working as coroners, morticians, crime scene investigators, or simply living near graveyards.
* **Intangibility:** A banshee can tap into their original nature to temporarily access an incorporeal form which allows her to pass through physical barriers with ease. This is another reason why many have been confused for ghosts.
* **Teleportation:** Some banshee are able to move in the blink of an eye to other locations. They usually are only able to teleport to wherever there is a strong presence of death essence, such as a morgue, murder scene, or graveyard.
* **Invisibility:** Skilled Banshee can become invisible to those without supernatural sight during the night.
* **Death Touch:** It is possible that a truly powerful Banshee’s touch could have a dangerous, perhaps even fatal, effect on the living. This is achieved through causing a strong surge of death essence to transfer from the banshee to the mortal, overwhelming their soul and killing them within seconds.
* **Curses:** Banshees have a potent ability to issue curses which do not target a single target but that person's entire family, passing the curse down through generations. Each banshee can only issue one such curse at a time and cannot invoke it again until the curse has been broken or the family has been wiped out. A banshee cannot remove its own curse once it has been invoked.
* **Enhanced Speed:** A banshee moves with great speed and reflexes. They make excellent dancers and also move quietly, often sneaking up on people without intending to do so. When shifting into their intangible form, banshees move even faster.
* **Banshee Form:** Banshees can assume a form which gives their face a skeletal appearance (with a sort of spirit paint and not an actual skull) and bright blue eyes. This is often done as a defense mechanism to frighten off hunters or predators.

## Weaknesses

* **Iron:** The banshees are harmed by cold-wrought iron.
* **Rules:** Banshee are affected by some of the rules concerning other Fae.

## Notes

The child of a banshee and a human male is usually a female half-banshee. Male children born from banshee mothers are very rare. They are called the "Ua Briain" or High Kings. They are entirely human but carry the banshee gene. Half-banshee are indistinguishable from full banshees except for a shorter lifespan (of about 150 to 300 years).

The children of half-banshees and their children, and their children's children, and so on are banshee-blooded. They lack the banshee form and some of the other abilities of a banshee, but also lack the weakness to iron. Banshee-blooded have a meta-gene and are often interchangeable from metahumans, except their powers will always involve sound, death, or other connections to their banshee origins.

Some banshees and banshee bloods will have developed abilities that set them apart from others, such as the abilities more common to the banshee kin.

The most notable of the "Banshee Kin" is the Siren. Unlike the Autumnal Banshee, Sirens are Vernal Folk, usually born from beaches, rivers, or coastal tides. Instead of having powerful sonic screams, sirens are known for emitting songs which lure people to them or cause people to fall under their spell. Sirens are usually much more fierce than their banshee cousins, often using their powers to drown their victims and devour their flesh.

The Summer Folk cousin to the Banshee and Siren is the Crocotta. The Crocotta is a creature which uses its powers to mimic human voices and other sounds to lure its victims to it. It has a sharp ear and can perfectly imitate anything it hears. They have red eyes that resemble rubies in their brightness and while all Crocotta are naturally female, they can assume the form of male victims which they have killed. They can even assume the form of animals, often hiding in plain sight in modern times as stray dogs.

The Yuki-Onna or Snow Woman is the Winter Folk variety of the banshee. They are cold, white-skinned women that are often found in winter storms or cold climates. They can be benevolent, rescuing victims from blizzards or providing intimate comfort to the lovelorn in the most depressive season, or malicious, such as those that abduct children or force people to choose between their life or a loved one's. They might use their voice to manipulate emotions of those who hear them, calming those who need comfort or tormenting their intended victims.

## Trivia and Notes

### Trivia

* According to legends, when Brig saw her dead son and her husband Bres left with their newborn daughter she started to scream; and her screams of sorrow became the first keening and that song gave birth to the first of the banshee.
* Jeanette Halmi likes to say she is a banshee, but in reality she's a *Vörðr* or a "Warder". She did spend some time with banshees who taught her their death wail.
* Rowena MacLeod likely learned Alveromancy ("sound magic") from the ancient banshees, though she is old enough that is possible she taught such magic to the banshees.

## Links and References

* List of Banshees

1. ↑ Dinkley Files: Banshees
2. ↑ Network Files: Imogen
3. ↑ Network Files: Jeanette Halmi 2
4. ↑ Network Files: Rowena MacLeod