Banshee

Acrylic on board
28 x 7.6cm, 11 x 3″
SOLD

There are many stories from people in Cavan who claim to have heard the banshee (the fairy woman). The banshee is said to wail usually at night when someone is about to die and everyone who has heard the spine chilling wail still seems to be haunted by it. The banshee is said to appear in a variety of mysterious forms from a young woman, a stately matron or a raddled old hag wearing a hooded cloak to a hooded crow, stoat, hare or weasel (animals associated in Ireland with witchcraft.) She may also appear as a washer-woman and is seen apparently washing the blood stained clothes of those who are about to die. In this guise she is known as the bean-nighe (washing woman).