Banshee

Banshee is the English spelling of bean-sídhe, the name of a female fairy of Irish and Celtic* folklore. The banshee's nighttime howling warned people that the death of a relative was about to take place. When an important or holy person was about to die, several banshees would wail or sing together. According to some legends, the banshees were accompanied by a large black coach carrying a coffin and pulled by headless horses. When the coach arrived at a house, a basin of blood was thrown at the person who opened the door. However, if a banshee loved a person who was near death, she would sing a gentle song that predicted death but also comforted the dying person and family members.

See also Celtic Mythology .