{"id":927,"date":"2012-10-25T16:37:58","date_gmt":"2012-10-25T16:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/?p=927"},"modified":"2014-10-25T16:51:11","modified_gmt":"2014-10-25T16:51:11","slug":"the-banshee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/the-banshee\/","title":{"rendered":"The Banshee"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Bean<\/a><\/p>\n

I hear the cries of sorrow in the cold night air
\nI know not if they come for here ! or there?
\nAnd the more I listen, the less I hear
\nAs fast my heart beats with blood-draining fear!
\nI see a figure in the moonlight pale
\nOf a woman: aged and frail:
\nCrying as if all of hers had died \u00e2\u20ac\u201c how could it be –
\nThat as at her the more I look she fades until no more of her I can see:
\nHer bony, wrinkled hands as she combs her long white hair
\nAs I whisper beneath my breath Gods name as a prayer!
\nAnd as away I look, once more she will appear
\nSemi transparent, as if a haze or fog in the night so clear.
\nKnow I do what she is as under the window she stands
\nAs with her comb she brushes her hairs wispy strands
\nShe cries for the family she follows who in the dwelling reside
\nOne of those of the Name, are about to, or have already died!<\/p>\n

Rich or poor the family may be, she follows them faithfully
\nAs one of the Spirit World, no payment asks she.
\nDesignated to the Few, why is it not to all?
\nThis Spirit of the Fairy World delivers Gods call.
\nAnd, if the call is Gods, why does she cry so?
\nAre they purely tears of grief, or is there something she does know?
\nThat because of lack of repentance for their share of sinning
\nFor them the pain and sorrow, it is but beginning?
\nMaybe its tears of grief for the family, for the deceased jubilation
\nAs the way is paved for Heavens entrance and the ensuing Celebration
\nIf so, why is that those who die on a night howsoever clear,
\nIf they at their window be, nothing can they see or hear?
\nWhy is it that blind and dear their eyes and ears be?
\nSo they cannot hear the cries and the crier they cannot see?
\nAnd why is it that when we to listen or look stay:
\nThe specter and her cries of grief slowly fade away?<\/p>\n

Who is this woman who has to follow the family of the name
\nAnd, are of each family the cries different or the same?
\nAnd is she from Fairy World, as so often we are told
\nThe magical place of Little Folk, their shoes and pots of Gold?
\nOr is she of the folk denied entry into Heaven and into Hell
\nTherefore destined evermore to wander as the crier under the Holy Spell \u00e2\u20ac\u201c
\nNot given the glory of Eternal Reward, but yet spared the eternal pain
\nWith nothing to lose for eternity, and yet it all to gain?
\nOr is she of another people, not of our world or kind
\nNot human, fairy or angel, but of a sort whose name we cannot find?
\nIs she an extension of the One Himself, given a human form
\nA fourth Heavenly Spirit, sister to the Bethlehem born?
\nBut if so, why does she show the age
\nOf the Human form, if she is of the Sage
\nFor the Virgin, and moreso the Son
\nShow the age of perfection, yet the latter is of the one!<\/p>\n

What is the significance of her brushing her hair with the comb,
\nAs she cries deeply for the spirit which enters its eternal home?
\nIs she tidying herself for the soul which has departed
\nLike a lady for her lover who left her broken-hearted.
\nLady of the Spirit World: why sit you there;
\nCrying ‘neath the window while brushing your hair?
\nDid you on some distant day walk this very Earth
\nIf so, when are where was they place of your birth?
\nWere you of the family in your time and day?
\nOf the soul who here tonight has passed away
\nAnd what deeds have you in your time done
\nThat you are bound as if by duty to return for each departing one?
\nSpeak you not, but as fall the tears you cry
\nAs you herald that they who hear not is about to die
\nAnswer you will not so I will not know until the Final Day,
\nAs I look and listen, you and your cries fade away!<\/p>\n

Why is that this woman who is aged and pale
\nOnly follows families of the Names of the Gael?
\nIf she is of God, why then is this so?
\nAnd why to all clans of Gaelic clans does she not go?
\nIs she a faithful servant of ancestors long gone
\nWho promised to her master that when he passed on
\nThat of his family she would always take care
\nAnd when his family needed her – she wasn’t there!
\nPerhaps when someone died, in their times of grief
\nWhen the Grim Reaper stole a soul without warning – like a thief
\nRepenting on her return, perhaps on her life she swore
\nThat should this happen again, they’d be on their own no more.
\nSo great was her grief as it swelled beneath her breast
\nDid she vow this duty to do, forsaking Eternal Rest?
\nFair Lady of the Deep Sorrows – is that why you sit there
\nUnderneath the window crying, as you comb your wispy hair?<\/p>\n

Is it for this reason your tears of sorrow flow?
\nBecause when you returned his family told you to go
\nAnd never return to where you were before
\nBecause you failed your Death Promise, they turned you from their door,
\nOr maybe it was not so, not such was your sin
\nPerhaps because of social standing they would not let you in
\nTo pay respects to your master who would not see the morrow
\nYou sit neath the window of one of his sons who die as you weep
\nIn grief with the family’s, who comfort you wish you could
\nBut a lowly servant girl cannot cross the threshold of those of Noble Blood
\nPerhaps as one of the Fairy World, his death you had foreseen
\nAnd because he didn’t repent, at his death you keen,
\nAnd because of his death, unexpected, the following day,
\nHis family, now afraid of you turned you from their door away?<\/p>\n

And so each of the blood who is the same you come and try to warn
\nBut will not yourself let be seen in case you they scorn
\nAnd in indignation sins forgot and they die content
\nTo be damned in the afterlife for sins for which he has forgotten to repent.
\nIn hope, the fear caused by your cries
\nWill make the others talk to the one who dies
\nSeeing in their faces the horrific fear
\nHe’ll know he’s the one as the cries he cannot hear.
\nBy these means the one who dies will know
\nThat it is he, and of his sins he will repent before he will go
\nAnd so the Way to the One that the One has paved
\nCan walk, as he did repent, and so his soul was saved.
\nWhatever is your duty I do not know
\nAnd so, me on my way I will go,
\nAnd for the soul, a prayer say I
\nFor the one, who as you comb your hair, you cry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I hear the cries of sorrow in the cold night air I know not if they come for here ! or there? And the more I listen, the less I hear As fast my heart beats with blood-draining fear! I see a figure in the moonlight pale Of a woman: …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[168,169],"tags":[1114,1113,1115,843,842,1116],"class_list":["post-927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-irish-legend","category-myths-and-tales","tag-banshee","tag-bean-sidhe","tag-ghost","tag-halloween","tag-samhain","tag-spirit-woman","column","twocol"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-eX","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1709,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/forgotten-famine-in-a-free-state\/","url_meta":{"origin":927,"position":0},"title":"Forgotten Famine in a Free State","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"13th May 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"1916 - A Broken Dream by 1926 The forgotten famine, the Spailpin Fanach decimated, never in the history books, the forgotten declaration of 1916, was it for that that those men and O'Leary died? Cold in their graves, the heros of 1916 If alive those days, appalled would have been\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Current Affairs in Ireland"","block_context":{"text":"Current Affairs in Ireland","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/ireland\/current-affairs-in-ireland\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Manchester Guardian newspaper on the Irish famine of 1925","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Manchester-Guardian-newspaper-on-the-Irish-famine-of-1925.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Manchester-Guardian-newspaper-on-the-Irish-famine-of-1925.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Manchester-Guardian-newspaper-on-the-Irish-famine-of-1925.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Manchester-Guardian-newspaper-on-the-Irish-famine-of-1925.png?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4209,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/soldiers-death-announced-by-spirits-unseen\/","url_meta":{"origin":927,"position":1},"title":"Soldiers Death Announced By Spirits Unseen","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"19th December 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Christmas Eve, House hushed, the lonesome cry echoed through the frosty air It was said to be but an owl by all assembled there But they knew it was not, but no, was she who follows even yet Those of the blood from noble times, of whose ranks her cry\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ghost Story"","block_context":{"text":"Ghost Story","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/ghost-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Over the Top in World War One","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Over-the-Top-in-World-War-One.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Over-the-Top-in-World-War-One.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Over-the-Top-in-World-War-One.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Over-the-Top-in-World-War-One.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Over-the-Top-in-World-War-One.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3060,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/listen-not-to-the-song-of-the-merrow\/","url_meta":{"origin":927,"position":2},"title":"Listen Not to the Song of the Merrow","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"31st July 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Men of Erin, and all men, who in Erin you may be Listen not to the Merrow song that sounds with such beauty Swim not in the waters as she and her spell song does entice The wiliest of wiley ladies whose wiles are tantamount to vice For weak of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Irish Heritage"","block_context":{"text":"Irish Heritage","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/ireland\/irish-heritage\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Girl dressed as a Merrew in Shop Street in Galway: according to tradition they can herald a forthcoming death like a Banshee (normally a river or lake dwelling variety), or lure men to their deaths like the Siren of European mythology, and there are tales of mortals marrying merrew as well!","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Girl-dressed-as-a-Merrew-in-Shop-Street-in-Galway.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Girl-dressed-as-a-Merrew-in-Shop-Street-in-Galway.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Girl-dressed-as-a-Merrew-in-Shop-Street-in-Galway.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":549,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/old-clonbroney\/","url_meta":{"origin":927,"position":3},"title":"Old Clonbroney","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"13th September 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"This is a ghost story told to me by my mother, from her grandparents, either Kiernans Mill or Treacys. The roadway mentioned may have led onto the roads that lead to Old Clonbroney, or it may have led to a back wall, Im unsure. One night dark walking along A\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Family Stories"","block_context":{"text":"Family Stories","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/family-stories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Old Clonbroney - the graveyard in the poem. Image from Google StreetView","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Old-Clonbroney.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Old-Clonbroney.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Old-Clonbroney.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Old-Clonbroney.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Old-Clonbroney.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2940,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/lady-of-lough-gowna\/","url_meta":{"origin":927,"position":4},"title":"Lady of Lough Gowna","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"8th July 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"An eerie cry echos the evening air The mermaids plaintive song The saying among the folk that know Is there will be a drowing before long. Some local have tales to tell When by its shores they walk Or meet for drinks in a local pub The lady of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Folklore and Legend"","block_context":{"text":"Folklore and Legend","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/folklore-and-legend\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lough Gowna which has a version of the Loch Ness Monster and a mermaid according to local folklore","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Lough-Gowna-which-has-a-version-of-the-Loch-Ness-Monster-and-a-mermaid-according-to-local-folklore.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Lough-Gowna-which-has-a-version-of-the-Loch-Ness-Monster-and-a-mermaid-according-to-local-folklore.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Lough-Gowna-which-has-a-version-of-the-Loch-Ness-Monster-and-a-mermaid-according-to-local-folklore.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Lough-Gowna-which-has-a-version-of-the-Loch-Ness-Monster-and-a-mermaid-according-to-local-folklore.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Lough-Gowna-which-has-a-version-of-the-Loch-Ness-Monster-and-a-mermaid-according-to-local-folklore.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2181,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/dark-brown-turf\/","url_meta":{"origin":927,"position":5},"title":"Dark Brown Turf","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"11th August 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"In solidarity with the turf cutters. The latest of the poems restored to the website, this one was written a few years back. By hand it was cut, the dark brown turf Donkey and ass dew it by cart home Hands hard from work tossed it to the fire Neath\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Environment","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dark Brown Turf","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Dark-Brown-Turf-300x73.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Dark-Brown-Turf-300x73.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Dark-Brown-Turf-300x73.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=927"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/927\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":931,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/927\/revisions\/931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}