‘Exhausted, he approached his doorstep with heavy footsteps; his eyes glued to the cobblestones – when he heard the clang of something hit the ground … it was a comb, the symbol of the banshee, and when he looked ahead to his doorstep, an old ghostly woman with the longest grey hair looked at him; her face wizened … she silently pointed up to the sky with her fingers …’

The banshee is a Celtic legend who heralds death to families on the island of Ireland; we’ll be exploring her history, her myth – as well as some real-life encounters with this wailing entity. So, sit back, listen but take heed as you do – for this is episode 59 of the Haunted UK Podcast, and we're going to hear the call, the wail, the distant cry and of course: The Tale of the Banshee.

Content warning: This episode does discuss the process of dying and death – please take care. 

Do you have an interesting story which you'd be willing to share with the show? If so, your story could feature in our end of season Listeners’ Stories episodes. Please get in touch with the show via our new Haunted UK Podcast Website, or email us at contactus@hauntedukpodcast.com, marking the subject as Listener Story.

All stories are treated with the utmost privacy and respect – if you wish to remain anonymous – that's no problem at all. Alternatively, you could drop us a voice note via Instagram, and with your permission, we will play your voice note on the show. It would be great for your voice to bring your very own story to life.

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This episode was:

Presented by: Steve Holloway

Written by: Marie Waller

Produced by: Pink Flamingo Home Studio. Follow the studio on Instagram  Pink Flamingo Home Studio

Script edited and proofread by: Marie Waller. For more information about Marie’s editing and proofreading services, please contact Marie at mariewaller.proofreading@gmail.com  or  Marie Waller Proofreading Instagram  

Sources:

National Folklore Collection

The Banshee: Modern Encounters with the Banshee  by Barry Fitzgerald and Cormac Strain

Beware of the Banshee's Cry: The Folklore & History of Messengers of Death   by Steven J. Rolfes