Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network 

Show Name: Unraveling the Unknown

Episode Title: Wailing Banshee

Hello curious people and welcome to a world of mystery, 

You are listening to Unraveling the Unknown with your hosts Lily and Tessa.

In this episode of Unraveling the Unknown, the Podcast we will discuss: Banshees. 

Segment 1: Storytime

On one grassy town hill in Ireland, a family house sat, brick and stone, under the soft sun of the falling afternoon. The wind blew into welcoming windows, infusing the smell of grass and earth into the house. A mother and father began to cook in the kitchen while three kids ran around the house, breaking through the calm noise outside. Unexpectedly, a loud screaming wail, like a mother losing her love, faced with death and despair, rang through the house and hillside. The family was shocked still, with the children running to the kitchen questioning the noise. The mother and father slowly looked at each other, horrified by the meaning of the scream. A banshee. Their children were not yet old enough to have heard of the legends- a haunted woman- an Irish folktale who screams and shrieks to warn families of a coming death. Many see her as a bad omen and curse, while others believe she is trying to protect the family. The mother rushed to check on her children and husband, and they began to get ready to leave the house when a storm began, soon rain and lighting were beating down on their roof, until one lighting strike hit a tree that teetered and crashed into the side of their home. One of the children, a 4-year-old boy was crushed under the tree, breathing his last breath as rain began to cover his face. Is she a curse? Or a protector? 

Segment 2:  Origin 

• Banshee, known as “Women of the Fairies”, or the Irish angel of death is a supernatural female spirit in Irish and Scottish folklore. 
• Banshees are normally depicted as evil, as they enjoy wailing out to their victims until they either commit suicide or go insane.
• These Banshees were described as frightening old witches who emit howls that shatter glass and torment the living and are filled with such hatred that direct eye contact with one would cause immediate death. 
• Not all Banshees need to be feared. In an Irish household, many believed every family had its own Banshee, and this spirit would watch over the family members in life and death.
• The family Banshee has the power to safely pass deceased family members to the other side. 
• People assumed Banshees appeared as beautiful young women, and they would sing a mournful song filled with love and concern for their families. 
•  Banshees could only come from five prominent Irish family names: O’Neills, O’Connors, O’Briens, Kavanaghs, and O’Grady. 
• The Banshee’s cry is said to be so piercing that it can be heard from miles away. Each Banshee’s cry can be different for each family, which can be used as identification for the particular family branch. 

Segment 3:  Discussion 

From a scale of 1-10, 10 being absolutely real, 1 being completely fake, how believable do you think the Banshee is? 

Curse or protector or just murderer? 

How do you think this legend started?

• Banshees are known for keening which is an Irish word for what  a woman does to fend off evil 

spirits from a dead body

• Banshees are often seen combing their hair which could represent a washer woman who prepares the dead for burial.
• A banshee can be killed by ripping out its heart or cutting off its head or any fatal wound
• In media today, especially Western banshees are often seen as evil ghost spirits with superhumanly strong lungs, throats, and vocal cords whose voices and screams stun and harm hearing and shake things around them.
• In Teen Wolf, the banshee is a human woman with the ability to access the supernatural and is a harbinger of death. 
• Cry of the Banshee is a 1970 horror film directed by Gordon Hessler and starring Vincent Price. It was released by American International Pictures. It was written by Tim Kelly and Christopher Wicking.

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Thank you for tuning into this week's episode about Banshee 

Next week we will be discussing dragons

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Let curiosity be your compass.

Music Credits:   

• Missing Persons by Jeremy Blake
• Dead Wrong by Jeremy Blake
• Devil’s Organ by Jimena Contreras
• Frightmare by Jimena Contreras

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