Ireland
A banshee is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, typically by wailing, shrieking, or keening. The name is spelled bean sí in modern Irish, from the Old Irish ben síde, meaning “woman of the fairy mound” or “fairy woman”. In Ireland and parts of Scotland, a traditional part of mourning is the keening woman (bean chaointe), who wails a lament for the dead.