Many are familiar with the figure of the banshee, but what exactly is a banshee, and how far back does her story reach?

According to Linda Raferty of Irish Jewelry Craft, the banshee remains one of Ireland’s most haunting and enduring legends. The term banshee (bean sí) translates to “woman of the fairy mound” or “fairy woman.”

This mythical female spirit is known for her eerie cries and wails, which are thought to serve as warnings of impending death. Though rarely seen, the banshee’s chilling cries are often heard in the dead of night, signalling that someone is nearing death’s door.

Raferty explains that, if sighted, the banshee is said to disappear into a misty haze. Often depicted with long hair, she is known to comb it while she weeps and screams. Stories about her height describe her as quite short, typically ranging from one to four feet. Irish poet Lady Wilde noted that her small stature often accompanies depictions of her as an elderly woman.

References to banshees date back as early as 1380, in the Cathreim Thoirdhealbhaigh (The Triumphs of Torlough) by historian Seán mac Ruaidhri Mac Craith.

According to folklore, if a person steps on a “stray sod” while wandering at night—usually in a field—they may lose their sense of direction and drift aimlessly until dawn. Some say it disorients them, while others describe it as an endless journey, as if they can walk forever without reaching any destination.

Farmers are particularly susceptible, often finding themselves walking in circles while trying to head home from tending livestock at dusk. Poet Sandra Alcosser refers to these bewitched patches of ground as being “charmed by fairies,” where “the gate is gone, and the path erased behind you.”

It’s said the only escape Is with the help of another person. Some attempt to break free by turning their jacket inside out or walking with their head down, though these methods don’t always succeed.

In rural communities, the stray sod phenomenon is widely accepted, and many locals know someone who has fallen victim—or have experienced it themselves. In rural Co. Meath, for instance, agri-engineer Teddy Cassidy recalls a family friend who encountered a stray sod in a field near his home.

“It was in a field he crossed every night, and he wasn’t drinking!” Cassidy said. “He says he walked and walked until he finally collapsed from exhaustion and had to sleep there. When he woke up, he was still in the middle of the field. He never walked that field in the dark again.”