The banshee is literally a "woman of the fairy mound" — Irish burial mounds were believed to be portals to the otherworld, and her wail meant death was near.
In Irish and Scottish folklore, a female spirit whose wailing warns of an impending death in a family. By extension, any loud wailing or shrieking.
From Irish bean sídhe (woman of the fairy mound), from bean (woman) + sídhe (fairy mound, otherworld), from Old Irish ben síde Key roots: bean (Irish: "woman"), sídhe (Irish: "fairy mound, otherworld"), *gʷen- (Proto-Indo-European: "woman, wife").
The banshee literally means "woman of the fairy mound" — the sídhe being the ancient burial mounds of Ireland believed to be entrances to the otherworld. In Irish tradition, each of the great families had their own banshee, and hearing her keen (caoineadh) meant death was approaching. The five ancient families said