A banshee is a mythological creature that appears in Irish folklore and fairy tales. It is a female spirit that supposedly wails just before a family member dies. Banshees can take multiple different forms, but typically they look like an old woman with long, flowing hair and white or gray clothes. Some legends describe banshees as beautiful enchanting women that sing a sorrowful, haunting song which is filled with concern and love for their families. Other legends describe them as hate-filled creatures with rotten teeth and long fingernails. Some people believe that the banshee is an animal, such as a hooded crow, a stoat, a hare, a weasel, or a black dog. However, banshees are not usually depicted as animals. The origin of the word “Banshee” can be traced back to the Old Irish words “ben síde” or “bean sídhe,” which mean “woman of the fairy mound” . In Irish mythology, a banshee was a type of fairy who would keen, or wail with grief, to mark a persons impending death.