It is dangerous to the traveller by night if the bean-nighe observes him before he has set eyes on her. If he espies her first she cannot stir until she is caught and spoken to. A Lewis legend recounts that a certain John Smith of South Shawbost saw her washing at Lochandubh-na-beinne. He enquired what she was about and she replied that she was washing the clothes of those who were to be drowned that year in the loch, adding, “But as I have been caught, I shall not be seen any more here. Let me go, and I shall give you any of. three gifts you may choose.” The interloper asked for wealth and received the boon, but was informed that he would have no sons. (27)
The bean-nighe, or washer, is even more commonly to be met with in Ireland than in Scotland. In the events which preceded the death of the great Irish hero Cuchullin, the Druid Cathbad points out such a washer to the hero. She is the daughter of the badb. She is slender and white of body and yellow of hair. On the ford’s bank she washed and wrung crimson and bloody spoils. (28) Oscar, grandson of Fionn, and son of Ossian, on his way to the battle of Gavra encountered such a supernatural woman, and thus addressed her:
Weird woman that washest the garments,
Make for us the self-same prophecy.
Will any one of them fall by us,
Or shall we all go to nothingness?
The reply of the bean-nighe was:
There will be slain by thee nine hundred,
And the King himself be wounded to death by thee. (29)
In the long ago, we read, Ireland was better adapted to the chase than Albainn, or Scotland. and many Scots. went there for that purpose. When the Feinne, the band of Finn MacCoul, went to hunt in Ireland they appear to have encountered several bean-nighean. One of these prophesied that Finn should be slain in battle, and this duly came to pass.
In his Folk-lore de France M. Paul Sebillot remarks that the idea of the washer of the night is familiar to Brittany. There she is known as Eurcunnerez-noz (the plural form). She appears on the banks of streams, and calls to passers-by to aid her to wash the linen of the dead. If any refuse, he is dragged into the water and has his arms broken. The legend of the supernatural washerwoman is also widespread in the Slovene districts of Jugo-Slavia. (30)
The fairies bulk so largely in Celtic tradition and Magic that the problems associated with them cannot be ignored in such a work as this. In Wales they are known as the Tylwyth Teg, or “the fair family”, and are ruled by Gwyn ap Nud, formerly a British god, who is also regarded as lord of the dead. In Ireland they are the remains of the Tuatha Dé Danann, once the gods of Ireland before the invasion of the Milesian race. The Tuatha De Danann, or gods, were thought of as being reincarnated in the kings and chiefs of Ireland, as all authorities agree, and this has a direct bearing upon the fairy problem, as we shall see. (31) In Scotland there is no evidence that they were derived from these gods. Three main theories seek to account for the origin of fairies. These have been set forth by Professor Krappe as follows: “According to one (school) they are the dead; according to another they are elementary spirits; and according to the third they are due to reminiscences of former inhabitants, crowded out by the newcomers and compelled to retire to the mountains or near the sea-shore. Let us say at once that a good many story-types are in accord with the first theory – in fact, probably a majority – that certain features are, better explained by the second, and that there is no solid basis of fact behind the third.” (32)
Dear Sir,
My grandmother, who was from Derry, Ireland saw the banshee just prior to her sister, Josephine’s, death many years ago. My grandmother lived in Florida and Josephine was living in Canada. My grandmother said she first heard the banshee wailing loudly and mournfully outside her door. Then she saw the old woman in white in a horse-driven carriage going by her house. She noted the date and time and later found out that her sister had died around the same time. My grandmother was a MacDonagh.
No one else in our family has seen the banshee.
i was wondering where you got the name chapel of st. malvey i can trace my family name back to 1734 in ireland county cork
It’s not me that got that name, this article is The Celtic Spirit World
by Lewis Spence
from ‘The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain’
(chapter VII)
i dont want to be a pest but do you have any idea about the origin of the chapel of st malvey?
You’re not being a pest. And, no, I don’t know the origin of the chapel of St. Malvey. Sounds like a good topic for you to research, though (considering your last name).
Dear Sir,
my grandparents lived in Croatia. They have been born in a little village by the name Seona.
It´s an unusually name for a croatic village.
I can remember that ma granny teach me then I was a child a lot of fairys.
She believed in them and the other older pupil in the village , too.
I have heard stories about fairies in this village.
My granny says they always lived there with the people helped them or punished them.
She tells me, if I don´t lost the faith in them, one day I would see the fairies, too.
In the wood of this village is a spring and there was an old man living. The people called him brother John.
He lives like an eremit allone and he was praying for the ill people. He was healing the humans.
My grandmother shaws me the place there the fairies were dancing in the ring.
She gives me so lot my granny and I beginn to understand now.
Three months ago I became the idea to search about the name Seona in Slavonia (Croatia).
This is a name from scotish gaellic and comes from the name Seonaid (God is great).
I´m sure that in Seona the celts build one of them first villages, then they come to Croatia.
All this I tell a Dr. of archeollogy in Zagreb and he writes me back, that he has found some celtic graves and this story from me can be a way to find something more about our history.
Today,if you ask me if I believe in fairiey, yes do.
Why?
So I am catholic, but my grandmother tells me that god is great, he lives everythere and I can talk with him also in the nature.
I grove up with the belive in god and the fairies.
I loved them and talked to them, too. I see them as my sisters in soul.
Sometimes I can here them singing in the wood or crying on places there bads thing happening.
They are real the fairies. My granny says if the humans lost the faith they can´T never see the fairies again.
One day I was so tired, I hear voices from the door like children laughing. I think my children are coming home with my husband, but it was a litle green ghost.
He was small ,like a child from 6 years.
I can´t see a face only circle on his head with symbols like celtic art. He talks somthing to me, but I don´t understand. It was a language warm and deep. The louds sounds like drrhh, krch, shhr, chaarhh,,, somthing like this.
On the top of the wall from my room something litle flyes. They looked like small white princes and they laughed all time. The voice of them sounds like children laughing.
I have open my ices and I was thinking I´m dreaming, but in the next second I feel how thr little green ghost take my plaid from the bed and takes it over me. I was falling in a deep sleep.
Then I awaked I have feel so good. I never sleeped better.
It was a good feeling. This I will never forgett.
Bye, from Germany, yours Mirela
It’s been quite a while but I found out some info about St. Malvey the real name of the church is St Moluag’s church (locally known by its gaidhlig name of Teampull Mholuaidh) is a 13th Century temple in the village of Eoropie in Ness in the Isle of Lewis
Ed I located documentation including a reference from Charles Dickens. The church is still there and active. St Malvey was born in 590 AD and went with St Columba to bring Christianity to Scotland. Are you Molly’s son, brother Jimmy now Father Seamus , my cousin – email for me nihildat@yahoo.com Slainte
I have documentation on the church from a journal written by Charles Dickens in 1887. He calls it the church of St Malvey. I traced him back to 590 AD. He and St Columba et al were called the disciples of Ireland. I think you might be Molly’s son, brother Jimmy now Father Seamus, and my cousin.
i am indeed mollies son please reply cous
Ed
Hiya. Donald Trump’s mother was born on Lewis Island. It’s the largest island in the Outer Hebrides.
Does you know the Gaelic equivalent of the surname “Malvey”?
I had a dream about a year ago that seems to fit with your description of the ‘banshee.’ The dream showed an old woman in a white cloak who was sitting on this throne in a grove of trees. I entered and there was a large hewn stump with three “tree branch fairies” sticking out of it. They started singing a whimsical and melodious song. I didn’t get the feeling that the song was for me. since then there have been several deaths that may have been suggested by the banshee and other dream indicators. I’ve had numerous encounters with spirits, mostly in dreams, over the years who have taken the form of mythical figures. Please share any insights. Is there something I can do to intercede? I get the message that these dreams are to prepare, initiate or to avoid pitfalls. Thanks!