-Puka

-Banshees

Banshees- Clarify the origins of the Banshee. Paragraph is self-referential and doesn't explain what it is describing or connect to content elsewhere in the article. Perhaps elaborate also on the "keening" section and maybe even propose a renaming or creation of a new section, since the contents do not seem to be entirely on topic for that heading

In Ireland and parts of Scotland, a traditional part of mourning is the keening woman (bean chaointe), who wails a lament - in Irish: Caoineadh, Irish pronunciation: ['kɰiːnʲi] (Munster dialect), [ˈkɰiːnʲə] (Connaught dialect) or [ˈkiːnʲuː] (Ulster dialect), caoin meaning "to weep, to wail". This keening woman may in some cases be a professional, and the best keeners would be in high demand.

Irish legend speaks of a lament being sung by a fairy woman, or banshee; she would sing it when a family member died or was about to die, even if the person had died far away and news of their death had not yet come. so that the wailing of the banshee In those cases, her wailing would be the first warning the household had of the death.

She The banshee also predicts is a predictor or omen of death. If someone is about to enter a situation where it is unlikely they will come out of alive, she will give warning by screaming or wailing, giving rise to a banshee also being known as a wailing woman.

It is often stated that the banshee laments only the descendants of the pure Milesian stock of Ireland, sometimes clarified as surnames prefixed with O' and Mac, and some accounts even state that each family has its own banshee. One account, however, also included the Geraldines, as they had apparently become "more Irish than the Irish themselves," countering the lore ascribing Banshees exclusively to those of Milesian descent.

((When several banshees appear at once, it indicates the death of someone great or holy. This idea can possibly be attributed to the story of the UA Briain banshee, thought to be named Aibell, who is said to be the ruler of 25 other banshees always at her attendance. The tales sometimes recounted that the woman, though called a fairy, was a ghost, often of a specific murdered woman, or a mother who died in childbirth.)) <--- THIS NEEDS TO GO ELSEWHERE

Most, though not all, surnames associated with banshees have the Ó or Mc/Mac prefix - that is, surnames of Goidelic origin, indicating a family native to the Insular Celtic lands rather than those of the Norse, English, or Norman invaders. Accounts reach as far back as 1380 to the publication of the Cathreim Thoirdhealbhaigh (Triumphs of Torlough) by Sean mac Craith. Mentions of banshees can also be found in Norman literature of that time.

(((((The Ua Briain banshee is thought to be named Aibell and the ruler of 25 other banshees who would always be at her attendance. It is possible that this particular story is the source of the idea that the wailing of numerous banshees signifies the death of a great person.)))) REPHRASE IN ABOVE

In some parts of Leinster, she is referred to as the bean chaointe (keening woman) whose wail can be so piercing that it shatters glass. In Scottish folklore, a similar creature is known as the bean nighe or ban nigheachain (little washerwoman) or nigheag na h-àth (little washer at the ford) and is seen washing the bloodstained clothes or armour of those who are about to die. In Welsh folklore, a similar creature is known as the hag of the mist.

The banshee is one of the most broadly known of Irish death omens, which can include phantom boats, landslides, loud crashing noises of unidentified origin, or mysterious knocking or rapping.^[1]

The physical size of the banshee is another physical feature that differs between regional accounts. Though some accounts of her standing unnaturally tall are recorded, the majority of tales that describe her height state the banshee's stature as short, anywhere between one foot and four feet in height. Her exceptional shortness often goes alongside the description of her as an old woman, though it may also be intended to emphasize her state as a fairy creature.

The Banshee (1925 (ADD AUDIO LINK)) is a string piano composition by American composer and theorist Henry Cowell (1897–1965). It was the first piano piece composed to be performed entirely free of the keyboard, using only manual manipulation of the strings within the instrument to produce sound.^[2]

Cowell stated that his inspiration in creating the "stringpiano" method of playing came from a desire to reinvent the landscape of piano technique, finding new usages and sounds for old instruments without necessarily inventing new ones. In addition to the string piano method changing the technical execution of producing sound, performance of The Banshee also required the performer to re-learn the instrument in a new orientation, standing in the crook of the piano, perpendicular to the strings, rather than seated at a bench. This process of re-education was an intentional element of the piece, making conservatory-trained pianists re-assume the role of a new student, forced to individually pick out the notes on the strings so as to learn their placement. Due to this performance style, The Banshee was also a disruption of the contemporary expectations of piano recitals, intended to create discomfort for the audience as well as the pianist.^[2]

The name of the pooka may come from the Irish word poc, meaning a male goat. The creature most commonly takes the form of a goat.^[3]

Unlike many other folkloric beings who guard their identities or names, the pooka is known to name himself to those he encounters.^[4]

One theme of the pooka's folklore is their proclivity for mischief. They are commonly said to entice humans to take a ride on their back, giving the rider a wild and terrifying journey before dropping the unlucky person back at the place they were taken from. This lore bears similarities to other Irish folk creatures, such as the daoine maithe (good people) or the slua si (fairy host), said to target humans on the road or along their regular "passes." These human encounters of the pooka tend to occur in rural, isolated places, far from settlements or homes.

While pooka stories can be found across northern Europe, Irish tales specify a protective measure for encountering a pooka. It is said that the rider may be able to take control of the pooka by wearing sharp spurs, using those to prevent riding or to steer the creature if already on its back.

A translation of an Irish pooka story , "An Buachaill Bó agnus an Púca," told by Seán Ó Cróinín, describes this method of control of the Pooka as done by a young boy who had been the creature's target once before:

"... the farmer asked the lad what had kept him out so late. The lad told him.

"I have spurs," said the farmer. "Put them on you tonight and if he brings you give him the spurs!" And this the lad did. The thing threw him from its back and the lad got back early enough. Within a week the (pooka) was before him again after housing the cows.

"Come to me," said the lad, "so I can get up on your back."

"Have you the sharp things on?" said the animal.

"Certainly," said the lad.

"Oh I won't go near you, then," he said."^[5]

The protective power of the "sharp things," as they are always referred to by the pooka in the tales, may stem from the Irish belief that "cold iron" has the ability to ward off the supernatural.^[6]

Another example of the púca as a benevolent or protective entity comes in tales where the creature intervenes before a terrible accident or before the person is about to happen upon a malevolent fairy or spirit. In several of the regional variants of the stories where the púca is acting as a guardian, the púca identifies itself to the bewildered human. This is particularly noteworthy as it is in contrast to the lore of many other folkloric beings, who guard their identities or names from humans.

The púca may be regarded as being either menacing or beneficent. Fairy mythologist Thomas Keightley said "notions respecting it are very vague", and in a brief description gives an account collected by Croker from a boy living near Killarney that "old people used to say that the Pookas were very numerous...long ago..., were wicked-minded, black-looking, bad things...that would come in the form of wild colts, with chains hanging about them", and that did much to harm unwary travellers. Also, children were warned not to eat overripe blackberries, because this was a sign that the pooka has befouled them.

One theme of the púca's folklore is their proclivity for mischief. They are commonly said to entice humans to take a ride on their back, giving the rider a wild and terrifying journey before dropping the unlucky person back at the place they were taken from. This lore bears similarities to other Irish folk creatures, such as the daoine maithe (good people) or the slua si (fairy host), said to target humans on the road or along their regular "passes." These human encounters of the púca tend to occur in rural, isolated places, far from settlements or homes.

While púca stories can be found across northern Europe, Irish tales specify a protective measure for encountering a púca. It is said that the rider may be able to take control of the púca by wearing sharp spurs, using those to prevent being taken or to steer the creature if already on its back.

A translation of an Irish púca story , "An Buachaill Bó agnus an Púca," told by Seán Ó Cróinín, describes this method of control of the púca as done by a young boy who had been the creature's target once before:

The protective power of the "sharp things," as they are always referred to by the pooka in the tales, may stem from the Irish belief that "cold iron" has the ability to ward off the supernatural.

In contrast, the púca is represented as being helpful to farmers by Lady Wilde, who relates the following tale. A farmer's son named Padraig one day noticed the invisible presence of the púca brushing by, and called out to him, offering a coat. The púca appeared in the guise of a young bull, and told him to come to the old mill at night. From that time onward, the púca came secretly at night and performed all the work of milling the sacks of corn into flour. Padraig fell asleep the first time, but later concealed himself in a chest to catch sight of them, and later made a present of a fine silk suit. This unexpectedly caused the púca to go off to "see a little of the world" and cease their work. But by then the farmer's wealth allowed him to retire and give his son an education. Later, at Padraig's wedding, the púca left a gift of a golden cup filled with drink that evidently ensured their happiness.

Another example of the púca as a benevolent or protective entity comes in tales where the creature intervenes before a terrible accident or before the person is about to happen upon a malevolent fairy or spirit. In several of the regional variants of the stories where the púca is acting as a guardian, the púca identifies itself to the bewildered human. This is particularly noteworthy as it is in contrast to the lore of many other folkloric beings, who guard their identities or names from humans.

There are stories of some púca being blood-thirsty and vampire-like creatures. Other stories even say some are man-eating beings, hunting down, killing, and eating their victims.

VCU Library

Irish Banshee Traditions: A Preliminary Survey. Lysaght, Patricia, Jan 1971, Bealo

ideas Vol 42, pgs 94-119

The banshee: the Irish death-messenger. Roberts Rinehart Publishers, Boulder Co. 1997. (online)

Buying the Wind: Regional folklore in the United States. Doson, Richard. University of Chicago Press, 1964

Visions and Beliefs in the west of Ireland. Gregory, Lady. New York, Oxford University Press. 1970

Irish Folk Lore Mythology. Chatto & Windus, Gentleman's magazine and historical review. 1865 (online)

Chaplin, Kathleen. "The Death Knock." New England Review, vol. 34, no. 1, 2013, p. 135+. Literature Resource Center, http://link.galegroup.com.proxy.library.vcu.edu/apps/doc/A337721305/LitRC?u=viva_vcu&sid=LitRC&xid=ee6d9f57. Accessed 27 Nov. 2018.

Breatnach, Deasún. “The Púca: A Multi-Functional Irish Supernatural Entity.” Folklore, vol. 104, no. 1/2, 1993, pp. 105–110. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1260800.

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