In Celtic folklore, the fairy whose wailing cry foretells an impending death is the banshee.
A banshee is a female spirit in Irish folklore whose scream, wail, shriek, or keening signals that a family member is dying or has died. In some stories, the cry is heard before the household receives news, making the banshee a supernatural herald rather than the direct cause of death.
The name comes from the Irish bean sí, commonly translated as “woman of the fairy mound” or “fairy woman.” It connects the figure with sídhe, the ancient mounds and hills believed to be entrances to the Otherworld. Traditional descriptions vary, but often include a grieving woman with streaming hair and reddened eyes.
The banshee also reflects the older human practice of keening: women performed formal vocal laments at funerals. Folklore may therefore blend a real mourning custom with a supernatural messenger. The banshee is not the same as a púca, selkie, or kelpie; those beings have different roles and forms in Celtic legend.