Last night, I had a nightmare- I was walking down an empty, very dark street, and strange wind howled through the trees, high-pitched, almost like a wail. (I watched a horror movie btw)
But dream or not it reminded me of something. A banshee ( Which should be obvious considering the fact that it’s in the title)
In Irish folklore, the Banshee is a pale, veiled woman with wind-tangled hair who keens (wails) to forewarn death. (creepy, I know)
But here’s the thing, it does not cause death, it just… knows it’s coming. (Does that make me feel better? Not really)
But here’s the most scientific explanation I could find:
Genetic Hyper-Sensing:
Let’s pretend the Banshee is real. How would we explain her through the lens of biology?
- Superhuman Auditory Sensitivity:
Imagine a mutation that enhances the cochlea (the spiral part in your inner ear), allowing the detection of the subtlest shifts in vibrations or even bioelectric signals from distressed living organisms. - Synesthesia of Sorrow:
What if the Banshee’s “wail” isn’t just an expression…What if their empathy triggers an involuntary sound of grief? What if they don’t cry because someone’s dying, they cry with them. - Epigenetic Grief Markers
What if Banshees carry inherited epigenetic markers that make them ultra-sensitive to hormonal or pheromonal changes related to dying bodies? (Like how dogs can detect terminal illness or seizures.)
A Harbinger, Not a Haunter
Here’s the part many people forget: Banshees don’t kill. They mourn. They sense the shift between life and death.
In simple terms? Maybe a Banshee would be part empath, part bio-sensor. Pretty cool in a disturbing kind of way.
