The Banshee

In Disney's 1959 classic, Darby O'Gill and the Little People, based on the book by Herminie Templeton Kavanagh, we are treated to the ancient celtic female spirit called the Banshee, (ban-SHE). Celtic legends of this wailing female ghost vary from region to region. In this particular film the Banshee is a grim reaper type figure who comes to steal the soul of one who is very ill or very old and dying. In other legends she is the ghost of a woman who died in child birth. Her wails are the cries of the birth pangs. As she wanders the earth confused, she is looking for her baby and in its stead, she steals the souls of newborn infants.

I only remember that when I saw this movie for the first time as a child the only thing I took away from it were nightmare producing memories of the Banshee!