Banshee

Two Banshees in Gabrielle's Hope

Banshees are a race of monsters from the Xenaverse. Their first, and only, appearance was in the episode Gabrielle's Hope; in which, they provided the most conclusive evidence (other than baby Hope's own actions) that Gabrielle's newborn daughter was the evil spawn of Dahak.

Abilities

Banshees are a race of immortal 'Shade' like beings, who can make themselves intangible at will. They are shown to possess high wailing cries, that could be used as a weapon (though this was not demonstrated). they are also shown to be able to fly, change shape and are hinted to have some kind of precognetive gifts, as they know of Gabrielle's pregnancy before any others.

Appearance

Banshees are depicted as three young looking women (about mid-to-early-twenties), with wild hair (varying in color), different colored skin, dark lips, wide eyes (also varying in color) and white teeth. They wear robes similar to those of the Furies, save for the green color of the banshee's robes and the red of the furies.

Impact

Despite appearing in only one episode of XWP The Banshees play a vital role in showing Xena and Gabrielle the impact of what Dahak's coming will do.

Appearances

Gabrielle's Hope (XWP)

Trivia

• Banshees are creatures from Irish mythology and aren't typically found in Britannia.
• A trait typically assigned to vampires is given to banshees: when Xena and Gabrielle take shelter in the castle, Xena says "Legend says they can't follow without being asked". In actual Celtic mythology, banshees were considered benign creatures and sometimes 'part of the family'. Their cries were genuine lamentations for the dying person and they were said to attach themselves to specific families for generations. Ergo, a banshee would probably not need permission to enter a building – they were already considered to be more than welcome, though their appearance in general would be obvious cause for concern!

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