Irland's tales The word “fairy” has been used to describe a supernatural being with some sorts of strange magical powers. Different types of fairies may also have different types of magical powers. Faeries exist in some form in mythology all over the world but hold a special importance to the Irish. Irish fairies can take any form they wish, but they will usually choose a human form. They are said to be beautiful and powerful which is misleading (not entirely true) because most fairies in Ireland love bringing (to bring) misfortune and bad luck to the mortals who get near them. There are many types of fairies, such as banshee, leprechaun, goblin and so on. Banshee means ‘Faerie woman’. A banshee is known in Ireland as a female spirit who wails (cry sadly) outside a home to warn (advise) of the imminent death of a family member. In Ireland, the banshee does not bring or cause death but warns that death is near (somenone is going to die), which gives the family a chance to get prepared (to the incoming death). So she lets out a horrible cry and her scream is an omen (signal) of death. Some say that the banshee is the ghost of a young woman who was brutally killed and died so horribly that she is now willing to watch over (take care of) families. Every major family in Ireland has a banshee whose cry predicts the death of those families' members. According to legends, the banshee can also take on (assume) many forms: she has been most commonly seen as either a beautiful, young woman with long, flowing silver/white hair or as an old woman in rags (cleaning cloth) with dirty grey hair, long fingernails and rotten teeth. The Irish do not believe the banshee causes death, but merely (only) warns of it.