Podcasts · Irish History Podcast
From the Banshee to Burial: The Strange History of Irish Funerals
· 31 min
Episode From the Banshee to Burial: The Strange History of Irish Funerals
Irish funerals and wakes are one of the more famous aspects of our culture. Often taking the form of a celebration, it has been said we do death well. However the modern Irish funeral is not the timeless tradition we often imagine. In this episode of the Irish History Podcast I explore the strange history of Irish funerals and the lost world of 19th-century death customs.
Drawing on folklore and first-hand accounts, I explore the history behind the banshee (bean sí) and other less well known death omens. I also trace the strange and unsettling rituals, superstitions and wake traditions that once surrounded death in Ireland - customs that can be difficult to relate to today.
From the banshee to the grave, this is a journey into a lost world of grief, ritual and belief.
Written, researched, and presented by Fin Dwyer
Sound: Kate Dunlea
Voice Actors: Aidan Crowe and Therese Murray
If you want to learn more about wakes, check out this episode recorded in the Irish Wake Museum https://shows.acast.com/irishhistory/episodes/the-irish-wake-a-history
Sources
* Patricia Lysaght, The Banshee: The Irish Death-Messenger https://archive.org/details/bansheeirishdeat0000lysa
* St. John Seymour, True Irish Ghost Stories https://archive.org/details/trueirishghostst00seymiala
Duchas.ie, the National Folklore Archive
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