Perhaps the most feared creature in Irish fairy lore, the Banshee is the ghostly, female apparition whose shriek portents the demise of a loved one. Elliot O'Donnell explores the terrifying Banshee equivalents of cultures around the world, from the Highland Castles of Scotland to the seaside villages of Italy and his tales of these creatures make the Irish Banshee look like nothing more than a cherubic Christmas caroler.