Bean-Nighe

Bean-Nighe is a female spirit in Scottish folklore, regarded as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld.

She is a type of ban-sìth, or banshee, that haunts desolate streams and washes the blood from the linen and grave-clothes of those who are about to die.

This spirit is also called nigheag, nigheag na h-ath, or nigheag bheag a bhroin, which mean 'the little washer', 'little washer of the ford', or 'little washer of the sorrow' in Scottish Gaelic.

She is often described as small and ugly, with a hooked nose, one large nostril, a large protruding tooth, webbed feet, and long hanging breasts.

She sometimes sings a mournful dirge as she washes the clothes of the doomed.

Bean-Nighe has various powers and abilities, depending on the locality and tradition.

Some say that she can impart knowledge or grant wishes if she is approached with caution and respect.

Others say that she can reveal a person's ultimate fate or prevent a death if she is caught or interrupted.

However, there are also risks and dangers involved in encountering her, as she may strike a person with her wet linen, causing them to lose the use of their limbs, or curse them with bad luck or misfortune.

She represents the connection between the living and the dead, and the fear and awe that people have towards the supernatural.

Bean-Nighe is also a reminder of the harsh realities of life and death in the past, especially for women who faced the dangers of childbirth.