banshee of the badlands

Jon Solo Sebastian 06/14/2024:

Have you ever been on a late night stroll in the woods, or mountains hoping to catch Sasquatch or a ghost doing their nightly routine? No? I guess that’s just something I do—please don’t judge me! If you answered yes to that question, here’s another question for my fellow late-nighters. On your late night stroll, do you hear strange sounds that are likely owls, coyote, wolves, or some other nocturnal creature and wonder if what you’re hearing is actually something supernatural? I’m always hoping for such a thing. Sure, owls or wolves might be fascinating animals, but wouldn’t a banshee, or vampire, or werebear be more exhilarating? I imagine you’re answer is a big ‘no’ here, but I’m here for the creepy crawly creatures of the night, and today that creature, the banshee, is dying to shriek sweet nothing’s in our ears.

Welcome to Creatureville. Please take a moment to sit beside the campfire while we venture into the South Dakota Badlands where the Banshee of the Badlands sings beautiful songs of the night to all who visit from atop the butte looking over the desert-like national park. “The Badlands provide some of the most mysterious sights to see in the national park system, from fossil beds to spired rock formations. Located on the edge of our country’s Great Plains in southwestern South Dakota, Badlands National Park consists of 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest, protected mixed-grass prairie in the United States.”

The Badlands is the home for an abundance of species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. It’s also the home of a Banshee. Banshee of the Badlands sounds like an Iron Maiden song. It isn’t a song by them, but it should be.

What is a Banshee?

Before we get into some details about the title character, also known as Banshee of the Badlands, do you know what a banshee is? Known to some throughout history as the harbinger of death, the banshee is a mythological female described as a fairy or spirit that can be traced back to the eighth century. Her screams, wails, or shrieks are meant to warn of an impending death. “One story tells of a woman who went to King James I of Scotland in 1437 to warn him of his imminent murder after hearing the cry of a banshee. Another story tells of an experience wherein two people heard the scream of the banshee in the middle of the night. They said the banshee was wailing for ‘Rossmore.’ In the morning, they discovered that a household servant named Rossmore had died during the night.” Most stories tell of the banshee’s screams as being indecipherable and frightening; nothing more. Who’s to say the screams and wails aren’t a part of her language or way of speaking? It seems less likely for her to roam the nights screaming just to scream. She might have more to say than the name of a dying person, but no one that I know of has ever asked her.

By now, you’re likely wondering what a banshee looks like—unless you’ve seen one before. Have you seen a banshee? I have, but only in video games like The Witcher 3. In the game, they’re floaty grotesque teleporting specters whose screams will stun or disorient your character.

Banshee’s appear in various forms. Some will appear as an older woman with long stringy white hair, some appear as young women with black hair. They can be either beautiful or hideous wearing ragged or elegant clothing.

Banshee of the Badlands

This poster is so cool! I just ordered one!

If your friend asked you to go on a camping trip in the Badlands, would you be excited? What if your same friend asked you to go camping in a place called “Hell with the fires out,” would you be hiding your anticipation or locking yourself in the bathroom? Both of those names are for the same place and with names like that, you can’t be surprised to learn a banshee haunts the area.

In the Badlands, a banshee can be seen at night near a butte called, Watch Dog. She stands on top of hill with her hair and dress flowing in the night breeze. Her wails echo across the land as she flails her arms around. Again, it’s unknown if she’s trying to communicate or scare the onlookers. What will most certainly cause a problem in the trousers of many is when she goes from floating on the hill to standing next to you making no sound.

She will stand beside you for a moment before teleporting herself back to the hilltop where she resumes her unusual night time song and dance. What would you do if the Banshee of the Badlands was standing next to you?

To this day, the Banshee of the Badlands is seen on top of her hill doing her song and dance. If anyone is up for a road trip to witness this in person, let me know; I sure could use a vacation. If you have any pictures of her, please email them to me, or contact me on my Instagram or Facebook pages so I can share them. I’d love to learn more about her. With the amount of eye witness reports, I think it’s a solid bet she exists but I’ll only truly believe it when I’m there, and she asks me to dance with her under the moon light.