{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/9190bee0-95f3-400b-842d-3232974654ec/69de51bc964c5cf3162abad7?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"From the Banshee to Burial: The Strange History of Irish Funerals","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/619566332eacc3a360702518/1776177788746-7b22418f-ee36-4ea2-a271-b548fe2270fe.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p><br></p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>From the banshee to the grave, this is a journey into a lost world of grief, ritual and belief.</p><p><br></p><p>Written, researched, and presented by Fin Dwyer</p><p>Sound: Kate Dunlea</p><p>Voice Actors: Aidan Crowe and Therese Murray</p><p><br></p><p>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</p><p><br></p><p>Sources</p><p>* Patricia Lysaght, The Banshee: The Irish Death-Messenger https://archive.org/details/bansheeirishdeat0000lysa</p><p>* St. John Seymour, True Irish Ghost Stories https://archive.org/details/trueirishghostst00seymiala</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Duchas.ie, the National Folklore Archive</strong></p><p>https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4602737/4599804/4634242</p><p>https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4427971/4362341/4466724</p><p>https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4649683/4646384/4650807</p><p>https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4427866/4351921/4435336</p><p>https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4649683/4646384/4650807</p><p>https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4758475/4747226/4779806</p><p>https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5008831/4959379/5072669</p><p>https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4623003/4622767/4630843</p><p>https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4742070/4732588/4819790</p><p>https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922035/4920905/4955848</p><p>https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922258/4864961/5021036</p><p>https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4706331/4703491/4726094</p>","author_name":"Fin Dwyer"}