The Bean Nighe, the Washer at the Ford
In the Scottish Highlands, a woman seen washing clothes in a lonely stream at night is washing the clothes of someone soon to die.
What was reported
Highland folklore tells of the bean nighe, the washerwoman, seen at a ford or by a remote stream, washing the clothes of those about to die. She's usually small, dressed in green, and sometimes said to have webbed feet.
If you see her before she sees you, the story says, you can approach her quietly and ask her questions, and she must answer them truthfully, or even grant a wish.
Explanations offered
She belongs to the same family of omens as the Irish banshee and the Welsh corpse candles. Folklorists link such figures to a time when washing the clothes of the dead was part of preparing for a funeral.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Scottish Highlands, Scotland
- Witnesses
- Highland tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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