History Main / GhostlyWail

* In [[Myth/CelticMythology Irish and Scottish folklore]], the banshee (or [[SpellMyNameWithAnS bean-sidhe]]) is a [[TheFairFolk fairy-woman]] or [[OurGhostsAreDifferent ghost]] and often guardian spirit of the old Gaelic families who can foretell death in "her" family. She [[HowlOfSorrow wails]] and [[OneWomanWail cries]] through the night to warn the family that one of them will soon die. If the family hear her crying three nights in a row, they know that they should begin planning a funeral. As she can foretell death in the family that she protects, the banshee is also grieving for the family as well as warning them of impending death. When multiple mná-sídhe (fairy-women) are heard wailing at once, it foretells the death of an important political or religious figure. As she is often a guardian spirit to specific clans and can foretell death in "her" family, she is [[DeathWail mourning]] the impending death as well as warning the family. Most often, the banshee is depicted as an old, frightening woman, but she can also appear as a strikingly beautiful woman of any age that suits her.

* ''Series/TheHauntingOfHillHouse'': [[spoiler:Nell]]'s attempts to communicate as a ghost only come through as distorted groans and wails, coupled with a GhostlyGape. Zig-zagged in the finale when [[spoiler:Nell]] gathers enough presence of mind to speak clearly.

Compare DeathCryEcho, DeathWail, and OurBansheesAreLouder. Polar opposite of WhisperingGhosts. May overlap with MakeMeWannaShout if it's an actual power.

* ''VideoGame/FableI'': The wraithlike Screamers have a permanent GhostlyGape and a [[MakeMeWannaShout shriek]] that inflicts LifeDrain.
* ''VideoGame/FatalFrame'': Being a ghost-fighting SurvivalHorror series, there are ghosts that do this when confronted, overlapping with HellIsThatNoise.

** Weather ghost Vortex can let loose a ghostly sonic shriek, a sub-power of the above-mentioned Ghostly Wail but only slightly less powerful.

-->''"Enough! I grow tired of this spooky '[=OoOoO=]' business! I am a pirate, blast it! Pirates do not MOAN! I am a cold-blooded villain who robs innocents of life and loot, not a crying ghost!"''

-->''"Enough! I grow tired of this spooky 'OoOoO' business! I am a pirate, blast it! Pirates do not MOAN! I am a cold-blooded villain who robs innocents of life and loot, not a crying ghost!"''

-->''"I am a pirate, blast it! Pirates do not MOAN!"''

* ''VideoGame/FatalFrame'', being a ghost-fighting SurvivalHorror series, have ghosts that do this when confronted, overlapping this trope with HellIsThatNoise.

* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in the first ''Araminta Spookie'' book: Araminta lives in a HauntedHouse and spends much of her free time looking for ghosts. While exploring a [[BookcasePassage secret passageway]] behind the boiler room, she suddenly hears a "horrible, teeth-on-edge, spine-chilling screaming" which she is certain is "exactly the kind of noise a ball-and-chain ghost would make." However, she realizes it's not a ghost--it's just her aunt Tabitha screaming at the uncooperative boiler. [[AvertedTrope Averted]] later, when she meets real ghosts who are quite polite and not noisy at all.

[[folder:Folklore]]
* The Mexican legend of '''La Llorona''' is about a woman who killed her children, and now her ghost wanders calling for them.

* ''Literature/JonathanStrangeAndMrNorrell'': The undead soldiers that Mr. Strange [[{{Necromancer}} conjures up]] can only speak in a ghastly unintelligble shriek, which he eventually identifies as the BlackSpeech of {{Hell}}.
* In ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'', Jacob Marley lets out a frightful cry to scare Scrooge into listening to him, [[GhostlyGape unhinging his jaw]] for added effect.

[[folder: Radio]]
* A ''Radio/JohnFinnemoresSouvenirProgramme'' sketch in which the ghosts of Emmeline Pankhurst and Albert, a soldier who died in World War II, explain their thoughts about voting, ended like this:

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'' features ghost ropes in the level [[BigBoosHaunt Ghostly Grove]], which wail as they appear and disappear.

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2:Diddy'sKongQuest'' features ghost ropes in the level [[BigBoosHaunt Ghostly Grove]], which wail as they appear and disappear.

* A ''Radio/JohnFinnemoreSouvenirProgramme'' sketch in which the ghosts of Emmeline Pankhurst and Albert, a soldier who died in World War II, explain their thoughts about voting, ended like this:

!!Examples

[[folder:Film -- Animation]]

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]

[[folder: Folklore]]

* ''VideoGame/Runescape'': Mortals perceive ghosts' speech as incoherent wailing unless they have a [[TranslatorMicrobes Ghostspeak amulet]] to translate it into ordinary dialogue.

[[/folder]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'' one of the most common things you could hear were very loud wails from the costumed antagonists. Most of them tended to be Ghost based, you see.

Compare DeathCryEcho, DeathWail, and OurBansheesAreLouder. Polar opposite of WhisperingGhosts.