The White Woman of the Water

The Bean-Fionn is a spectral figure from Scottish and Irish folklore, often linked to bodies of water such as rivers, lochs, and marshes. Her name, meaning “White Woman”, suggests an ethereal presence, and she is frequently described as a pale, ghostly figure with flowing hair and mournful eyes. Some traditions paint her as a tragic spirit, a lost soul bound to the water, while others cast her as a malevolent entity, luring the unwary to a watery grave.

A Spirit of Tragedy and Warning

Much like the Bean-Nighe, the Bean-Fionn is sometimes considered an omen of death. However, rather than washing the clothes of the doomed, she is said to cry mournfully at the water’s edge, warning of an impending drowning or disaster. Travelers who see her standing by the shore at dusk are advised to turn back, for it is believed she may be guarding the water’s hidden dangers.

In some stories, the Bean-Fionn is a guardian spirit, particularly of children. Tales from the Highlands and Western Isles suggest that mothers would warn their children against playing near deep water, claiming that the Bean-Fionn would take them not out of malice, but to save them from a worse fate. In this version, she is a more sorrowful figure, carrying lost children away to the Otherworld.

However, other versions claim that she is far more dangerous. In County Donegal, she is said to rise from the depths and pull the living down with her, her eyes glowing in the moonlight. Some fishermen claim to have seen her floating beneath the surface, her pale hands reaching up toward their boats.