watching over the corpse, which takes place the night before the burial, and may last for more than one night. The practice of keening was "generally adhered to" throughout Ireland irrespective of social class until around the middle of the 18th century. Around 1791, the antiquarian William Beauford (1735–1819) described in detail the practice of keening at a traditional Irish funeral ceremony and transcribed the keening melodies that were sung. He provided the following information: The bards prepared the keen in advance. The body, "ornamented with flowers, was placed on a bier, or some elevated spot." The relations and keeners were arranged in two divisions, one at the head, the other at the foot of the corpse. "The chief bard of the head chorus began by singing the first stanza in a low doleful tone, which was softly accompanied by the harp: at the conclusion, the foot semichorus began the lamentation, or ullaloo, from the final note of the preceding stanza, in which they were answered by the head semichorus; then both united in one general chorus. The chorus of the first stanza being ended, the chief bard of the foot semichorus began the second gol, or lamentation, in which they were answered by that of the head, and as before, both united in the general full chorus." "The genealogy, rank, possessions, the virtues and vices of the dead were rehearsed, and a number of interrogations ‘were addressed to the deceased: as, why did he die? If married, whether his wife was faithful to him, his sons dutiful, or good hunters or warriors? if a woman, whether her daughters were fair or chaste? If a young man, whether he had been crossed in love? or if the blue-eyed maids of Erin had treated him with scorn?" Samuel Carter Hall described Irish funeral traditions and keening songs in his 1841 book Ireland: Its Scenery, Character and History. He wrote that mourners would often rock back and forth and clasp their hands together during the keening song. Parallels elsewhere Wailing and singing in lamentation, is as old as funerals, going back to Homeric, Estruscan, and biblical times Keening has strong parallels in the Middle East and elsewhere. Sir Walter Scott compared Gaelic keening to the ululatus of the Romans. Banshees According to Irish mythology, keening laments are sung by banshees. A banshee could sing when a family member died or was about