The Midnight Washer Women

The Midnight Washer Women is a story that runs throughout Celtic mythology. Dressed in white, they sit by streams and sing their mournful song whilst working only under moonlight. It is said that a passerby must avoid being seen by the washerwomen. If they do get seen however, they are required to help wring out the sheets. If they twist the sheets in the same direction as the washerwomen, the individual's arms will be wrenched from their sockets and they will get pulled into the wet sheets and killed instantly. If, however, they twist in the opposite direction, the washerwomen are required to grant the person three wishes.