The Academy Awards drew attention to Irish legend with the nomination of the film The Banshees of Inisherin, which borrowed part of its title from the fairy whose shriek is a warning of impending death.

For its shift from its thundering Hemi V8 combustion engines to electric power, Dodge aims to retain its current high-volume character, which is potentially the reason the company has tapped the notoriously noisy spirit to name the 800-volt electric drive system in its next-generation muscle cars.

So what is a banshee? According to the authorities at IrishMyths.com, “the banshee is believed to be a remnant of the reign of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the gods of Ireland who were defeated and driven underground by the invading Milesians (who represented the arrival of Celtic culture in Ireland). Each member of the Tuatha Dé Danann subsequently went on to occupy a mound or hill known as a sídhe. Thus, the once-gods became known as the aes sídhe (modern: aos sí, meaning “people of the hills”), and were relegated to fairy status.”

Dodge, on the other hand, is not being driven underground by the demise of combustion power. “Dodge isn’t going to shy away as we develop the next generation of muscle car – one that just happens to be fully electric,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand chief executive officer at the announcement of the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT concept. “Technology moves forward and the customizers and tuners move right along with it. We’re demonstrating how old-school hot-rodding will thrive in an electrified muscle-car future.”

Some of us might recall the classic film Darby O’Gill and the Little People, which featured a prominent role for a banshee. Will have to wait for the Dodge version to see how it compares, as so far no specifications have been released. The company did release details on the lesser 400-volt drivetrains that do not earn the Banshee moniker.

400-volt Output Levels

340 kilowatt (kW) – base trim (455 hp)

440 (kW) – base trim (590 hp)