Folk and village custom: magic in this belief world
Rural and household beliefs that belong to no single organised religion.
Folk and village custom is the large body of belief and practice that belongs to no organised religion: the charm against the evil eye, the cure for warts, the fairy hawthorn, the household spirit, the lucky day. It is passed within families and communities and exists in every society. This page looks at how it is kept, who keeps it, and why it is both valued and dismissed. It is also called popular religion, vernacular religion or lived religion by scholars.
Keepers and settings
Keepers are often older women, farmers, midwives, shepherds and craftsmen. Settings are the house, field, well, crossroads and church porch. European cunning folk offered help for fees and kept charms and books. In many Asian and African villages the specialist is a healer, a diviner or a spirit medium working beside religion. The same grandmother may light a candle at church, tie a thread on a child and say a charm for a burn, and see no conflict between them.
Names and labels
The same thing carries many names: the evil eye is the nazar, mal de ojo and ayin hara. Folklorists collected such customs from the nineteenth century, sometimes as relics of a vanished past and sometimes as living culture. The label folk also marks class, since the term often implies rural, poor or uneducated, a bias that modern scholars try to avoid. Where the village has a wise woman or a bone-setter, the community knows what to ask of her and what she will refuse to do.
Religion, state and reform
Churches, mosques and temples have absorbed, tolerated and condemned folk practice in turn. States have banned it as backward: Chinese campaigns against superstition in the twentieth century closed local temples and shrines, and Soviet policy targeted village healers. At times governments have turned to it as national heritage, as in revived festivals across Europe and Asia. Historians and folklorists note that it often keeps old customs alive within newer religions, such as lighting fires at midsummer within Christian saints' days.
Change and commerce
Urban life and migration thin out folk knowledge, while heritage projects and the internet gather it. Customs reappear as products, such as protective charms in shops and festival tourism. Some folk practice carries harm: village accusation of witchcraft, treatments that delay medical care, and fees charged to relieve fear. Illness needs real medical care. In places with active heritage movements, folk custom has become a source of pride, and young people record songs and cures from grandparents before they are lost.
Folk and village custom on EveryJaadu
The entries written up so far, best known first.
馃嚪馃嚫 Serbia and 5 moreVampire
An undead creature from folklore that feeds on the blood or life force of the livingBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚝馃嚪 France and 5 moreWerewolf
A mythical shapeshifter that turns into a wolf, central to European witch-hunts and Gothic horror.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 3 moreFirebird
A glowing bird of Slavic folklore that brings both fortune and peril to those who seek itFigure 路 Wonder and entertainment 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceLady of the LakeDame du Lac
A water spirit who raises knights and captures wizards in Arthurian talesFigure 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomAgnes Sampson
A Scottish healer executed for witchcraft during the North Berwick trials.Figure Historical
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 1 moreBugbear
A medieval English creature used to frighten children into obedienceFigure 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚠馃嚜 IrelandBodach
A Gaelic trickster figure used to frighten children and warn of deathFigure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Seeing and foretelling Historical
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomMother Shipton
An English prophetess and herbalist from folklore, known for predictions printed long after her death.Figure 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Healing Historical
馃嚠馃嚬 Italy and 2 moreHaruspex
A diviner who read the will of gods by inspecting animal entrailsFigure 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyWitches of Benevento
A medieval Italian legend of witches gathering under a walnut treeBelief 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomCeridwenCerridwen
A Welsh enchantress and modern goddess of poetic inspiration and transformation.Being 路 Change and initiation Revived
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyBefana
An Italian witch-like figure who delivers gifts on Epiphany EveFigure 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚛馃嚜 Germany and 5 moreKrampus
A horned Alpine figure who punishes misbehaving children on KrampusnachtFigure 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 4 moreBaba Yaga
A complex Slavic witch figure who lives in a moving hut and flies in a mortar.Figure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Protection Legendary
馃嚠馃嚬 Italy and 1 moreAradia
A figure of Italian folklore and modern pagan witchcraft, seen as a teacher of magic and liberation.Figure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Revived
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 3 moreMorgause
A legendary queen of Orkney and sister to King Arthur in British mythFigure 路 Power and authority Legendary
馃嚨馃嚬 Portugal and 5 moreCocoCoca
A monster used to frighten children into obedience across the Iberian world and Latin America.Figure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Binding and oaths Living
馃嚠馃嚬 Italy and 5 moreBogeyman
A mythical creature used across cultures to frighten children into obedienceFigure 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 1 moreMoroi
A Romanian phantom that drains the living, linked to strigoi and unbaptised infants.Figure 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 3 moreJack
A trickster hero from English folklore who outwits giants and oppressorsFigure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden and 2 moreFreyja
Norse goddess of love, war, and sei冒r magic who rides a chariot pulled by catsBeing 路 Love and attraction 路 Seeing and foretelling Legendary
馃嚙馃嚪 Brazil and 5 moreWhite Lady
A female ghost in white clothing linked to tragedy and omens across many culturesFigure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Seeing and foretelling Legendary
馃嚞馃嚪 GreeceBaba Yaga (sample)袘邪斜邪-褟谐邪
A witch of Slavic tales who lives in a hut on legs.Figure 路 Change and initiation Legendary
馃嚝馃嚠 Finland and 1 moreSampo
A magical mill or world pillar in Finnish and Estonian mythology that produces wealth.Figure 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚦馃嚤 Netherlands and 3 morePig-faced women
A European legend of a woman with the face of a pig, and the charms used to break her curseFigure 路 Change and initiation Historical
馃嚝馃嚪 France and 2 moreMelusineM茅lusine
A water spirit of French and Luxembourgish lore, known for her serpent form and the castles she built.Figure 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Power and authority Legendary
馃嚫馃嚠 Slovenia and 5 moreVesna袙械褋薪邪
A Slavic personification of spring and youth, known in myth and languageFigure 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland and 4 moreFairy Queen
A female ruler of fairies found in folklore, literature, and witchcraft trials across Europe.Figure 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 1 moreBabay袘邪斜邪泄
A night spirit in Slavic folklore used to frighten children into sleepingFigure 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 2 moreJenny Greenteeth
A river-hag from English folklore used to warn children away from dangerous watersFigure 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚠馃嚜 IrelandMerrowmur煤ch
A sea creature from Irish folklore, known for its magical cap and singing voice.Figure 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary
馃嚪馃嚭 RussiaTriple-headed eagle
A heraldic and mythological bird with three heads, appearing in Russian symbolism and European manuscripts.Being 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 7 moreOgnyena Maria袨谐薪械薪邪 袦邪褉懈褬邪
A Slavic fire goddess linked to lightning, rain, and seasonal fire bansFigure 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚠馃嚬 Italy and 1 moreCola Pesce
An Italian merman legend about a boy cursed by his mother to live in the seaFigure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Seeing and foretelling Historical
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyScrofa semilanuta
A legendary sow seen in a dream that became the ancient emblem of Milan.Figure 路 Wonder and entertainment 路 Seeing and foretelling Historical
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyMonacielloMunaciello
A Neapolitan sprite linked to the city's underground waterways and hidden wealth.Figure 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚪馃嚫 Serbia and 3 moreBo啪i膰袘芯卸懈褯
A Slavic figure linked to the new year and spring, whose name now marks ChristmasFigure 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚨馃嚤 Poland and 4 moreMorana袦芯褉械薪邪
A Slavic goddess of winter and death, whose effigy is drowned to welcome springFigure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomTom Thumb
A tiny English folk hero who outwits giants and serves King ArthurFigure 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary
馃嚠馃嚬 Italy and 1 moreGrim Reaper
A hooded skeleton with a scythe, representing death in Western art and story.Figure 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚘馃嚬 Austria and 3 moreSalige Frau
A blissful Alpine spirit who guides farmers and guards mountain gameFigure 路 Protection 路 Healing Legendary
馃嚦馃嚤 Netherlands and 3 moreZwarte Piet
A companion of Saint Nicholas in Low Countries folklore, now the subject of major cultural debate.Figure 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚠馃嚫 IcelandYule catJ贸lak枚tturinn
A giant feline from Icelandic folklore that threatens those without new Christmas clothesFigure 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚫馃嚜 SwedenYs盲tters-Kajsa
A wind-troll from Swedish folklore who danced with the gales of N盲rkeFigure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚠馃嚜 IrelandJack O'The Lantern
An Irish folktale about a deceitful man condemned to wander with a carved lanternFigure 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚠馃嚫 IcelandDj谩kninn 谩 Myrk谩
An Icelandic ghost story about a dead deacon who returns for his bride on Christmas EveFigure 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚠馃嚜 IrelandChildren of LirOidheadh chloinne Lir
An Irish myth about four siblings transformed into swans by a jealous stepmotherFigure 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceTempestarii
Medieval figures accused of controlling storms and the beliefs surrounding them.Belief 路 Cursing and harm 路 Protection Historical
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Sampo: V盲in枚 Blomstedt, Public domain, source
- Firebird: Philippe Giabbanelli, CC BY 3.0, source
- Lady of the Lake: Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, source
- Pig-faced women: DubhEire, CC0, source
- Ognyena Maria: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Artes prohibitae: engraved by Ames of Bristol (according to Fincham, Artists and engrave, Public domain, source
- Children of Lir: John Duncan, Public domain, source
- Krampus: Naturpuur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Baba Yaga: Ivan Bilibin, Public domain, source
- Vampire: Edvard Munch, Public domain, source
- Morgause: H. S. Campbell, Public domain, source
- Coco: Francisco de Goya, CC0, source
- Bogeyman: Francisco Goya, Public domain, source
- Fairy: Henry Fuseli, Public domain, source
- Haruspicy: Lokilech, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Jack: Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, source
- Freyja: John Bauer, Public domain, source
- Mother Shipton: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Agnes Sampson: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Melusine: GilPe, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vesna: Viktor Vasnetsov, Public domain, source
- Babay: Kyoukaa, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Jenny Greenteeth: Jayan.thanal, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Merrow: Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Scrofa semilanuta: M.casanova, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Morana: Marta Malina Moraczewska, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tom Thumb: Leutemann or Offterdinger , photo by Harke, Public domain, source
- Grim Reaper: Jaroslav A. Pol谩k, CC BY 4.0, source
- Salige Frau: various, Public domain, source
- Zwarte Piet: The illustrator is Daan Hoeksma, who died in 1935. The author is liste, Public domain, source
- Yule cat: Christine Rondeau, CC BY 2.0, source
- Jack O'The Lantern: Bodrugan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dj谩kninn 谩 Myrk谩: Th茅odore Meyer-Heine / Jules Worms, Public domain, source
- Befana: El 脕gora, Public domain, source
- Ceridwen: Chris Denny, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Witches of Benevento: Guglielmo della Porta, CC0, source
- Triple-headed eagle: 袧械懈蟹胁械褋褌薪褘泄 邪胁褌芯褉. (褎芯褌芯 芯斜谢芯卸泻懈 褋斜芯褉薪懈泻邪: 袗谢械泻褋邪薪写褉 啸褉邪屑芯胁), Public domain, source
- Werewolf: Mont Sudbury, Public domain, source