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EveryJaadu

Cursing and harm

Curses, hexes and sorcery as people describe and fear them, with the counter-magic against them.

Cursing and harm are the part of magic that societies fear most. This page describes curses and sorcery as beliefs, and the social role of fear and accusation, and does not give instructions. The evil eye, the curse tablets of the Greek and Roman world, Hebrew and Arabic writings on harmful magic, sorcery in Melanesia and Africa, and the European witch are all part of this subject. Most of the harm recorded is that done to people accused.

What is believed

Many cultures hold that envy, anger or hostile ritual can bring illness, loss or death to a victim. The beliefs differ: in the Mediterranean, the evil eye needs no intent. In Azande society, studied by Evans-Pritchard, witchcraft was an inherited substance that explained why misfortune struck one person and not another. Greek and Roman lead curse tablets, often addressed to gods of the underworld, show the belief was written down in antiquity.

Accusation as social force

Where harm is feared, accusation follows. Anthropologists have shown that charges of witchcraft often follow tension inside a family or village, such as inheritance, jealousy or a sudden death. Accusers are usually in conflict with the accused, who is more likely to be old, poor, widowed or marginal. The belief can enforce norms and also destroy people. People also fear being accused, since an accusation can arrive without warning and can follow a family for generations.

Persecution and its present

European and colonial American witch trials, from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century, put tens of thousands to death, including the Salem trials of 1692. The practice has not ended. Mobs and families still attack accused people in parts of Africa, India, Papua New Guinea and elsewhere, and Saudi Arabia has executed people for sorcery. Albino people have been killed for body parts in East Africa. Several states are drafting or enforcing laws against accusation itself.

Counter-magic and scholarship

Where harm is feared, so is protection: amulets, cleansing, and a specialist who can say who sent it. Scholars see curses as a language of grievance, and psychologists have documented the nocebo effect, in which belief in harm can bring on real distress. A person who is afraid should seek medical and social help, and talk to someone they trust. People who believe they have been cursed should be helped to find practical support, including from health services, and not left alone with fear.

Cursing and harm on EveryJaadu

The entries written up so far, best known first.

RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
KindTraditionRiteCharmOracleSubstanceBeingFigureTextIllusionBelief
WhoShamansFolk healersPriests and ritual specialistsWitches, sorcerers and cunning folkDiviners and readersMediums and the possessedCeremonial magicians and alchemistsHouseholds and ordinary peopleStage magiciansScholars and sceptics
BeliefHindu and TantricBuddhistJainMuslim and SufiJewishChristianSikhZoroastrianShinto and TaoistIndigenous and shamanicAfrican and Afro-diasporicPagan and NeopaganEsoteric and occultFolk and village customSecular and stageOther traditions
OccasionWeddings and betrothalFestivalsBirth and childhoodDeath and remembranceHarvest, farming and weatherNew yearInitiation and coming of ageIllness and misfortuneJourneys and voyagesEveryday use
StandingLivingRevivedFadingHistoricalLegendaryPerformed
OrderBest knownA to ZNewestLiving 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 馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomBarghest A mythical black dog from Northern England that foretells death and haunts the countryside.Being 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomGlaistig A Scottish shape-shifting spirit linked to cattle, deer, and haunted castles.Being 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚛馃嚜 GermanyAlp A Germanic spirit that presses on sleepers and drinks milkBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical 馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland and 3 moreChangeling A substitute left by supernatural beings in place of a stolen human child or adultBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary 馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomC诺n Annwn Spectral hounds of the Welsh otherworld that hunt souls and signal deathBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Legendary 馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomGwyllion Welsh spirits that lead travellers astray and are feared in mountain folkloreBeing 路 Cursing and harm Historical 馃嚛馃嚜 Germany and 1 moreNachzehrer A German revenant believed to consume the living from beyond the graveBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚠馃嚜 IrelandP煤ca A shape-shifting spirit of Celtic folklore that brings fortune or mischiefBeing 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 1 moreLikho袥懈褏芯 A Slavic spirit of bad luck and misfortune, often depicted as a one-eyed creature.Being 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 3 moreLeshy谢械褕懈泄 A forest spirit from Slavic folklore who guards the woods and misleads travelers.Being 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 3 moreVodyanoy胁芯写褟薪芯泄 A water spirit of Slavic folklore that dwells in rivers and lakesBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary 馃嚜馃嚫 Spain and 5 moreDuende A humanoid spirit of Iberian and Latin American folklore, ranging from household pranksters to forest guardians.Being 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Living 馃嚘馃嚬 Austria and 3 morePerchtaPercht A Alpine goddess of winter who rewards diligence and punishes laziness during the twelve days after Christmas.Being 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Revived 馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 4 moreLady MiddayPoludnitsa A Slavic noon spirit who watches over fields and punishes those who work during the hottest hours.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Protection Historical 馃嚝馃嚪 France and 5 moreRevenant An animated corpse or spirit that returns from the grave to haunt the livingBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 1 moreBlue men of the Minchna fir ghorma Mythical blue-skinned spirits of the Scottish strait who challenge sailors to poetry contestsBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary 馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 1 moreFuath A class of malevolent water spirits in Scottish and Irish folkloreBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 1 moreEach-uisge A fierce water spirit of the Scottish Highlands and Irish shores that takes the form of a horse.Being 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚪馃嚫 Serbia and 1 moreDrekavac袛褉械泻邪胁邪褑 A South Slavic night creature born from unbaptised souls or sinnersBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚛馃嚜 Germany and 3 moreMare A spirit that sits on sleepers to cause nightmares and physical distressBeing 路 Cursing and harm Historical 馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomBlack dog A spectral hound from English folklore that signals death or guards the living.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Protection Legendary 馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 2 moreStrigoi A Romanian undead spirit linked to witchcraft and vampirismBeing 路 Cursing and harm Historical 馃嚞馃嚪 Greece and 3 moreHellhound A mythological canine that guards the underworld or serves demonic forces across global folkloreBeing 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomPuck A mischievous domestic sprite of English folklore known for practical jokes and household choresBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary 馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyBadaliscBadalisch A mythical goat-headed creature from the Italian Alps, captured and mocked during Epiphany celebrations.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Wonder and entertainment Living 馃嚦馃嚧 Norway and 1 moreTroll cat A familiar spirit in Nordic folklore blamed for stealing milk and cream from farmsBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 2 moreSolomonari葮olomonar A Romanian weather wizard who rides a dragon and controls the storms.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary 馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomWirry-cow A Scottish folk figure representing a frightening object or spiritBeing 路 Cursing and harm Historical 馃嚨馃嚤 Poland and 1 moreDydko A Polish folk creature evolved from a Slavic house demon into a night-time scarecrow.Being 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚚馃嚟 Switzerland and 3 moreTatzelwurm A cat-headed lizard of the Alps, said to guard mines and drink cow milk.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary 馃嚘馃嚤 Albania and 4 moreDhampir A half-vampire figure from Balkan folklore who hunts the undeadBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 3 moreChort褔褢褉褌 A Slavic demon spirit with horns and hooves, known in folklore as a trickster or minor evil force.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical 馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden and 5 moreLindwormlindorm A serpentine dragon of Northern and Central European folklore, often depicted as limbless or winged.Being 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 2 moreStrix蟽蟿蟻委尉 A classical bird of ill omen that evolved into a term for witches and vampires across Europe.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical 馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 5 moreBalaur A many-headed dragon from Romanian folklore that guards treasures and controls the weather.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Legendary 馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 4 moreFiery serpents芯谐薪械薪薪褘泄 蟹屑械泄 A pan-Slavic spirit of fire and wind, seen as a demon or a household helperBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical 馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 2 moreZmeu A humanoid dragon from Romanian folklore that kidnaps maidens and steals treasures.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Love and attraction Legendary 馃嚨馃嚤 Poland and 3 moreStrzyga A female demon in Polish folklore, linked to owls and vampiric traitsBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Protection Historical 馃嚘馃嚤 Albania and 3 moreKulshedra A multi-headed serpent demon in Albanian folklore that controls storms and droughts.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary 馃嚞馃嚪 GreeceGello螕蔚位位蠋 A Greek demon of infancy and a class of beings blamed for infant death.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Protection Historical 馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomBoobrie A shapeshifting loch monster from Scottish folklore that preys on livestock and horses.Being 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚪馃嚭 RussiaShishiga褕懈褕懈谐邪 A female swamp spirit of Russian and Komi folklore that brings misfortune and death.Being 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚨馃嚤 PolandTopielec A Slavic water spirit of the drowned dead that pulls victims into lakes.Being 路 Cursing and harm Historical 馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden and 1 moreSkogsr氓 A forest spirit in Swedish folklore who appears as a beautiful woman but hides a hollow back and animal feet.Being 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 1 moreLikhoradka袥懈褏芯褉邪写泻邪 A fever spirit in Slavic myth who brings illness and sicknessBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚛馃嚜 Germany and 3 moreWiederg盲nger A German term for a revenant or ghost that returns to the world of the living.Being 路 Cursing and harm Historical
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The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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