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.
🇪🇸 SpainXana
A water spirit of Asturian myth who offers treasures or madness to those who hear her song.Being · Luck and prosperity · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇫🇷 France and 1 moreOgre
A legendary humanoid monster known for its size and cannibalistic appetiteBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇳 IndiaIndus worm
A giant carnivorous river creature from ancient Greek accounts of the IndusBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇦🇱 AlbaniaKukudh
An undead revenant from Albanian folklore that haunts houses and spreads sickness.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreWerecat
A feline shapeshifter found in global folklore and occult beliefBeing · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇧🇷 BrazilBestial beastBesta-fera
A centaur-like creature in Brazilian folklore thought to be the Devil.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇱 ChileCamahueto
A one-horned river bull from Chilote folklore that drags people to the seaBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇭🇺 HungaryLidérc
A shape-shifting spirit from Hungarian folklore that brings wealth or illness.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇧🇷 BrazilCapelobo
A Brazilian monster with a long snout that feeds on blood and brainsBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreHoop snake
A legendary rolling serpent found in North American and Australian folkloreBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainTrenti
A forest goblin from Cantabrian mythology known for pranks and mischiefBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇫🇮 FinlandRahko
A Finnish mythic figure linked to the darkening of the Moon and nightmaresBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇦🇱 AlbaniaLugat
A shadow-dwelling vampire of Albanian folklore that attacks sleepers and hides in ruins.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago and 1 moreDouen
A faceless creature with backwards feet from Trinidad and Tobago folkloreBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇷 IranAkvan Divاکوان دیو
A shape-shifting demon from Persian mythology that disguises itself as a wild horse.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomMaggy Moulach
A Scottish brownie known for her hair and fierce protection of her kinBeing · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇺🇸 United StatesWoman in Black
A spectral figure from Appalachian folklore said to punish men for moral failingsBeing · Cursing and harm · Protection Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanYama-uba山姥
A Japanese mountain spirit depicted as either a cannibalistic monster or a benevolent guardian.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇹🇭 Thailand and 2 moreNariphonนารีผล
A mythical tree in Buddhist lore that bears fruit shaped like young womenBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇸🇾 SyriaEchidnaΈχιδνα
A half-woman, half-snake monster in Greek myth who mothered many famous beastsBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceHarpyἅρπυια (hárpyia)
Half-human, half-bird creatures from Greek and Roman myth, often seen as storm winds or snatchers of food.Being · Cursing and harm · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇮🇳 IndiaBramrachokh
A demon in Kashmiri myth that mimics a light to lead travellers astrayBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇱 ChileWarlock of Chiloébrujo chilote
A legendary network of sorcerers from the Chilean archipelago and their mythical powers.Belief · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇮🇩 IndonesiaBabi ngepet
A Javanese myth about a person who turns into a boar to steal wealthBeing · Luck and prosperity · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainGuajona
A blood-sucking hag from Cantabrian and Asturian legendBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreTanninתַּנִּין
A sea monster of chaos in Canaanite and Hebrew myth, later a symbol for Egypt and Babylon.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇸 SerbiaBaukБаук
A bear-like creature from Serbian folklore that lurks in the dark.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreAufhocker
A German folklore spirit that leaps on travelers and weighs them down.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Xana: John William Waterhouse, Public domain, source
- Div: Unknown Calligrapher, Public domain, source
- Ogre: Henry Justice Ford, Public domain, source
- Camahueto: Rjcastillo, CC BY 4.0, source
- Capelobo: Di (they-them), CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hoop snake: Fearsome Critters, Written by Henry H. Tryon • Illustrated by Margaret, CC0, source
- Yama-uba: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Nariphon: LigerCommon, Public domain, source
- Echidna: Daderot, Public domain, source
- Harpy: Unknown, near the Tyrrhenian Group?, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Babi ngepet: Tropenmuseum, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Guajona: Francisco Goya / Francisco Goya, Public domain, source
- Tannin: Zakariya al-Qazwini, Public domain, source
- Aufhocker: Longbow4u, Public domain, source