All entries
2,660 entries so far, best known first. 2,250 more are on the list to be written. Narrow by region, kind, purpose, practitioner, belief world, occasion or how alive it is.
RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
PurposeProtectionHealingSeeing and foretellingLuck and prosperityLove and attractionCursing and harmCleansing and purificationSpeaking with spirits and the deadChange and initiationBinding and oathsPower and authorityWonder and entertainment
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
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreMichael Scot
A medieval scholar and astrologer who became a legendary magician in folklore.Figure · Seeing and foretelling · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 5 morePrester JohnPresbyter Ioannes
A legendary Christian king and priest said to rule a lost kingdom in the East.Figure · Power and authority Legendary
🇫🇷 France and 4 moreRobert the Devil
A medieval legend of a knight born to Satan who seeks redemptionFigure · Cursing and harm · Change and initiation Legendary
🇫🇮 Finland and 2 moreTietäjä
A traditional Finnic healer and sage whose power came from memorised spells and deep knowledge.Figure · Healing · Protection Historical
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Faust: Earthsphere, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Warlock: John Faed RSA. 1855., Public domain, source
- Magic circle: John William Waterhouse, Public domain, source
- Prester John: Diogo Homem, Public domain, source
- Witches of Benevento: Guglielmo della Porta, CC0, source
- Holy Grail: Photographed by the National Library of Wales, CC0, source
- Krampus: Naturpuur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Éliphas Lévi: Eliphas Lévi [1810-1875], Public domain, source
- Haymon: Hafelekar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lutzelfrau: Karel Rozum, Public domain, source
- Wilgefortis: Hieronymus Bosch, Public domain, source
- Michael Scot: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Lancelot: N. C. Wyeth, Public domain, source
- Robert the Devil: Gustave Doré, Public domain, source
- Tietäjä: Robert Wilhelm Ekman, Public domain, source