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
🇷🇸 Serbia and 5 moreVampire
An undead being from European folklore that feeds on the life force of the living.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomCŵn Annwn
Spectral hounds of the Welsh otherworld that hunt souls and signal deathBeing · Cursing and harm · Speaking with spirits and the dead Legendary
🇬🇷 Greece and 3 moreHellhound
A mythological canine that guards the underworld or serves demonic forces across global folkloreBeing · Protection · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 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 · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomGlaistig
A Scottish shape-shifting spirit linked to cattle, deer, and haunted castles.Being · Protection · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomGwyllion
Welsh spirits that lead travellers astray and are feared in mountain folkloreBeing · Cursing and harm Historical
🇷🇺 Russia and 3 moreLeshyлеший
A forest spirit from Slavic folklore who guards the woods and misleads travelers.Being · Protection · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇸 Iceland and 1 moreHidden-folkhuldufólk
Supernatural beings in Nordic folklore who live in a parallel world within the landscape.Being · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇬🇧 United KingdomBrowniebrùnaidh
A nocturnal household spirit from Scottish folklore that performs chores in exchange for offerings.Being · Protection · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇸🇪 Sweden and 2 moreFreyja
Norse goddess of love, war, and seiðr magic who rides a chariot pulled by catsBeing · Love and attraction · Seeing and foretelling Legendary
🇫🇷 France and 5 moreRevenant
An animated corpse or spirit that returns from the grave to haunt the livingBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomBarghest
A mythical black dog from Northern England that foretells death and haunts the countryside.Being · Seeing and foretelling · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 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 · Cursing and harm · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreFuath
A class of malevolent water spirits in Scottish and Irish folkloreBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇸 Serbia and 1 moreDrekavacДрекавац
A South Slavic night creature born from unbaptised souls or sinnersBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomBlack dog
A spectral hound from English folklore that signals death or guards the living.Being · Cursing and harm · Protection Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomCeridwenCerridwen
A Welsh enchantress and modern goddess of poetic inspiration and transformation.Being · Change and initiation Revived
🇬🇧 United KingdomGhillie DhuGille Dubh
A solitary Scottish fairy known for protecting forests and guiding lost childrenBeing · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreKnocker
A mine spirit of Cornwall and Devon that warns of danger and plays tricks on workersBeing · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreDuende
A humanoid spirit of Iberian and Latin American folklore, ranging from household pranksters to forest guardians.Being · Protection · Cursing and harm Living
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreChurch grim
A guardian spirit of Christian churchyards, often appearing as a black dog or lamb.Being · Protection Historical
🇳🇴 Norway and 1 moreFossegrim
A Scandinavian water spirit known for teaching fiddle music in exchange for offeringsBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇷🇺 Russia and 3 moreVodyanoyводяной
A water spirit of Slavic folklore that dwells in rivers and lakesBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇩🇪 Germany and 3 moreMare
A spirit that sits on sleepers to cause nightmares and physical distressBeing · Cursing and harm Historical
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreNachzehrer
A German revenant believed to consume the living from beyond the graveBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇩🇪 GermanyAlp
A Germanic spirit that presses on sleepers and drinks milkBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandPúca
A shape-shifting spirit of Celtic folklore that brings fortune or mischiefBeing · Luck and prosperity · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇴 Romania and 2 moreStrigoi
A Romanian undead spirit linked to witchcraft and vampirismBeing · Cursing and harm Historical
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreLeprechaunlucharachán / leipreachán / luchorpán
A solitary Irish fairy known for mischief and shoe-makingBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇷🇺 Russia and 1 moreLikhoЛихо
A Slavic spirit of bad luck and misfortune, often depicted as a one-eyed creature.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇪 Ireland and 3 moreChangeling
A substitute left by supernatural beings in place of a stolen human child or adultBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomHob
A small household spirit of Northern England and the Anglo-Scottish border.Being · Power and authority Historical
🇦🇹 Austria and 3 morePerchtaPercht
A Alpine goddess of winter who rewards diligence and punishes laziness during the twelve days after Christmas.Being · Luck and prosperity · Cursing and harm Revived
🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreLady MiddayPoludnitsa
A Slavic noon spirit who watches over fields and punishes those who work during the hottest hours.Being · Cursing and harm · Protection Historical
🇮🇪 IrelandFetch
A spectral double of a living person, seen as an omen of death or long life.Being · Seeing and foretelling Historical
🇬🇷 GreeceBaba Yaga (sample)Баба-яга
A witch of Slavic tales who lives in a hut on legs.Figure · Change and initiation Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomPuck
A mischievous domestic sprite of English folklore known for practical jokes and household choresBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇮🇹 ItalyBadaliscBadalisch
A mythical goat-headed creature from the Italian Alps, captured and mocked during Epiphany celebrations.Being · Cursing and harm · Wonder and entertainment Living
🇳🇴 Norway and 1 moreTroll cat
A familiar spirit in Nordic folklore blamed for stealing milk and cream from farmsBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇴 Romania and 2 moreSolomonariȘolomonar
A Romanian weather wizard who rides a dragon and controls the storms.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomWirry-cow
A Scottish folk figure representing a frightening object or spiritBeing · Cursing and harm Historical
🇬🇧 United KingdomMadam Pigott
A White Lady ghost of Shropshire who haunts roads and rides on horsesBeing Historical
🇵🇱 Poland and 1 moreDydko
A Polish folk creature evolved from a Slavic house demon into a night-time scarecrow.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomLoch Ness MonsterUilebheist Loch Nis
A legendary lake creature from the Scottish Highlands, famous for disputed photographs and folk tales.Being · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreEaster Bunny
A German folkloric hare that judges children and delivers colored eggs for EasterBeing · Luck and prosperity · Wonder and entertainment Living
🇨🇭 Switzerland and 3 moreTatzelwurm
A cat-headed lizard of the Alps, said to guard mines and drink cow milk.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇦🇱 Albania and 4 moreDhampir
A half-vampire figure from Balkan folklore who hunts the undeadBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇺 Russia and 3 moreChortчёрт
A Slavic demon spirit with horns and hooves, known in folklore as a trickster or minor evil force.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Púca: Wirt Sikes, Public domain, source
- Alp: Henry Fuseli, Public domain, source
- Ceridwen: Chris Denny, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Tatzelwurm: Abrasax, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
- Mare: Henry Fuseli, Public domain, source
- Leprechaun: Unknown author, FAL, source
- Lady Midday: Віщун, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Seiðr: John Bauer, Public domain, source
- Perchta: Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tutelary deity: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Loch Ness Monster: StaraBlazkova at Czech Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Easter Bunny: Dr. Bernd Gross, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Duende: René Mayorga, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Changeling: Henry Fuseli, Public domain, source
- Likho: Mhapon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Wiedergänger: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Vodyanoy: Ivan Bilibin, Public domain, source
- Hob: Jo Turner, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Chort: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Each-uisge: John Allan, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Church grim: Inès Lee, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Puck: Joseph Noel Paton, Public domain, source
- Badalisc: Luca Giarelli, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hellhound: Louis Le Breton, Public domain, source
- Blue men of the Minch: Lord P in the Commons 17:16, 17 June 2007 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vampire: Edvard Munch, Public domain, source
- Fossegrim: Bjørn som tegner, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Leshy: Γραφέας, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hidden-folk: Schorle, CC BY-SA 3.0, source