All entries
2,161 entries so far, best known first. 3,219 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
OccasionWeddings and betrothalFestivalsBirth and childhoodDeath and remembranceHarvest, farming and weatherNew yearInitiation and coming of ageIllness and misfortuneJourneys and voyagesEveryday use
PeopleRomanians (remove)
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
馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 2 moreStrigoi
A Romanian undead spirit linked to witchcraft and vampirismBeing 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 7 moreSaint Andrew's Day
A Christian feast day marked by national holidays in Scotland and Romania, and folk divination across Europe.Rite 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Luck and prosperity 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
馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 1 moreFolklore of RomaniaFolclorul rom芒nesc
The traditional stories, music and customs of the Romanian peopleTradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland and 1 moreBuilders' rites
Ceremonies performed during construction to ensure stability and mark progress.Rite 路 Power and authority Historical
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
馃嚘馃嚤 Albania and 5 moreDodola袛芯写o谢邪 / 袩械褉锌械褉褍薪邪
A Balkan rainmaking rite performed by youths in greenery to invoke summer showersRite 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Living
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
馃嚪馃嚧 RomaniaC膬pc膬un
A Romanian ogre with a dog head known for kidnapping children and eating peopleBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 1 moreS芒nzian膬
Romanian fairies and a summer solstice festival of flowers and magicBeing 路 Protection 路 Love and attraction Living
馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 2 moreCaloian
A Romanian clay effigy ritual for rain and fertility, featuring a mock funeralRite 路 Luck and prosperity Fading
馃嚪馃嚧 RomaniaMuma P膬durii
A forest spirit in Romania who protects nature and punishes those who harm itBeing 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚪馃嚧 RomaniaS芒ntoaderi
Supernatural beings in Romanian folklore known for causing illness through music and danceBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 5 moreM膬r葲i葯or
A red and white string charm worn in early spring to welcome the seasonTradition 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Living
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Baba Yaga: Ivan Bilibin, Public domain, source
- Vampire: Edvard Munch, Public domain, source
- Folklore of Romania: TwoWings, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Strix: Prosthetic Head, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Builders' rites: U.S. Government, Public domain, source
- Caloian: Costic膬 Acsinte Archive, No restrictions, source
- Saint Andrew's Day: Henryk Siemiradzki, Public domain, source
- Dodola: Andrey Shishkin, CC BY 3.0, source
- S芒nzian膬: Saturnian, CC BY-SA 3.0, source