All entries

2,682 entries so far, best known first. 2,206 more are on the list to be written. Narrow by region, kind, purpose, practitioner, belief world, occasion or how alive it is.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

RegionSouth Asia Southeast Asia East Asia Central Asia and the Caucasus Middle East North Africa Sub-Saharan Africa Europe North America Latin America and the Caribbean Oceania

KindTradition Rite Charm Oracle Substance Being Figure Text Illusion Belief

PurposeProtection Healing Seeing and foretelling Luck and prosperity Love and attraction Cursing and harm Cleansing and purification Speaking with spirits and the dead Change and initiation Binding and oaths Power and authority Wonder and entertainment

WhoShamans Folk healers Priests and ritual specialists Witches, sorcerers and cunning folk Diviners and readers Mediums and the possessed Ceremonial magicians and alchemists Households and ordinary people Stage magicians Scholars and sceptics

BeliefHindu and Tantric Buddhist Jain Muslim and Sufi Jewish Christian Sikh Zoroastrian Shinto and Taoist Indigenous and shamanic African and Afro-diasporic Pagan and Neopagan Esoteric and occult Folk and village custom Secular and stage Other traditions

OccasionWeddings and betrothal Festivals Birth and childhood Death and remembrance Harvest, farming and weather New year Initiation and coming of age Illness and misfortune Journeys and voyages Everyday use

StandingLiving Revived Fading Historical Legendary Performed

OrderBest known A to Z Newest Living first

🇮🇳 IndiaParashuramaपरशुराम (Paraśurāma) The warrior sage of Hinduism who wields a divine axe to restore cosmic balance.Being · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇨🇳 China and 3 moreQilin麒麟 A legendary chimerical creature from Chinese mythology that signals the arrival or death of a sage.Being · Power and authority Legendary

🇮🇩 IndonesiaRangdaᬭᬗ᭄ᬤ A Balinese demon queen who leads witches in an eternal battle against good.Being · Cursing and harm · Wonder and entertainment Legendary

🇮🇳 India and 1 morePishachaपिशाच (piśāca) A flesh-eating demon from Indian religions, feared for possession and madness.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreParīپری A winged being of Persian origin, linked to beauty and the spirit world across AsiaBeing · Love and attraction · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇮🇳 India and 6 moreChurel A female revenant of South Asian folklore, feared for luring men awayBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreDivدیو Monstrous creatures of Persian and West Asian lore, later adapted into Islamic and regional mythologiesBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇯🇵 JapanOni鬼（おに） A horned demon of Japanese folklore known for strength and evil deedsBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreApsaraअप्सरस् (Sanskrit), អប្សរា (Khmer) Celestial water spirits and dancers from Hindu and Buddhist traditions across South and Southeast AsiaBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary

🇮🇳 IndiaMahishasuraमहिषासुर A bovine asura slain by the goddess Durga in Hindu myth and legendBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreKinnaraकिन्नर (Sanskrit) A half-human, half-bird creature from Hindu and Buddhist myth, known for music and devotion.Being · Love and attraction · Wonder and entertainment Legendary

🇪🇬 Egypt and 2 moreHybrid beasts in folklore Creatures made of animal and human parts found in myths and ancient artBeing · Power and authority Legendary

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreWorld Turtle A mythic giant turtle said to support the earth or contain the world in various cultures.Being · Power and authority Legendary 🇯🇵 JapanMazoku魔族 Supernatural beings in Japanese myth and fantasy, often evil.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇮🇳 IndiaDawon The lion mount of the goddess Durga in Hindu traditionBeing · Power and authority Legendary

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreAiravataऐरावत A pristine white mythic elephant that carries the king of gods and controls the rains.Being · Power and authority · Protection Legendary

🇮🇳 IndiaHingchabiꯍꯤꯡꯆꯥꯕꯤ A giantess figure from Meitei folklore who feeds on raw fleshBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇮🇳 IndiaPanchajanyaपाञ्चजन्य The sacred conch of Vishnu and Krishna, said to sound creation's first callSubstance · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Cleansing and purification Legendary 🇯🇵 Japan and 5 moreMythic humanoids Creatures that blend human and animal traits across global folkloreBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary

🇮🇳 IndiaDaityaदैत्याः A race of asuras in Hindu mythology descended from Kashyapa and DitiBeing Legendary

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Daeva: Unknown Calligrapher, Public domain, source
Airavata: Unknown, India, Rajasthan, Amber, South Asia, Public domain, source
Qilin: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Rangda: Boy Lawson, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Pishacha: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Kinnara: ผู้สร้างสรรค์ผลงาน/ส่งข้อมูลเก็บในคลังข้อมูลเสรีวิกิมีเดียคอมมอนส์ - เ, Public domain, source
Mahishasura: Prakashsubbarao at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
Apsara: Unknown author, CC0, source
Parī: Ismoon ( talk ) 22:26, 10 February 2013 (UTC), CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Churel: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
World Turtle: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Dawon: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, source
Hybrid beasts in folklore: Peter Schmelzle, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Panchajanya: Rajasekhar1961, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Oni: Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎 (1760-1849), Public domain, source
Daitya: Unknown author, CC0, source
Hingchabi: Bemni, N, CC0, source
Parashurama: Unknown author, Public domain, source

All entries

Photo credits on this page

The weekly digest