All entries
724 entries so far, best known first. 5,685 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 creature from folklore that feeds on the blood or life force of the livingBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇪🇬 Egypt and 1 moreSphinx
A mythical hybrid with a human head and lion body, serving as guardian or riddler in Egyptian and Greek traditions.Being · Protection · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇫🇷 France and 5 moreWerewolf
A mythical shapeshifter that turns into a wolf, central to European witch-hunts and Gothic horror.Being · Cursing and harm · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇪🇬 Egypt and 1 moreLilithלִילִית
A feminine figure from Mesopotamian and Jewish mythology, often depicted as a night demon or spirit.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreChinese dragon龍
A legendary water deity and imperial symbol in East Asian cultureBeing · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇷🇴 Romania and 2 moreStrigoi
A Romanian undead spirit linked to witchcraft and vampirismBeing · Cursing and harm Historical
🇨🇱 ChileMoaimoꞌai
Monolithic ancestor statues of Rapa Nui, carved from volcanic stone between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.Being · Power and authority · Protection Historical
🇳🇬 NigeriaOrunmilaỌ̀rúnmìlà
Yoruba deity of wisdom and the creator of the Ifá divination systemBeing · Seeing and foretelling · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇨🇳 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
🇯🇵 JapanIttan-momen一反木綿
A flying cloth yōkai from Japanese folklore that warns children to stay indoors at nightBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇩🇪 Germany and 3 moreMare
A spirit that sits on sleepers to cause nightmares and physical distressBeing · Cursing and harm Historical
🇮🇶 Iraq and 1 moreRabisu
A wind spirit in Akkadian myth sent to correct human transgressionsBeing · Cursing and harm · Cleansing and purification Historical
🇸🇪 Sweden and 2 moreDísdísir
Female spirits of fate and protection in Norse traditionBeing · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇬🇧 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
🇭🇹 HaitiErzulieÈzili
A family of spirits in Haitian Vodou representing love, beauty, and protective fury.Being · Protection · Love and attraction Living
🇺🇸 United StatesPukwudgie
A short forest spirit from Algonquian lore, known for mischief and danger.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇧🇷 Brazil and 2 moreMapinguari
A hairy Amazonian monster with a belly mouth and backwards feetBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanJorōgumo絡新婦 (kanji), じょろうぐも (hiragana)
A shapeshifting spider yōkai of Japanese folklore that lures victims with human guise.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇭 GhanaObayifo
A vampire-creature of Ashanti folklore that glows at night and hunts for prey.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 1 moreOrang Minyak
A slippery ghost from Malay folklore that abducts women and is covered in black grease.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇦🇺 AustraliaMokoi
An evil spirit in Yolngu mythology that kills sorcerers and kidnaps childrenBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇪🇬 Egypt and 2 moreIsisꜣst (Egyptian)
Egyptian goddess of magic, mourning and kingship, mother of HorusBeing · Protection · Healing Historical
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreEight Immortals八仙
Eight legendary Taoist figures of China, each with a power and a vesselFigure · Protection · Healing Living
🇨🇳 ChinaLan Caihe藍采和
An ambiguous Taoist immortal known for a flower basket and wandering songsBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇮🇹 ItalyFortunaFortūna
The Roman goddess of luck and fate, shown with a wheel and a horn of plentyBeing · Luck and prosperity · Seeing and foretelling Historical
🇷🇸 Serbia and 1 moreDrekavacДрекавац
A South Slavic night creature born from unbaptised souls or sinnersBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇳 IndiaAlakshmiदेवी अलक्ष्मी
A Hindu goddess of misfortune and the shadow opposite to LakshmiBeing · Cursing and harm Living
🇳🇴 Norway and 1 moreHuldra
A seductive forest spirit of Scandinavian folklore with a hidden animal tail.Being · Protection Legendary
🇩🇪 GermanyAlp
A Germanic spirit that presses on sleepers and drinks milkBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇮🇳 India and 5 morePretaप्रेत
A suffering spirit of insatiable hunger found in Asian religious traditionsBeing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇬🇧 United KingdomPixie
A mischievous sprite of British folklore from the southwest countiesBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇨🇱 ChileTrauco
A small forest spirit from Chiloé mythology known for seducing women and causing pregnancyBeing · Love and attraction · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomGlaistig
A Scottish shape-shifting spirit linked to cattle, deer, and haunted castles.Being · Protection · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇵🇭 PhilippinesTikbalang
A horse-headed spirit of Philippine forests that leads travelers astrayBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Living
🇪🇬 EgyptAbraxasἈβράξας
A Gnostic archon and the name on ancient protective gemstonesBeing · Protection Historical
🇭🇹 Haiti and 1 moreEzili DantorÈzili Dantò
A fierce mother spirit in Haitian Vodou who protects the marginalized and demands loyalty.Being · Protection · Love and attraction Living
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreKitchen God灶君
The Chinese hearth deity who reports domestic conduct to the Jade EmperorBeing · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreJinnجِنّ
Supernatural beings in Islamic and pre-Islamic Arabian belief, created from smokeless fire.Being · Protection · Cursing and harm Living
🇬🇷 GreeceTriple Goddess
A Neopagan deity representing three female life stages and lunar phasesBeing · Power and authority Living
🇯🇵 JapanBaku獏
A Japanese spirit said to eat bad dreams and protect sleepersBeing · Protection Living
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 5 morePenanggalan
A floating head with trailing organs from Malay folklore, said to hunt pregnant women and newborns.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreHaoma
A divine plant and spirit in Zoroastrianism, linked to healing and ancient rituals.Substance · Healing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇳🇿 New ZealandTaniwha
Supernatural beings of Māori lore, acting as guardians or dangerous predators in water and earthBeing · Protection · Cursing and harm Living
🇫🇷 France and 1 moreCernunnos
An antlered Celtic deity depicted with torcs and serpents, known from Roman-era Gaul.Being · Power and authority · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLakshmiलक्ष्मी
A Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, and beauty, worshipped as the consort of Vishnu.Being · Luck and prosperity · Power and authority Living
🇿🇦 South AfricaGrootslang
A legendary serpent from South Africa said to guard diamonds in a deep cave.Being · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanOni鬼（おに）
A horned demon of Japanese folklore known for strength and evil deedsBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇵🇪 Peru and 1 moreChullachaqui
A one-footed forest spirit of the Amazon that lures or challenges humansBeing · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Orunmila: unknown Yoruba artist, CC0, source
- Moai: Rivi, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Abraxas: Louis Breton, M. Jarrault, Public domain, source
- Erzulie: anonymous, Public domain, source
- Rabisu: editor Austen Henry Layard , drawing by L. Gruner, Public domain, source
- Tikbalang: The original uploader was Rodsan18 at English Wikipedia . ( Original t, CC BY 2.5, source
- Qilin: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Mare: Henry Fuseli, Public domain, source
- Dís: Emil Doepler, 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
- Pixie: John D. Batten, Public domain, source
- Mapinguari: Lauro Iyambae (@Aptix_4p0clix), CC0, source
- Isis: Ägyptischer Maler um 1360 v. Chr., Public domain, source
- Eight Immortals: Fanghong, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lan Caihe: Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, source
- Fortuna: Charles Samuel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Werewolf: Mont Sudbury, Public domain, source
- Huldra: Bernard Evans Ward, Public domain, source
- Alp: Henry Fuseli, Public domain, source
- Preta: Temple, Richard Carnac, Sir, Public domain, source
- Trauco: Seo2 (Cristian), CC BY 2.0, source
- Lilith: Photographs by Ardon Bar Hama, author of original document is unknown., Public domain, source
- Vampire: Edvard Munch, Public domain, source
- Ezili Dantor: Oficinalis, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sphinx: Ipipipourax, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Jinn: VenusFeuerFalle, CC0, source
- Chinese dragon: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Triple Goddess: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Baku: Momotarou2012, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Penanggalan: Hi I really try my best here, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Taniwha: Pseudopanax at en.wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Cernunnos: Nationalmuseet, Roberto Fortuna og Kira Ursem, Public domain, source
- Lakshmi: Raja Ravi Varma, Public domain, source
- Grootslang: Jeff McArthur (Guategeek), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Oni: Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎 (1760-1849), Public domain, source
- Chullachaqui: LLs, CC BY-SA 4.0, source