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1,975 entries so far, best known first. 3,564 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

🇪🇸 SpainCatalina Lercaro A ghost story from Tenerife about a woman who took her own life on her wedding dayBeing Living

🇮🇩 IndonesiaAntabogaꦄꦤ꧀ꦠꦨꦺꦴꦒ A serpent deity of Javanism and Sundanism who created the world turtle and rice goddessBeing · Power and authority Historical 🇷🇴 Romania and 2 moreZmeu A humanoid dragon from Romanian folklore that kidnaps maidens and steals treasures.Being · Cursing and harm · Love and attraction Legendary

🇮🇳 IndiaBonnaconβόνασος A legendary bull that defends itself with burning excrementBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary

🇦🇱 Albania and 3 moreKulshedra A multi-headed serpent demon in Albanian folklore that controls storms and droughts.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary

🇵🇾 Paraguay and 2 moreKurupiCurupí A Guaraní forest spirit known for his elongated phallus and role as a protector or abductor.Being · Protection · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇫🇷 FranceTarvos Trigaranus A Gaulish bull deity depicted with three cranes on a Roman-era Parisian pillarBeing Legendary

🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreSolomon's shamirשָׁמִיר A legendary worm or stone used to carve stone without iron toolsBeing · Power and authority Legendary

🇲🇱 MaliNommo Primordial water spirits in Dogon cosmology from MaliBeing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Legendary

🇬🇧 United KingdomAm Fear Liath Mòr A mountain spirit said to haunt the misty peaks of the Scottish CairngormsBeing Legendary

🇯🇵 JapanUwanうわん A Japanese yōkai with an unknown identity and a loud voiceBeing Historical 🇯🇵 JapanYōsei妖精 A Japanese term for spirits drawn from Western legends and native folkloreBeing Legendary 🇬🇧 United KingdomMoragMòrag A Scottish lake monster said to dwell in Loch MorarBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreCrocotta A mythical dog-wolf of India and Ethiopia that mimics human voicesBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇨🇳 China and 1 moreMogwai魔鬼 A Chinese term for demons and evil spirits, borrowed from Sanskrit lore through Buddhism.Being · Cursing and harm Historical 🇰🇷 South KoreaGwisin귀신 A Korean ghost of a human who died, lingering to finish unfinished business.Being · Cursing and harm · Protection Legendary

🇺🇸 United StatesSquonk A fictional creature from American folklore known for weeping and dissolving in its own tears.Being · Wonder and entertainment Legendary

🇬🇷 GreeceGelloΓελλώ A Greek demon of infancy and a class of beings blamed for infant death.Being · Cursing and harm · Protection Historical

🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreCacodemonκακοδαίμων (kakodaimōn) An ancient Greek evil spirit, depicted as a horned youth and used in literature and games.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreElwetritschElwedritsch A chicken-like creature from German folklore that tames the fear of sleep paralysisBeing · Protection Living 🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreRahabרַהַב A Hebrew mythic sea monster and symbol of chaos, later used as a poetic name for Egypt.Being · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary

🇪🇬 EgyptSet animalsha A mysterious creature from ancient Egypt, linked to the god Set and chaos.Being · Power and authority Historical 🇧🇷 BrazilMinhocão A giant aquatic worm or fish from Brazilian folklore blamed for earthquakes and animal disappearancesBeing Legendary

🇵🇱 PolandBoginka Female spirits of wild nature in Polish pagan mythologyBeing · Cursing and harm Historical

🇸🇾 Syria and 1 moreLotan𐎍𐎚𐎐 (LTN) A coiled sea serpent defeated by a storm god in Ugaritic mythBeing Legendary

🇯🇵 JapanAkuma悪魔（あくま） An evil spirit in Japanese folklore, later used for Satan in ChristianityBeing · Cursing and harm Historical

🇮🇳 IndiaKhunu Leimaꯈꯨꯅꯨꯔꯩꯃ (Khunu Leima) A Meitei goddess who rules over pigeons and doves in the religion of Manipur.Being Historical

🇩🇪 GermanyBahkauv A deformed calf-like monster from Aachen folklore that harasses drunk menBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary 🇨🇳 ChinaQiongqi窮奇 A winged beast from Chinese myth that rewards wickedness and punishes virtueBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇷🇺 RussiaTriple-headed eagle A heraldic and mythological bird with three heads, appearing in Russian symbolism and European manuscripts.Being · Power and authority Historical

🇨🇳 China and 1 moreQianliyan千里眼 A Chinese sea and door god with clairvoyant sight, guardian of the sea goddess MazuBeing · Protection Living 🇯🇲 Jamaica and 3 moreDuppy A Caribbean term for a ghost or malevolent spirit, rooted in West African folklore.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Living

🇦🇺 AustraliaMimi Elongated rock-dwelling beings from Arnhem Land who taught Aboriginal people to paint and huntBeing Legendary

🇬🇷 GreeceCancer (mythology)Καρκίνος A giant crab from Greek myth that became a zodiac constellationBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇪🇸 SpainHerensuge A mythical seven-headed dragon or serpent from Basque legendBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary 🇯🇵 JapanMazoku魔族 Supernatural beings in Japanese myth and fantasy, often evil.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary 🇮🇪 IrelandFar darrigFear Dearg A solitary Irish faerie known for cruel jokes and the ability to shift sizeBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary

🇪🇸 SpainJentilJentilak Giants of Basque myth linked to ancient stone builders and pre-Christian timesBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary

🇬🇧 United KingdomBoobrie A shapeshifting loch monster from Scottish folklore that preys on livestock and horses.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇫🇷 France and 3 moreLes LavandièresKannerez-Noz Supernatural washerwomen who wash shrouds or bloodstained clothes for those about to die.Being · Seeing and foretelling Legendary 🇬🇲 Gambia and 1 moreNinki Nanka A legendary swamp dragon of West Africa said to kill with a stareBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary 🇬🇱 GreenlandAdlet A half-human, half-canine race from Inuit mythology of the ArcticBeing Legendary 🇷🇺 RussiaShishigaшишига A female swamp spirit of Russian and Komi folklore that brings misfortune and death.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary 🇮🇱 IsraelAgrat bat Mahlatאגרת בת מחלת A demon in Jewish tradition who rules over destructive spirits and night hours.Being · Cursing and harm Historical

🇨🇳 ChinaDenglong蹬龙 A Chinese mythical beast with mixed animal traits, often guarding imperial sites.Being · Protection · Power and authority Legendary

🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreSaint Michael A Christian archangel who defends the faithful and weighs soulsBeing · Protection · Cursing and harm Living 🇧🇷 BrazilBoiúna A powerful river serpent from Amazonian mythology that shifts shape to guard its watersBeing Legendary 🇯🇵 Japan and 2 moreChimimōryō魑魅魍魎 A Chinese term for mountain and river spirits that spread to Japan and VietnamBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary

Photo credits on this page

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

Antaboga: fir0002 flagstaffotos [at] gmail.com Canon 20D + Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8, GFDL 1.2, source
Crocotta: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Triple-headed eagle: Неизвестный автор. (фото обложки сборника: Александр Храмов), Public domain, source
Obake: Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞), Public domain, source
Lotan: Gustave Doré, Public domain, source
Dogon religion: Unknown author, CC BY 3.0, source
Kurupi: FrankOWeaver, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Kulshedra: Bidgee, CC BY 3.0, source
Bonnacon: unknown (medieval) author, Public domain, source
Catalina Lercaro: tivity.es, CC BY 3.0, source
Cacodemon: Louis Le Breton, Public domain, source
Squonk: Coert Du Bois and by William T. Cox;, Public domain, source
Am Fear Liath Mòr: Richard Webb, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Uwan: Sawaki Sūshi (佐脇嵩之, Japanase, *1707, †1772), Public domain, source
Mogwai: Gisling, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Gello: Filippino Lippi, Public domain, source
Tarvos Trigaranus: Als33120, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Solomon's shamir: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eberhard_Werner_Happel, Public domain, source
Set animal: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Elwetritsch: AnRo0002, CC0, source
Khunu Leima: Author: DALL-E; prompted by Haoreima, Public domain, source
Boginka: Walery Eljasz Radzikowski, Public domain, source
Cancer (mythology): Diosphos Painter, Public domain, source
Herensuge: Francisco Tomas Burgui, Public domain, source
Jentil: Ketari ( http://ketari.nirudia.com/ ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Boobrie: Ole Worm - Olaus Wormius, Public domain, source
Les Lavandières: Jean-Édouard Dargent, Public domain, source
Bahkauv: Sascha Faber, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Denglong: Shizhao, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Saint Michael: Francesco Botticini, Public domain, source
Qianliyan: 玄史生, CC0, source

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Photo credits on this page

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