All entries
2,106 entries so far, best known first. 3,323 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
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreGarba
A Gujarati circle dance performed around a central symbol during NavaratriIllusion · Power and authority · Luck and prosperity Living
🇮🇳 IndiaPili Yesaಪಿಲಿವೇಷ
A coastal Karnataka folk dance where performers paint themselves as tigers to honour the Goddess DurgaIllusion · Protection · Power and authority Living
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreSnake charming
A street performance using a gourd flute to make snakes swayIllusion · Wonder and entertainment · Luck and prosperity Fading
🇮🇳 IndiaIndian rope trick
A legendary stage illusion involving a levitating rope and a disappearing boy assistantIllusion · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreFire eating
A performance art of extinguishing flames in the mouthIllusion · Wonder and entertainment Performed
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Garba: anurag agnihotri, CC BY 2.0, source
- Pili Yesa: Premnath Kudva, CC BY 3.0, source
- Snake charming: Paris75000, Public domain, source
- Indian rope trick: Anonymous Unknown author, CC0, source
- Fire eating: Arvind Jain, CC BY-SA 2.0, source