All entries
1,669 entries so far, best known first. 4,240 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 3 moreYakshiniयक्षिणी
Some guard, some haunt: female nature spirits of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain loreBeing · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreMedusaΜέδουσα
A mortal Greek monster whose gaze turns onlookers to stoneFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreBrahmarakshasaब्रह्मराक्षसः
A cursed Brahmin spirit in Hindu lore, feared for harm and venerated in temples.Being · Cursing and harm · Protection Living
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreDakiniḍākinī
A goddess figure in Hinduism and Buddhism, ranging from flesh-eating demoness to enlightened energy.Being · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Historical
🇮🇳 India and 6 moreChurel
A female revenant of South Asian folklore, feared for luring men awayBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 2 moreKuntilanak
A vengeful female spirit of Indonesian and Malaysian folklore, known for luring victims with beauty before revealing a mBeing · Cursing and harm · Love and attraction Legendary
🇵🇭 PhilippinesAswang
A shape-shifting monster from Philippine folklore that preys on humans.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇧🇯 Benin and 3 moreZangbeto
A masked night-guardian tradition among the Ogu people of West AfricaTradition · Protection · Cursing and harm Living
🇵🇭 PhilippinesManananggal
A Philippine creature that splits its body to hunt at nightBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇴 Romania and 5 moreVampire folklore
Global legends of blood-drinking spirits and undead revenantsBelief · Cursing and harm · Protection Historical
🇷🇴 Romania and 1 moreMoroi
A Romanian phantom that drains the living, linked to strigoi and unbaptised infants.Figure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreSelkie
Mythical seal-people who shed their skin to walk as humans on landBeing · Love and attraction · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇺 Russia and 3 moreVodyanoyводяной
A water spirit of Slavic folklore that dwells in rivers and lakesBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreJiangshi殭屍
A Chinese corpse said to rise and hop, feared for its strengthBeing · 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
🇮🇷 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
🇪🇬 EgyptLucifer
A Latin name for the planet Venus that became an epithet for the Devil in Christian traditionFigure · Cursing and harm Historical
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreAzazelעזאזל
A desert place and fallen angel linked to the Yom Kippur scapegoat ritualFigure · Cursing and harm · Cleansing and purification Historical
🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreLeviathanלִוְיָתָן (Livyaṯān)
A primordial sea monster from ancient Near Eastern myth and biblical textBeing · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Historical
🇨🇳 ChinaNian年兽 (Nián shòu)
A mythical creature linked to Chinese New Year customs and the lion danceFigure · Cursing and harm · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceDeipnonδεῖπνον
An ancient Athenian lunar offering to Hekate and the restless dead at the month's end.Rite · Protection · Cursing and harm Living
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreWitch's mark
A bodily mark believed to prove a pact with the Devil during early modern witch trialsBelief · Cursing and harm Historical
🇮🇶 Iraq and 5 moreLove magic
Rituals and spells used to attract, preserve, or end romantic relationships across many cultures.Tradition · Love and attraction · Cursing and harm Historical
🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the CongoKindoki
A belief in spirit possession that leads to abuse and abandonment in the Congo regionBelief · Cursing and harm Living
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreStraw bearStrohbär
A carnival figure wrapped in straw that visits homes for gifts and marks the turning of seasons.Tradition · Luck and prosperity · Cursing and harm Living
🇯🇵 JapanKappa河童
A river-dwelling yōkai known for its head dish and love of cucumbersBeing · Cursing and harm · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇨🇳 ChinaTaotie饕餮
A zoomorphic mask on ancient Chinese bronzes and a mythological creature of gluttonyFigure · Protection · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomEnglish folklore
The myths, legends, and customs of England passed down through generations.Tradition · Protection · Cursing and harm Living
🇮🇸 IcelandGaldrabók
An Icelandic grimoire of spells and staves from around 1600Text · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical
🇪🇬 EgyptDemon
A supernatural entity believed to cause harm or possess humansBeing · Cursing and harm · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
🇬🇧 United KingdomWitch bottle (sample)
A stoppered bottle set out against curses.Charm · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical
🇺🇸 United StatesBloody Mary
A mirror ritual to summon a spirit that reveals the future or brings harmBelief · Seeing and foretelling · Cursing and harm Living
🇮🇷 Iran and 3 moreDaeva𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬎𐬎𐬀
A Zoroastrian entity that evolved from rejected gods to personifications of evil.Being · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Historical
🇺🇸 United StatesCurse of Tippecanoe
An urban legend linking US presidential deaths to election years ending in zero.Belief · Cursing and harm Fading
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreBhootभूत
A restless spirit of the dead in South Asian belief and folkloreBeing · Cursing and harm · Protection Living
🇺🇸 United StatesKennedy curse
A pattern of tragedies linked to the American Kennedy familyBelief · Cursing and harm Historical
🇩🇪 Germany and 2 moreOccultism in Nazism
The study of alleged magical links to the Nazi regime and the myths that surround themBelief · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Historical
🇾🇪 YemenDhu'l-Khalasaذُو الْخَلَصَة
A pre-Islamic shrine in Yemen destroyed by early Muslim forces.Text · Cursing and harm · Seeing and foretelling Historical
🇬🇷 Greece and 4 moreKallikantzarosκαλικάντζαρος
A malevolent goblin that dwells underground and surfaces during the twelve days of Christmas.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇪🇬 Egypt and 1 moreQareenقرين
A spiritual companion or double assigned to every human in Islamic beliefBeing · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Living
🇬🇧 United KingdomPuck
A mischievous domestic sprite of English folklore known for practical jokes and household choresBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇷🇺 RussiaBlack magic
Magic used for evil or selfish purposes, and the beliefs surrounding itBelief · Cursing and harm Historical
🇷🇸 Serbia and 5 moreZduhaćздухаћ
A South Slavic belief in men who fight storms and hail to protect their cropsBeing · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical
🇺🇦 Ukraine and 1 moreVedmakвядзьмак
A Slavic male warlock or witch with shamanic roots and shape-shifting powersBeing · Healing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreSaciSaci-pererê
A one-legged prankster of Brazilian folklore who hides in dust devils and wears a magic red cap.Figure · Luck and prosperity · Cursing and harm Living
🇮🇹 ItalyBadaliscBadalisch
A mythical goat-headed creature from the Italian Alps, captured and mocked during Epiphany celebrations.Being · Cursing and harm · Wonder and entertainment Living
🇮🇳 India and 1 morePichal periਪਿੱਛਲ ਪੈਰੀ
A backward-footed female spirit of northwestern South Asia and Central AsiaBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreSihuanaba
A shapeshifting spirit that lures men with beauty before revealing a monstrous faceBeing · 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.
- Bhoot: Anilbhardwajnoida, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kennedy curse: Walt Cisco, Dallas Morning News, Public domain, source
- Occultism in Nazism: Peretz Kaminsky, Public domain, source
- Kallikantzaros: Katolophyromai, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Qareen: عامر شاہین, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Puck: Joseph Noel Paton, Public domain, source
- Zduhać: Bidgee, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Black magic: https://www.flickr.com/photos/eliogarcia/ (nick in flickr:creo que soy, CC BY 2.0, source
- Curse of Tippecanoe: Albert Gallatin Hoit, Public domain, source
- Lotan: Gustave Doré, Public domain, source
- Badalisc: Luca Giarelli, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sihuanaba: Orlando Callejas, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Philippine mythology: The original uploader was Rodsan18 at English Wikipedia . ( Original t, CC BY 2.5, source
- Yakshini: Brihaspati, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Medusa: Caravaggio, Public domain, source
- Brahmarakshasa: Chaitnyags, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dakini: Didier Descouens, Public domain, source
- Churel: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Manananggal: Gian Bernal, CC0, source
- Vampire folklore: Dick Thomas Johnson, CC BY 2.0, source
- Selkie: Carolyn Emerick, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vodyanoy: Ivan Bilibin, Public domain, source
- Div: Unknown Calligrapher, Public domain, source
- Parī: Ismoon ( talk ) 22:26, 10 February 2013 (UTC), CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lucifer: Gustave Doré, Public domain, source
- Azazel: Louis Le Breton, Public domain, source
- Witch's mark: T. H. Matteson, Public domain, source
- Love magic: Kölner Meister [ 1 ] The artist is an unknown lower Rhenish artist. [, Public domain, source
- Straw bear: Photo: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
- English folklore: J. R. Skelton, Public domain, source
- Taotie: anonymous, CC0, source
- Kappa: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Zangbeto: Grete Howard, CC BY 3.0, source
- Demon: Martin Schongauer, Public domain, source