All entries
1,802 entries so far, best known first. 3,979 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
🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreEuropean witchcraft
Historical beliefs in harmful magic and the resulting trials across EuropeBelief · Cursing and harm · Protection Historical
🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago and 5 moreSoucouyant
A shape-shifting vampire spirit of Caribbean folklore that sheds its skin to fly as a fireballBeing · Cursing and harm Living
🇭🇺 HungaryCurse of TuranTuráni átok
A Hungarian belief that a historic spell causes national misfortune and personal despairBelief · Cursing and harm Historical
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreRougarou
A lycanthrope legend from French-speaking communities in North AmericaBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreSeventh son of a seventh son
A folklore belief that birth order grants supernatural healing or cursed powersBelief · Healing · Cursing and harm Historical
🇳🇴 Norway and 1 moreTroll cat
A familiar spirit in Nordic folklore blamed for stealing milk and cream from farmsBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreBirkat haMinimברכת המינים
A Jewish liturgical curse against apostates and Christians within the daily standing prayerRite · Cursing and harm · Binding and oaths Historical
🇫🇷 FranceLarzac tablet
A lead curse tablet from southern France invoking a goddess against a group of womenText · Cursing and harm Historical
🇮🇸 IcelandRauðskinna
A legendary Icelandic grimoire said to grant mastery over dark forces.Text · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇫🇷 FranceLouviers possessions
A seventeenth-century French convent case of mass demonic possession and witchcraft accusationsBelief · Cursing and harm Historical
🇯🇵 JapanUshi no toki mairi丑の時参り
A Japanese ritual of cursing performed at a shrine during the early morning hours.Rite · Cursing and harm Historical
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreJinx
A curse or attribute believed to attract bad luckBelief · Cursing and harm Living
🇫🇷 FranceChamalières tabletPlomb de Chamalières
A Gaulish lead tablet from a French spa, read as either a curse or a healing prayer.Text · Cursing and harm · Healing Historical
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreAsian witchcraft
A broad overview of magical practices and persecution across Asian culturesTradition · Cursing and harm · Protection Living
🇷🇴 Romania and 2 moreSolomonariȘolomonar
A Romanian weather wizard who rides a dragon and controls the storms.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇮🇳 IndiaIndrajalaइन्द्रजाल
A Sanskrit term for illusion and conjuring, linking stage magic to Hindu philosophy.Belief · Wonder and entertainment · Cursing and harm Historical
🇫🇮 FinlandVäki
A supernatural power in Finnish mythology found in nature and objectsBelief · Cursing and harm · Healing Historical
🇷🇺 Russia and 1 moreUnclean forceнечисть
A Slavic term for evil spirits and the undead that inhabit the natural worldBelief · Cursing and harm Historical
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreFriday the 13th
A Western superstition marking a specific calendar date as unluckyBelief · Cursing and harm Living
🇸🇾 SyriaLilulilû (Akkadian), lilu (Sumerian)
A class of Mesopotamian spirits linked to unfulfilled lives and illnessBeing · Cursing and harm · Healing Historical
🇧🇷 BrazilThe Hairy LegPerna cabeluda
A Brazilian urban legend of a detached leg that attacks people at nightFigure · Cursing and harm · Wonder and entertainment Historical
🇻🇪 VenezuelaSayona
A vengeful Venezuelan ghost who hunts men for breaking marital vowsFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanOsaki尾先
A mountain spirit in Japanese folklore that brings wealth or possession.Being · Luck and prosperity · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreKollyra curse tablet
An ancient Greek tablet cursing a thief to suffocation until stolen goods are returned.Text · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical
🇨🇦 CanadaWechuge
A man-eating spirit from Athabaskan legend born of taboo and excessive powerBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceWitchcraft in ancient Greece and Rome
Ancient beliefs and practices of magic, curses, and love charms in the Mediterranean worldTradition · Cursing and harm · Love and attraction Historical
🇯🇵 JapanTide jewels潮干る珠 (Shiohiru-tama) and 潮満つ珠 (Shiomitsu-tama)
Two magical gems from Japanese mythology that control the tides to drown or save enemies.Charm · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanMisaki御先
Japanese spirit-like entities that serve gods or possess humans with illness and calamityBeing · Cursing and harm · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇦🇿 AzerbaijanBastyBasdı
A group of evil spirits and goblins from Turkic folklore in Anatolia.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanUkehi誓
A Japanese divination ritual using oaths and sortition to seek the will of the kamiRite · Seeing and foretelling · Cursing and harm Historical
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreJiji ru lüling急急如律令
A Taoist incantation demanding immediate action from spiritsText · Cursing and harm · Protection Historical
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreMagic in Anglo-Saxon Englandgaldorcræft
Healing charms and protective rituals practiced by early English tribesTradition · Healing · Protection Historical
🇸🇩 SudanBenge
A divination method among the Azande using a poisoned chicken to identify witches.Oracle · Cursing and harm Fading
🇬🇧 United KingdomWirry-cow
A Scottish folk figure representing a frightening object or spiritBeing · Cursing and harm Historical
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreLei Ting curse charm符咒钱
A numismatic charm invoking the thunder god to banish evil spirits.Charm · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical
🇵🇱 Poland and 1 moreDydko
A Polish folk creature evolved from a Slavic house demon into a night-time scarecrow.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreTaoist coin charm道教品壓生錢
Chinese and Vietnamese numismatic charms used for protection and feng shuiCharm · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical
🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreShamanism in Europe
Scholarly theories on shamanic elements in European folk beliefs and witch trialsTradition · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical
🇰🇷 South KoreaDongti동티
Divine punishment in Korean mythology, often manifesting as sudden illness or death.Belief · Cursing and harm Historical
🇫🇷 FranceCurse of Vibia
A damaged Oscan lead tablet invoking underworld forces against a named man and his kinCharm · Cursing and harm Historical
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreFriday the 13th
A Western superstition that a specific calendar alignment brings misfortuneBelief · Cursing and harm Living
🇯🇵 JapanTanukitsuki狸憑き (たぬきつき)
A Japanese folk belief where a tanuki spirit possesses a human, causing illness and strange behavior.Belief · Cursing and harm Historical
🇦🇷 Argentina and 1 moreSpiritual mapping
A Christian practice of mapping locations to identify and pray against territorial demonsBelief · Protection · Cursing and harm Living
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreDragon
A serpentine mythical creature found in global folklore and art, representing power, chaos, or imperial authority.Being · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreCupidCupīdō
A Roman deity of desire and erotic love, often depicted with a bow and arrow.Being · Love and attraction · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreRavanaरावण (Rāvaṇa)
A ten-headed demon king of Lanka and a devoted follower of Shiva in Hindu tradition.Figure · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇱🇰 Sri LankaMara
A Buddhist figure representing the forces that block spiritual awakening and keep beings trapped in rebirth.Being · Cursing and harm · Binding and oaths Living
🇬🇷 GreeceErymanthian Boarὁ Ἐρυμάνθιος κάπρος
A wild boar from Greek myth captured by Heracles as his fourth labourBeing · 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.
- Bald's Leechbook: Unknown, the Internet Archive scan is low quality, and some of the tex, Public domain, source
- Curse of Vibia: Franz Bücheler, Public domain, source
- Jiji ru lüling: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Witchcraft in ancient Greece and Rome: Wilhelm Tischbein, Public domain, source
- Witchcraft in Latin America: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, source
- Rougarou: XxxJohnDoExxxx, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Curse: Katsushika Hokusai, Public domain, source
- Larzac tablet: Pankratos, Public domain, source
- Chamalières tablet: Unknown, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Asian witchcraft: Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Public domain, source
- Lei Ting curse charm: Donald_Trung, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Friday the 13th: Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, source
- Indrajala: Abishekrl15156, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Unclean force: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- The Hairy Leg: Diógenes Montenegro, Public domain, source
- Tide jewels: Shizhao, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Taoist coin charm: Etnografiska Museet, CC BY 2.5, source
- Cupid: Bertel Thorvaldsen, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dragon: Katsushika Hokusai, Public domain, source
- Erymanthian Boar: Antimenes Painter, Public domain, source
- Mara: Under the Bo, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ravana: Gita Press Gorakhpur, CC0, source