All entries
2,000 entries so far, best known first. 3,529 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
🇲🇳 MongoliaMongolian death wormолгой-хорхой (olgoi-khorkhoi)
A legendary desert creature said to kill with venom or electricityBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇳 IndiaMahishasuraमहिषासुर
A bovine asura slain by the goddess Durga in Hindu myth and legendBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceEmpusaἜμπουσα
A shape-shifting phantom of Greek myth with a single brass leg, sent by Hecate to seduce and devour young men.Being · Cursing and harm · Speaking with spirits and the dead Legendary
🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreAstaroth
An arch-demon in Western occultism, derived from the ancient goddess Astarte.Being · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Historical
🇦🇱 Albania and 4 moreDhampir
A half-vampire figure from Balkan folklore who hunts the undeadBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇭 Switzerland and 3 moreTatzelwurm
A cat-headed lizard of the Alps, said to guard mines and drink cow milk.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇲🇽 MexicoCamazotz
A bat spirit of the Maya underworld linked to night, death, and sacrificeBeing · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 moreKrasueกระสือ
A floating head with trailing organs from Southeast Asian folkloreBeing · Cursing and harm Living
🇨🇭 Switzerland and 2 moreOrder of the Solar TempleOrdre du Temple solaire
A neo-Templar new religious movement responsible for mass deaths in the 1990s.Tradition · Cursing and harm Historical
🇷🇺 RussiaGolden apple
A mythical fruit that sparks quests, wars, and linguistic confusion across culturesFigure · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇷🇺 Russia and 3 moreChortчёрт
A Slavic demon spirit with horns and hooves, known in folklore as a trickster or minor evil force.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇸🇪 Sweden and 5 moreLindwormlindorm
A serpentine dragon of Northern and Central European folklore, often depicted as limbless or winged.Being · Luck and prosperity · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇫🇮 Finland and 1 moreHiisi
A Finnic spirit of sacred places that evolved into a demonic giant in folkloreBeing · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Historical
🇷🇸 Serbia and 5 moreWolves in folklore, religion and mythology
A global survey of how cultures view the wolf as symbol, spirit or threatBelief · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Historical
🇯🇵 JapanGashadokuroがしゃどくろ
A giant skeleton spirit born from the bones of those who died in war or famine.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanNurikabe塗り壁
A spirit that manifests as an invisible wall to block travelers at nightBeing · Cursing and harm Historical
🇷🇴 Romania and 2 moreStrixστρίξ
A classical bird of ill omen that evolved into a term for witches and vampires across Europe.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇪🇹 EthiopiaCatoblepas
A legendary beast from ancient texts with a heavy head and a lethal gaze or breath.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇫🇮 FinlandIku-Turso
A primordial giant and sea monster from Finnish mythologyBeing · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanRaijū雷獣
A Japanese lightning creature that sleeps in navels and falls from stormsBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇫🇷 FranceTitivillus
A medieval demon who collects scribal errors and liturgical mistakes in a sack.Being · Cursing and harm Historical
🇳🇬 Nigeria and 1 moreMadam Koi Koi
A Nigerian school ghost known for the sound of her heelsFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇺🇸 United StatesGoatman
A goat-human hybrid blamed for dog deaths in Maryland woodsBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇴 Romania and 5 moreBalaur
A many-headed dragon from Romanian folklore that guards treasures and controls the weather.Being · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇹🇷 Turkey and 4 moreAl BastyAlbastı
A female spirit of guilt and childbirth found in Turkic and Caucasian folkloreBeing · Cursing and harm Historical
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 1 moreVengeful ghost
A restless spirit said to return from death to punish those who caused harmBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇴 ColombiaPatasola
A Colombian jungle monster that lures men with beauty before revealing a one-legged formBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇲🇽 MexicoAhuizotlāhuitzotl
A legendary Aztec water creature said to lure people to their deathsBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇺 Russia and 1 moreBabayБабай
A night spirit in Slavic folklore used to frighten children into sleepingFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇴 Romania and 2 moreZmeu
A humanoid dragon from Romanian folklore that kidnaps maidens and steals treasures.Being · Cursing and harm · Love and attraction Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanKijo鬼女
A demon woman from Japanese folklore, born of resentment and karma.Being · Cursing and harm 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
🇵🇱 Poland and 3 moreStrzyga
A female demon in Polish folklore, linked to owls and vampiric traitsBeing · Cursing and harm · Protection Historical
🇦🇱 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
🇮🇩 IndonesiaSundel bolong
A vengeful ghost of Java, a woman whose long black hair hides the hole in her back.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇪🇬 Egypt and 2 moreAbyzou
A female demon of envy who targets newborns and pregnant women in late antique magic.Being · Cursing and harm · Protection Historical
🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreFiery serpentsогненный змей
A pan-Slavic spirit of fire and wind, seen as a demon or a household helperBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreCrocotta
A mythical dog-wolf of India and Ethiopia that mimics human voicesBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceGelloΓελλώ
A Greek demon of infancy and a class of beings blamed for infant death.Being · Cursing and harm · Protection Historical
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreJenny Greenteeth
A river-hag from English folklore used to warn children away from dangerous watersFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇷 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
🇰🇷 South KoreaGwisin귀신
A Korean ghost of a human who died, lingering to finish unfinished business.Being · Cursing and harm · Protection 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
🇯🇵 JapanShikome黄泉醜女 (Yomotsu-shikome)
A hag from the Japanese underworld who pursued Izanagi after he shamed Izanami.Figure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇺🇸 United StatesGreenbrier Ghost
A West Virginia murder case where a mother claimed her daughter's spirit revealed the truth.Belief · Cursing and harm Historical
🇮🇱 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
🇯🇵 JapanAkuma悪魔（あくま）
An evil spirit in Japanese folklore, later used for Satan in ChristianityBeing · Cursing and harm Historical
🇵🇱 PolandBoginka
Female spirits of wild nature in Polish pagan mythologyBeing · Cursing and harm Historical
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Maya mythology: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Crocotta: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Obake: Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞), Public domain, source
- Order of the Solar Temple: George Stock derivative work: thumperward ( talk ), Public domain, source
- Mongolian death worm: The original uploader was Pieter0024 at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 1.0, source
- Mahishasura: Prakashsubbarao at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Krasue: Xavier Romero-Frias, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Astaroth: M. Jarrault, Public domain, source
- Tatzelwurm: Abrasax, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
- Golden apple: Guido Reni, Public domain, source
- Chort: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Lindworm: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Wolves in folklore, religion and mythology: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Nurikabe: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Strix: Prosthetic Head, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Catoblepas: Jan Jonston, Public domain, source
- Gashadokuro: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Iku-Turso: Hugo Simberg, Public domain, source
- Titivillus: Andrewrabbott, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Goatman: Jack Boucher, Public domain, source
- Vengeful ghost: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi; Tsukioka Yoshitoshi died 1892; Negishi Chokuzan;, Public domain, source
- Ahuizotl: Infrogmation, New Orleans, Public domain, source
- Kurupi: FrankOWeaver, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Strzyga: Filip Gutowski, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kulshedra: Bidgee, CC BY 3.0, source
- Babay: Kyoukaa, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Abyzou: Paul Perdirizet (1870-4 juin 1938), Public domain, source
- Cacodemon: Louis Le Breton, Public domain, source
- Mogwai: Gisling, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gello: Filippino Lippi, Public domain, source
- Jenny Greenteeth: Jayan.thanal, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shikome: Raita Futo, CC BY 2.0, source
- Boginka: Walery Eljasz Radzikowski, Public domain, source