All entries
2,242 entries so far, best known first. 3,068 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
🇨🇱 ChileCamahueto
A one-horned river bull from Chilote folklore that drags people to the seaBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇪🇬 EgyptAkhekh
A winged desert creature of Egyptian myth linked to chaos and royal powerBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomGwragedd Annwngwraig Annwn
Welsh lake fairies linked to the origin of black cattle and the Tylwyth TegBeing Legendary
🇨🇳 ChinaNine-tailed turtle九尾龜
A legendary Chinese creature linked to divination and folkloreBeing · Seeing and foretelling · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇭🇺 HungaryLidérc
A shape-shifting spirit from Hungarian folklore that brings wealth or illness.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇧🇷 BrazilCapelobo
A Brazilian monster with a long snout that feeds on blood and brainsBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇹 ItalyBorda
A blindfolded witch from the Po Valley who drowns children in marshesFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇫🇷 FranceFarfadet
Small helpful spirits of French folklore that perform chores for foodBeing · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇮🇷 IranArzhang Divارژنگ دیو
A demon chief in Persian epic who is defeated by the hero RostamFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreHoop snake
A legendary rolling serpent found in North American and Australian folkloreBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainTrenti
A forest goblin from Cantabrian mythology known for pranks and mischiefBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇫🇮 FinlandRahko
A Finnish mythic figure linked to the darkening of the Moon and nightmaresBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇦🇱 AlbaniaLugat
A shadow-dwelling vampire of Albanian folklore that attacks sleepers and hides in ruins.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇵🇱 Poland and 1 morePan Twardowski
A Polish sorcerer who bargained with the Devil and ended up on the MoonFigure · Power and authority Legendary
🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago and 1 moreDouen
A faceless creature with backwards feet from Trinidad and Tobago folkloreBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇷 IranAkvan Divاکوان دیو
A shape-shifting demon from Persian mythology that disguises itself as a wild horse.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomMaggy Moulach
A Scottish brownie known for her hair and fierce protection of her kinBeing · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇺🇸 United StatesWoman in Black
A spectral figure from Appalachian folklore said to punish men for moral failingsBeing · Cursing and harm · Protection Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanBanchō Sarayashiki番町皿屋敷
A Japanese ghost story about a servant who dies unjustly and haunts her murderer by counting plates.Figure · Cursing and harm · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇨🇳 ChinaLuduan甪端
A mythical Chinese creature said to speak every language and travel vast distances in a single dayBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanYama-uba山姥
A Japanese mountain spirit depicted as either a cannibalistic monster or a benevolent guardian.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇹🇭 Thailand and 2 moreNariphonนารีผล
A mythical tree in Buddhist lore that bears fruit shaped like young womenBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇸🇪 SwedenVardøger
A spirit double that precedes a person in time and spaceBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇸🇾 SyriaEchidnaΈχιδνα
A half-woman, half-snake monster in Greek myth who mothered many famous beastsBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇱 Chile and 1 moreImbuncheifünche
A deformed child-monster of Chilote folklore that guards a warlock's cave and serves as an instrument of curse.Figure · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceCampeΚάμπη
A female monster who guarded the imprisoned Titans in Greek mythBeing Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceHarpyἅρπυια (hárpyia)
Half-human, half-bird creatures from Greek and Roman myth, often seen as storm winds or snatchers of food.Being · Cursing and harm · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Div: Unknown Calligrapher, Public domain, source
- Camahueto: Rjcastillo, CC BY 4.0, source
- Capelobo: Di (they-them), CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Farfadet: User:Mattes, Public domain, source
- Arzhang Div: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Hoop snake: Fearsome Critters, Written by Henry H. Tryon • Illustrated by Margaret, CC0, source
- Pan Twardowski: Pit1233, Public domain, source
- Banchō Sarayashiki: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Okiku ,, Public domain, source
- Luduan: Gisling, CC BY 2.5, source
- Yama-uba: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Nariphon: LigerCommon, Public domain, source
- Echidna: Daderot, Public domain, source
- Imbunche: Lufke, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Harpy: Unknown, near the Tyrrhenian Group?, CC BY-SA 2.0, source