All entries
2,261 entries so far, best known first. 3,022 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
🇨🇭 SwitzerlandArbatel de magia veterum
A 1575 Swiss grimoire focused on celestial spirits and Christian ethicsText · Power and authority · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
🇮🇪 IrelandFand
An otherworldly woman in Irish mythology who becomes the lover of the hero CúchulainnFigure · Love and attraction Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomTam Lin
A Scottish ballad about a fairy knight rescued by his mortal lover on Hallowe'enFigure · Love and attraction · Cursing and harm Historical
🇬🇧 United KingdomLazy Laurence
A mischievous English pixie who makes orchard workers lazy and gives them indigestionBeing · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical
🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreFiddler's Green
A maritime afterlife of endless music and rest for veteran sailorsBelief · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇮🇹 ItalyAngitia
A Sabine and Roman goddess of healing and snake magic in central ItalyBeing · Healing · Power and authority Historical
🇮🇹 ItalyDe Umbris Idearum
A 1582 treatise by Giordano Bruno on memory, magic and philosophyText · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Historical
🇬🇧 United KingdomSpring-heeled Jack
A Victorian phantom known for leaping over walls and breathing fire.Figure · Cursing and harm Historical
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreSwan maiden
A folk motif where a man steals a bird-woman's feather cloak to force marriage.Figure · Love and attraction · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇦🇹 AustriaHaymon
A legendary giant of Tyrol who founded a monastery and defeated local spiritsFigure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇫🇷 FranceMagonia
A cloud realm of aerial sailors blamed for hail and stolen grain in medieval EuropeBelief · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇬🇷 GreeceAmulet MS 5236
A stamped gold amulet from ancient Greece invoking ApolloCharm · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical
🇫🇮 FinlandFirefoxtulikettu
A mythical Finnish fox whose tail sparks the northern lightsBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreCromniomancy
Divination by onions to reveal health, love, weather and distant newsOracle · Seeing and foretelling · Love and attraction Historical
🇬🇧 United KingdomTwo of Coins
A tarot card representing balance, juggling duties, and the struggle to maintain equilibrium.Belief · Seeing and foretelling Living
🇸🇪 Sweden and 1 moreTroll crosstrollkors
A carved or bent iron sigil used in Sweden and Norway to ward off harmful magic and creatures.Charm · Protection Revived
🇬🇧 United KingdomNanny Rutt
A cautionary figure from Lincolnshire folklore who lures girls into the woodsFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇸 Iceland and 1 moreUr (rune)
A runic character representing the aurochs or cold rain in Germanic alphabetsText · Wonder and entertainment Historical
🇮🇹 Italy and 3 moreSaint Valentine's Key
A metal key charm from Padua used for healing epilepsy and as a romantic tokenCharm · Healing · Love and attraction Living
🇬🇧 United KingdomHobgoblin
A household spirit from English folklore known for chores and mischiefBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇫🇮 FinlandAjatar
An evil female spirit of Finnish folklore associated with serpents and diseaseFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreYellow badgeJudenstern
A marked garment worn by Jews under laws of distinction and humiliation across centuries.Charm · Cursing and harm Historical
🇪🇸 SpainLamialamiak
River and sea spirits of Basque folklore, known for their beauty and magical labour.Being · Power and authority Historical
🇦🇲 Armenia and 5 moreSpilling water for luck
A folk custom of pouring water to wish a traveler or worker a smooth journeyBelief · Luck and prosperity · Protection Living
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreAxis mundi
A concept describing a central point connecting the earthly and heavenly realms.Belief · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Historical
🇮🇪 IrelandTír na nÓg
An island realm in Irish myth where time stands still and youth never fadesBelief · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇸🇪 SwedenVardøger
A spirit double that precedes a person in time and spaceBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇦🇱 AlbaniaKukudh
An undead revenant from Albanian folklore that haunts houses and spreads sickness.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇸🇪 SwedenÁlfablót
A late autumn homestead ritual to elves and ancestors in pagan ScandinaviaRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Healing Historical
🇮🇹 ItalySegnature
An Italian folk healing rite using gestures and prayers to cure illness and remove cursesRite · Healing · Protection Living
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreManannán mac Lir
A sea god and otherworld king in Gaelic mythology who guards the hidden lands of the Tuatha Dé Danann.Being · Protection · Power and authority Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandLughLú
A master craftsman and warrior of Irish myth who defeats a tyrant eyeFigure · Power and authority · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇩🇪 GermanyThule SocietyThule-Gesellschaft
A German occult group that sponsored the early Nazi party and promoted racial mysticism.Tradition · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Historical
🇮🇪 IrelandThe DagdaIn Dagda
Chief god of the Tuatha Dé Danann in Irish mythology, associated with fertility and magic.Being · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandGlas Gaibhnenn
A fabulous cow of Irish myth that yields boundless milk and sparks a quest for vengeance.Being · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreDried cat
A dried feline body hidden in walls to protect a home from harmCharm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreDevil's Footprints
A 1855 English mystery of hoof-like tracks appearing across snow-covered landscapesBelief · Cursing and harm Historical
🇳🇴 NorwayTroll
A Nordic creature of folklore and myth, ranging from mountain dwellers to modern fantasy icons.Being · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇸🇪 SwedenKnights of Ålleberg
Swedish ghost story about sleeping warriors in a mountainFigure · Power and authority Legendary
🇫🇷 France and 1 moreOgre
A legendary humanoid monster known for its size and cannibalistic appetiteBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceNecklace of Harmonia
A cursed golden adornment from Greek myth that brought ruin to the House of ThebesCharm · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇱🇹 Lithuania and 1 moreAšvieniai
Twin horse deities of Baltic mythology who pull the sun chariotBeing · Protection Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainGatipedro
A horned cat from Galicia that makes children wet their bedsFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇸 IcelandSowilo
The s-rune representing the sun in Germanic writing systemsText · Power and authority Historical
🇩🇪 Germany and 4 moreWeiße Frauen
Elven spirits of sunlight and water in Germanic folkloreBeing · Wonder and entertainment Historical
🇬🇷 GreeceMinoan sealstones
Carved gemstones and amulets from Bronze Age Crete used for identification and ritualCharm · Protection · Power and authority Historical
🇮🇹 ItalyCacus
A fire-breathing giant of Roman myth who stole cattle and was slain by HerculesBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇩🇪 GermanyAlgiz
A runic letter representing a terminal sound and later symbols of life and deathText Historical
🇬🇧 United KingdomTam Lin
A Scottish ballad about a fairy knight rescued by his mortal lover on Hallowe'enFigure · Love and attraction · Cursing and harm Historical
🇬🇧 United KingdomLazy Laurence
A mischievous English pixie who makes orchard workers lazy and gives them indigestionBeing · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical
🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreFiddler's Green
A maritime afterlife of endless music and rest for veteran sailorsBelief · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇮🇹 ItalyAngitia
A Sabine and Roman goddess of healing and snake magic in central ItalyBeing · Healing · Power and authority Historical
🇮🇹 ItalyDe Umbris Idearum
A 1582 treatise by Giordano Bruno on memory, magic and philosophyText · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Historical
🇬🇧 United KingdomSpring-heeled Jack
A Victorian phantom known for leaping over walls and breathing fire.Figure · Cursing and harm Historical
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreSwan maiden
A folk motif where a man steals a bird-woman's feather cloak to force marriage.Figure · Love and attraction · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇦🇹 AustriaHaymon
A legendary giant of Tyrol who founded a monastery and defeated local spiritsFigure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇫🇷 FranceMagonia
A cloud realm of aerial sailors blamed for hail and stolen grain in medieval EuropeBelief · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇬🇷 GreeceAmulet MS 5236
A stamped gold amulet from ancient Greece invoking ApolloCharm · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical
🇫🇮 FinlandFirefoxtulikettu
A mythical Finnish fox whose tail sparks the northern lightsBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreCromniomancy
Divination by onions to reveal health, love, weather and distant newsOracle · Seeing and foretelling · Love and attraction Historical
🇬🇧 United KingdomTwo of Coins
A tarot card representing balance, juggling duties, and the struggle to maintain equilibrium.Belief · Seeing and foretelling Living
🇸🇪 Sweden and 1 moreTroll crosstrollkors
A carved or bent iron sigil used in Sweden and Norway to ward off harmful magic and creatures.Charm · Protection Revived
🇬🇧 United KingdomNanny Rutt
A cautionary figure from Lincolnshire folklore who lures girls into the woodsFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇸 Iceland and 1 moreUr (rune)
A runic character representing the aurochs or cold rain in Germanic alphabetsText · Wonder and entertainment Historical
🇮🇹 Italy and 3 moreSaint Valentine's Key
A metal key charm from Padua used for healing epilepsy and as a romantic tokenCharm · Healing · Love and attraction Living
🇬🇧 United KingdomHobgoblin
A household spirit from English folklore known for chores and mischiefBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇫🇮 FinlandAjatar
An evil female spirit of Finnish folklore associated with serpents and diseaseFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreYellow badgeJudenstern
A marked garment worn by Jews under laws of distinction and humiliation across centuries.Charm · Cursing and harm Historical
🇪🇸 SpainLamialamiak
River and sea spirits of Basque folklore, known for their beauty and magical labour.Being · Power and authority Historical
🇦🇲 Armenia and 5 moreSpilling water for luck
A folk custom of pouring water to wish a traveler or worker a smooth journeyBelief · Luck and prosperity · Protection Living
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreAxis mundi
A concept describing a central point connecting the earthly and heavenly realms.Belief · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Historical
🇮🇪 IrelandTír na nÓg
An island realm in Irish myth where time stands still and youth never fadesBelief · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇸🇪 SwedenVardøger
A spirit double that precedes a person in time and spaceBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇦🇱 AlbaniaKukudh
An undead revenant from Albanian folklore that haunts houses and spreads sickness.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇸🇪 SwedenÁlfablót
A late autumn homestead ritual to elves and ancestors in pagan ScandinaviaRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Healing Historical
🇮🇹 ItalySegnature
An Italian folk healing rite using gestures and prayers to cure illness and remove cursesRite · Healing · Protection Living
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreManannán mac Lir
A sea god and otherworld king in Gaelic mythology who guards the hidden lands of the Tuatha Dé Danann.Being · Protection · Power and authority Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandLughLú
A master craftsman and warrior of Irish myth who defeats a tyrant eyeFigure · Power and authority · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇩🇪 GermanyThule SocietyThule-Gesellschaft
A German occult group that sponsored the early Nazi party and promoted racial mysticism.Tradition · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Historical
🇮🇪 IrelandThe DagdaIn Dagda
Chief god of the Tuatha Dé Danann in Irish mythology, associated with fertility and magic.Being · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandGlas Gaibhnenn
A fabulous cow of Irish myth that yields boundless milk and sparks a quest for vengeance.Being · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreDried cat
A dried feline body hidden in walls to protect a home from harmCharm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreDevil's Footprints
A 1855 English mystery of hoof-like tracks appearing across snow-covered landscapesBelief · Cursing and harm Historical
🇳🇴 NorwayTroll
A Nordic creature of folklore and myth, ranging from mountain dwellers to modern fantasy icons.Being · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇸🇪 SwedenKnights of Ålleberg
Swedish ghost story about sleeping warriors in a mountainFigure · Power and authority Legendary
🇫🇷 France and 1 moreOgre
A legendary humanoid monster known for its size and cannibalistic appetiteBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceNecklace of Harmonia
A cursed golden adornment from Greek myth that brought ruin to the House of ThebesCharm · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇱🇹 Lithuania and 1 moreAšvieniai
Twin horse deities of Baltic mythology who pull the sun chariotBeing · Protection Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainGatipedro
A horned cat from Galicia that makes children wet their bedsFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇸 IcelandSowilo
The s-rune representing the sun in Germanic writing systemsText · Power and authority Historical
🇩🇪 Germany and 4 moreWeiße Frauen
Elven spirits of sunlight and water in Germanic folkloreBeing · Wonder and entertainment Historical
🇬🇷 GreeceMinoan sealstones
Carved gemstones and amulets from Bronze Age Crete used for identification and ritualCharm · Protection · Power and authority Historical
🇮🇹 ItalyCacus
A fire-breathing giant of Roman myth who stole cattle and was slain by HerculesBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇩🇪 GermanyAlgiz
A runic letter representing a terminal sound and later symbols of life and deathText Historical
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Ašvieniai: Wojsyl , 2005, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Segnature: SeAnstapa, CC0, source
- Angitia: Marica Massaro, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ogre: Henry Justice Ford, Public domain, source
- Knights of Ålleberg: Photograph: Nasko, Public domain, source
- Troll: John Bauer, Public domain, source
- Devil's Footprints: John Good, Public domain, source
- Glas Gaibhnenn: Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, source
- Tír na nÓg: Arthur Rackham, Public domain, source
- Hobgoblin: Herbert Railton, Public domain, source
- Spring-heeled Jack: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Haymon: Hafelekar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Two of Coins: Augusto Rius in 1889 [1] for Heraclio Fournier, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Troll cross: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Ur (rune): RexCrudelissimus, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Axis mundi: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Gatipedro: Dende, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Weiße Frauen: Wojciech Gerson, Public domain, source
- Minoan sealstones: Andree Stephan, CC BY 3.0, source
- Cacus: William Blake, Public domain, source
- Algiz: Arolsen Archives, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dried cat: The Voice of Hassocks, CC0, source
- Tam Lin: Richard Webb, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Swan maiden: Walter Crane, Public domain, source
- Yellow badge: Edited version of original photo by Rama, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Amulet MS 5236: Martin Schøyen, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lamia: Josu Goñi Etxabe, Public domain, source
- Manannán mac Lir: Kenneth Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Lugh: Peter Clarke, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- The Dagda: WordRidden, CC BY 2.0, source
- Necklace of Harmonia: Marie-Lan Nguyen, Public domain, source