All entries
2,161 entries so far, best known first. 3,219 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
馃嚨馃嚜 Peru and 5 morePachamama
The Andean mother goddess of space-time and the earthBeing 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚟馃嚬 Haiti and 2 moreLwa
Spirits in Haitian Vodou that mediate between people and the creator god.Being 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚡馃嚥 Jamaica and 5 moreObeah
A Caribbean tradition of ritual healing and spell-casting with African rootsTradition 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚡馃嚥 Jamaica and 1 moreMyal
An Afro-Jamaican healing tradition rooted in Arawak and Akan spiritualityTradition 路 Healing 路 Protection Living
馃嚙馃嚪 BrazilPomba Gira
An Afro-Brazilian spirit of love and desire worshipped in Umbanda and QuimbandaBeing 路 Love and attraction 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚟馃嚬 Haiti and 2 moreManbo
A female priestess in Haitian Vodou who leads rituals and healing workTradition 路 Healing 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚟馃嚬 Haiti and 2 moreBokorb貌k貌
A Haitian Vodou practitioner said to serve spirits for both protection and harmTradition 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚞馃嚬 GuatemalaMaxim贸nRi Laj Mam
A Maya folk saint and trickster deity venerated in the Guatemalan HighlandsBeing 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚥馃嚱 Mexico and 3 moreFolk saint
Unofficially recognized holy figures venerated by local communities for intercession and miraclesBelief 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚞馃嚬 Guatemala and 1 moreTzolk始inAj Ilabal Q始ij
A 260-day cycle used by the Maya for divination and ritual timingTradition 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚚馃嚤 Chile and 1 moreMachi
Mapuche spiritual authorities and healers who bridge herbal knowledge and spirit realmsTradition 路 Healing 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚟馃嚬 Haiti and 1 moreOungan
A male priest in Haitian Vodou who leads rituals and serves as a medium for spirits.Tradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Healing Living
馃嚚馃嚤 ChileCaleuche
A luminous ghost ship of Chilote mythology that sails the canals and seas of southern Chile.Figure 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚨馃嚜 Peru and 1 moreViracochaWiraqucha
The supreme creator deity of the Andes, associated with the sea and civilization.Being 路 Power and authority 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚚馃嚭 Cuba and 5 morePalo
An Afro-Cuban religion centered on spirit vessels and ancestral powerTradition 路 Healing 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚙馃嚪 BrazilMacumba
A term for Afro-Brazilian spiritual practices, often carrying negative connotations of sorceryBelief 路 Healing 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚙馃嚪 Brazil and 3 moreBatuque
An Afro-Brazilian religion with spirit possession and a pantheon of Orix谩s and encantadosTradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚥馃嚱 Mexico and 5 moreDay of the DeadD铆a de los Muertos
A Mexican holiday honoring the dead with altars, food, and humor during Allhallowtide.Tradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚙馃嚪 BrazilBoitat谩
A fiery serpent of Brazilian folklore that guards forests or frightens childrenBeing 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚥馃嚱 MexicoNagualn膩hualli
A Mesoamerican belief in humans who shapeshift into animal counterparts.Belief 路 Power and authority 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚥馃嚱 MexicoOfrenda
A Mexican home altar built to welcome the souls of the dead during D铆a de los MuertosTradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚚馃嚧 ColombiaColombian folklore
Beliefs and legends passed down through generations in ColombiaTradition 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚨馃嚜 Peru and 1 moreQuyllurit'iQoyllur Rit'i
A syncretic Andean pilgrimage celebrating the Pleiades and the Lord of Star SnowTradition 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚚馃嚤 Chile and 1 moreMapuche religion
The traditional spiritual practice of the Mapuche people of Chile and ArgentinaTradition 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚞馃嚬 Guatemala and 1 moreMaya calendar
A system of timekeeping used by ancient and modern Maya communities to track days, years, and historical cycles.Tradition 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚥馃嚱 Mexico and 5 morePersonifications of death
Figures from many cultures that embody the end of life and guide soulsFigure 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚟馃嚬 HaitiVodou veve (sample)V猫v猫
Ground drawings that call the lwa.Tradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚙馃嚪 Brazil and 1 moreSaciSaci-perer锚
A one-legged prankster of Brazilian folklore who hides in dust devils and wears a magic red cap.Figure 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚥馃嚱 Mexico and 5 moreSihuanaba
A shapeshifting spirit that lures men with beauty before revealing a monstrous faceBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚬馃嚬 Trinidad and Tobago and 5 moreSoucouyant
A shape-shifting vampire spirit of Caribbean folklore that sheds its skin to fly as a fireballBeing 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚛馃嚧 Dominican Republic and 1 moreDominican Vud煤Vud煤 Dominicano
A syncretic Afro-Caribbean religion on Hispaniola with its own spirit lineages and titles.Tradition 路 Protection 路 Love and attraction Living
馃嚬馃嚬 Trinidad and Tobago and 4 moreTrinidad Orisha
A syncretic Afro-Caribbean faith blending Yoruba spirit work with Christian and other traditions in Trinidad.Tradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Healing Living
馃嚮馃嚜 VenezuelaSayona
A vengeful Venezuelan ghost who hunts men for breaking marital vowsFigure 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚙馃嚪 BrazilThe Hairy LegPerna cabeluda
A Brazilian urban legend of a detached leg that attacks people at nightFigure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚡馃嚥 Jamaica and 2 moreKromanti
A ritual language spoken by ancestral spirits in Jamaican Maroon ceremoniesBelief 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚙馃嚪 BrazilPro-VidaPr贸-Vida, Integra莽茫o C贸smica
An occultist group founded in Brazil that promises cosmic consciousness and earthly paradise.Tradition 路 Change and initiation 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚚馃嚭 Cuba and 1 moreHaitian Vodou in CubaVod煤 Haitiano
A Caribbean religious tradition brought by migrants and maintained in eastern CubaTradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Protection Living
馃嚘馃嚪 Argentina and 1 moreSpiritual mapping
A Christian practice of mapping locations to identify and pray against territorial demonsBelief 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚥馃嚱 MexicoCamazotz
A bat spirit of the Maya underworld linked to night, death, and sacrificeBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Legendary
馃嚚馃嚧 ColombiaPatasola
A Colombian jungle monster that lures men with beauty before revealing a one-legged formBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚥馃嚱 MexicoAhuizotl膩huitzotl
A legendary Aztec water creature said to lure people to their deathsBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚙馃嚪 BrazilMinhoc茫o
A giant aquatic worm or fish from Brazilian folklore blamed for earthquakes and animal disappearancesBeing Legendary
馃嚡馃嚥 Jamaica and 3 moreDuppy
A Caribbean term for a ghost or malevolent spirit, rooted in West African folklore.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚙馃嚪 BrazilBoi煤na
A powerful river serpent from Amazonian mythology that shifts shape to guard its watersBeing Legendary
馃嚛馃嚧 Dominican Republic and 1 moreCiguapa
A back-footed forest spirit of the Dominican Republic known for seduction and jealousyBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Love and attraction Legendary
馃嚨馃嚲 ParaguayAo Ao
A Guarani mythic beast that hunts humans and frightens children in ParaguayBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚥馃嚱 MexicoWerejaguar
A supernatural figure from Olmec art, blending human and jaguar traits.Being 路 Power and authority 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Legendary
馃嚚馃嚤 Chile and 1 moreCuerotr眉lke wekuf眉
An aquatic creature from Mapuche and Chilote myth that drags victims into the depths.Being 路 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.
- Maya mythology: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Louisiana Voodoo: I cropped, original authors are Ridpath, John Clark, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Egungun: 脤峁ａ汗虁峁Assembly, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pachamama: Penarc, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lwa: Hector Hyppolite, Public domain, source
- Obeah: Various, published by David Nutt, Public domain, source
- Manbo: Aliceba, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bokor: Hector Hyppolite, Public domain, source
- Maxim贸n: Sapfan (Jan Pesula), Public domain, source
- Folk saint: Sergio Serrano, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Tzolk始in: Lacambalam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Machi: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Oungan: Anthony Karen, CC BY 4.0, source
- Viracocha: Pattych ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Palo: Burkhard M眉cke, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Day of the Dead: RubeHM, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Boitat谩: The ponta cabe莽a, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nagual: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Ofrenda: Eneas de Troya, CC BY 2.0, source
- Haitian Vodou in Cuba: Dr. Anthony R. Picciolo, NOAA NODC, Public domain, source
- Sihuanaba: Orlando Callejas, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Colombian folklore: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Quyllurit'i: AgainErick, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mapuche religion: Gary Todd, CC0, source
- Maya calendar: MBisanz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Personifications of death: No machine-readable author provided. Kirtap assumed (based on copyrigh, CC BY 2.5, source
- Ahuizotl: Infrogmation, New Orleans, Public domain, source
- Ao Ao: Cowboymax, CC0, source
- Werejaguar: Ruben Charles, ( http://www.rubencharles.com ), CC BY 2.0, source
- The Hairy Leg: Di贸genes Montenegro, Public domain, source