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
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreWorld Turtle
A mythic giant turtle said to support the earth or contain the world in various cultures.Being · Power and authority 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
🇦🇱 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
🇹🇭 ThailandMae Nak Phra Khanongแม่นากพระโขนง
A Thai ghost of a woman who died in childbirth and her shrine for protection and fertilityBeing · Protection · Healing Living
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreWater Horse
A mythical shape-shifter from Celtic and Nordic lore, often linked to lake monsters.Being · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇵🇱 Poland and 3 moreStrzyga
A female demon in Polish folklore, linked to owls and vampiric traitsBeing · Cursing and harm · Protection Historical
🇯🇵 JapanKijo鬼女
A demon woman from Japanese folklore, born of resentment and karma.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇺 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
🇫🇷 France and 4 moreJean de l'Ours
A half-bear folk hero who rescues princesses from an underworld giant.Figure · Power and authority 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
🇪🇸 SpainCatalina Lercaro
A ghost story from Tenerife about a woman who took her own life on her wedding dayBeing Living
🇮🇳 IndiaBonnaconβόνασος
A legendary bull that defends itself with burning excrementBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇷🇺 Russia and 1 moreBabayБабай
A night spirit in Slavic folklore used to frighten children into sleepingFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇩 IndonesiaAntabogaꦄꦤ꧀ꦠꦨꦺꦴꦒ
A serpent deity of Javanism and Sundanism who created the world turtle and rice goddessBeing · Power and authority Historical
🇵🇾 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
🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreIriyВырай
A mythical Slavic realm where souls and birds gather for the winterBelief · Speaking with spirits and the dead 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
🇬🇷 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
🇬🇷 GreeceShield of Achilles
A mythical shield forged by Hephaestus, decorated with a complete picture of the world and human life.Figure · Power and authority Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomMoragMòrag
A Scottish lake monster said to dwell in Loch MorarBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomAm Fear Liath Mòr
A mountain spirit said to haunt the misty peaks of the Scottish CairngormsBeing Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanUwanうわん
A Japanese yōkai with an unknown identity and a loud voiceBeing Historical
🇫🇷 FranceTarvos Trigaranus
A Gaulish bull deity depicted with three cranes on a Roman-era Parisian pillarBeing Legendary
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreSolomon's shamirשָׁמִיר
A legendary worm or stone used to carve stone without iron toolsBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇰🇷 South KoreaGwisin귀신
A Korean ghost of a human who died, lingering to finish unfinished business.Being · Cursing and harm · Protection Legendary
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreCrocotta
A mythical dog-wolf of India and Ethiopia that mimics human voicesBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreJenny Greenteeth
A river-hag from English folklore used to warn children away from dangerous watersFigure · 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
🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreRinging Cedars' Anastasianismдвижение «Анастасия»
A Russian new religious movement based on books about a Siberian mystic and nature worshipTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇨🇳 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
🇲🇱 MaliNommo
Primordial water spirits in Dogon cosmology from MaliBeing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanYōsei妖精
A Japanese term for spirits drawn from Western legends and native folkloreBeing Legendary
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreOwlmanKowanden
A winged humanoid creature from Cornish folklore, linked to a 1976 sighting event.Figure Legendary
🇺🇸 United StatesSquonk
A fictional creature from American folklore known for weeping and dissolving in its own tears.Being · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇫🇷 FranceDictionnaire Infernal
A French demonology book cataloguing spirits and their hierarchies with engravings.Text · Power and authority Historical
🇮🇪 IrelandMerrowmurúch
A sea creature from Irish folklore, known for its magical cap and singing voice.Figure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreAetherius Society
A new religious movement blending theosophy, UFO claims, and spiritual healing to aid humanity.Tradition · Protection · Healing Living
🇺🇸 United StatesHodag
A fabricated American cryptid from Wisconsin folklore and tall talesFigure · Wonder and entertainment Historical
🇪🇪 EstoniaVanapaganVanatühi
A giant farmer and underworld figure from Estonian folklore who is often outwitted.Figure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇧🇷 BrazilMinhocão
A giant aquatic worm or fish from Brazilian folklore blamed for earthquakes and animal disappearancesBeing Legendary
🇸🇾 Syria and 1 moreLotan𐎍𐎚𐎐 (LTN)
A coiled sea serpent defeated by a storm god in Ugaritic mythBeing Legendary
🇮🇱 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
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreElwetritschElwedritsch
A chicken-like creature from German folklore that tames the fear of sleep paralysisBeing · Protection Living
🇬🇧 United KingdomBritish big cats
Urban legends and reported sightings of large wild cats in the United KingdomBelief · Wonder and entertainment Fading
🇪🇬 EgyptSet animalsha
A mysterious creature from ancient Egypt, linked to the god Set and chaos.Being · Power and authority Historical
🇵🇱 PolandBoginka
Female spirits of wild nature in Polish pagan mythologyBeing · Cursing and harm Historical
🇮🇳 IndiaKhunu Leimaꯈꯨꯅꯨꯔꯩꯃ (Khunu Leima)
A Meitei goddess who rules over pigeons and doves in the religion of Manipur.Being Historical
🇺🇸 United StatesGreenbrier Ghost
A West Virginia murder case where a mother claimed her daughter's spirit revealed the truth.Belief · 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.
- Shield of Achilles: Angelo Monticelli (1778-1837), Public domain, source
- Bonnacon: unknown (medieval) author, Public domain, source
- Hodag: Gourami Watcher, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Antaboga: fir0002 flagstaffotos [at] gmail.com Canon 20D + Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8, GFDL 1.2, source
- Crocotta: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Kurupi: FrankOWeaver, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dogon religion: Unknown author, CC BY 3.0, source
- World Turtle: Unknown author, Public domain, 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
- Jean de l'Ours: Édouard François Zier (1856–1924), illustrator, Public domain, source
- Abyzou: Paul Perdirizet (1870-4 juin 1938), Public domain, source
- Mae Nak Phra Khanong: Xufanc, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cacodemon: Louis Le Breton, Public domain, source
- Squonk: Coert Du Bois and by William T. Cox;, Public domain, source
- Uwan: Sawaki Sūshi (佐脇嵩之, Japanase, *1707, †1772), 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
- Tarvos Trigaranus: Als33120, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Solomon's shamir: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eberhard_Werner_Happel, Public domain, source
- Dictionnaire Infernal: Louis Le Breton, Public domain, source
- Elwetritsch: AnRo0002, CC0, source
- Vanapagan: Kristjan Raud, Public domain, source
- British big cats: Midnightblueowl at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Khunu Leima: Author: DALL-E; prompted by Haoreima, Public domain, source
- Boginka: Walery Eljasz Radzikowski, Public domain, source
- Merrow: Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Aetherius Society: Hjamesberglen, CC0, source
- Water Horse: Theodor Kittelsen, Public domain, source
- Owlman: Krzysztof Wisniewski, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Leviathan: Gustave Doré, Public domain, source
- Ringing Cedars' Anastasianism: Лобачев Владимир, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Am Fear Liath Mòr: Richard Webb, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Catalina Lercaro: tivity.es, CC BY 3.0, source
- Set animal: Unknown author, Public domain, source