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
🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreDaejongism대종교
A Korean faith system centred on the ancestral king Dangun and national identity.Tradition · Power and authority Living
🇷🇸 SerbiaCikavacцикавац
A winged creature from Serbian folklore that fetches honey and milk for its ownerBeing · Luck and prosperity · Power and authority Legendary
🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreCola Pesce
An Italian merman legend about a boy cursed by his mother to live in the seaFigure · Cursing and harm · Seeing and foretelling Historical
🇮🇳 IndiaSamatonꯁꯃꯗꯣꯟ ꯑꯌꯥꯡꯕ (Shamadon Ayangba)
A winged divine horse from Meitei mythology and ancestor of the Manipuri ponyBeing · Power and authority Living
🇪🇸 SpainMinairó
Tiny magical beings from the Pyrenees said to build stone piles and work fields.Being · Power and authority Legendary
🇨🇳 ChinaXirang息壤
A magical soil in Chinese mythology that expands to control flood watersSubstance · Protection Legendary
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreShuihu水虎
A legendary water creature from Chinese folklore, later adopted into Japanese myth.Being · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreTarand
A legendary reindeer-like creature said to change its hair colour like a chameleon.Being · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇪🇪 EstoniaThe Dragon of the NorthPõhja konn
A legendary frog-like monster from Estonian folklore, later reimagined as a cultural guardian.Figure · Cursing and harm · Protection Legendary
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreBevis of HamptonПовесть о Бове-королевиче
A medieval chivalric romance about a hero's exile and return across Europe and the Near EastText · Wonder and entertainment Historical
🇩🇪 Germany and 3 moreWiedergänger
A German term for a revenant or ghost that returns to the world of the living.Being · Cursing and harm Historical
🇰🇷 South KoreaEgg ghost달걀귀신
A headless Korean spirit shaped like an egg, said to bring death upon sightingBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreFengli风狸 / 風狸
A legendary flying mammal from Chinese lore, said to carry a magic wand and resist death.Figure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇨🇳 ChinaPeaches of Immortality仙桃
Legendary Chinese fruits said to grant eternal life to deities and mortalsSubstance · Luck and prosperity · Change and initiation Legendary
🇷🇺 RussiaMoryanaМоря́на
A female sea spirit in Slavic folklore who controls winds and calms stormsBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇷🇺 Russia and 1 moreLikhoradkaЛихорадка
A fever spirit in Slavic myth who brings illness and sicknessBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇵🇾 ParaguayAo Ao
A Guarani mythic beast that hunts humans and frightens children in ParaguayBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇴 Romania and 1 moreSânziană
Romanian fairies and a summer solstice festival of flowers and magicBeing · Protection · Love and attraction Living
🇺🇸 United StatesSnallygaster
A bird-reptile chimera from Maryland folklore, once used to frighten children and later the subject of newspaper hoaxes.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇳 IndiaDawon
The lion mount of the goddess Durga in Hindu traditionBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇸🇾 SyriaOdontotyrannosόδοντοτύραννος
A mythical three-horned beast from Alexander the Great's Indian campaignsFigure Legendary
🇮🇹 ItalyAnguane
Cloven-footed water nymphs from Northern Italian folklore who nurse infants with their backs.Being · Love and attraction · Healing Legendary
🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreKōshin庚申信仰
A Japanese folk belief involving vigils to prevent internal spirits from reporting human deeds to heavenBelief · Protection · Healing Living
🇮🇹 ItalyLariosauro
A lake monster legend from Lake Como, Italy, born from newspaper hoaxes and misidentified animals.Figure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇷🇺 RussiaHabernitsa
A noon demon of Slavic fields who punishes workers and causes pain.Being · Cursing and harm Historical
🇮🇳 IndiaKeibu Keioiba
A tiger-headed man from Manipur folklore who was once a priestFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇧🇴 Bolivia and 1 moreAnchanchu
A shapeshifting vampire of the Andes that drains blood and demands offerings from miners.Being · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandFellowship of Isis𓊨𓏏𓁐𓌞𓋴𓅱𓂻𓏥
An international spiritual fellowship honouring the Divine Feminine and the goddess IsisTradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Change and initiation Living
🇷🇴 RomaniaCăpcăun
A Romanian ogre with a dog head known for kidnapping children and eating peopleBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainTibicena
A demon of the Guanches, imagined as a black-furred dog with red eyes.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomLlamhigyn y Dŵr
A winged frog-like creature blamed for harm to fishermen and livestock in Welsh folkloreBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇦🇲 ArmeniaVishapվիշապ
A water dragon of Armenian myth linked to storms and the sunBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇵🇾 ParaguayJasy Jatere
A Guaraní spirit of the moon who guards yerba mate and enforces the siestaBeing · Protection · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇰🇪 Kenya and 5 moreLegio Maria
A Kenyan church blending Catholic rites with beliefs in a Black Christ and visionary apparitionsTradition · Protection · Healing Living
🇰🇷 South KoreaKorean virgin ghost처녀귀신 (cheonyeo-gwisin)
A spirit of an unmarried woman who died with resentment in Korean folklore.Being · Cursing and harm · Binding and oaths Historical
🇫🇮 Finland and 1 moreLemminkäinen
A shaman-hero of Finnish and Karelian myth who dies and is resurrected by his motherFigure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreSpiritualist church
A worship service led by a medium to communicate with the deceasedTradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Healing Living
🇵🇹 PortugalEnchanted Mouramoura encantada
A supernatural maiden from Portuguese and Galician folklore who guards treasures and ancient stones.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇮🇹 ItalyMonacielloMunaciello
A Neapolitan sprite linked to the city's underground waterways and hidden wealth.Figure · Luck and prosperity · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇸🇪 SwedenAskafroa
A Scandinavian tree spirit believed to guard the ash and demand appeasement.Being · Cursing and harm · Protection Legendary
🇲🇽 MexicoWerejaguar
A supernatural figure from Olmec art, blending human and jaguar traits.Being · Power and authority · Speaking with spirits and the dead Legendary
🇷🇺 Russia and 1 moreChuvash dragonВӗрӗҫӗлен
A mythological serpent from Chuvash legends that can fly and breathe fire.Being · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇲🇱 Mali and 4 moreKonrulQonrul
A giant bird of Turkic myth that regenerates and aids heroesBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇩🇪 Germany and 2 moreWitege
A Germanic legendary warrior who shifts from loyal companion to traitor in epic poems.Figure · Power and authority Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanOsakabehime刑部姫
A yōkai spirit said to inhabit Himeji Castle and reveal its fate.Being · Seeing and foretelling Legendary
🇨🇳 ChinaNine-headed bird九頭鳥
A mythical creature from ancient China that became a symbol of deceit.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇳 ChinaBenzhuism本主教
The indigenous patron worship of the Bai people in Yunnan, ChinaTradition · Protection · Healing Living
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan and 2 moreAyaz AtaАяз Ата
A Turkic winter spirit who brings snow and gifts during the cold seasonBeing · Luck and prosperity · Protection Living
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Odontotyrannos: anonymous, London, England, 14th century, Public domain, source
- Keibu Keioiba: Haoreima, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Fengli: Anonymous (1603), Public domain, source
- Korean virgin ghost: 국립국어원, CC BY-SA 2.0 kr, source
- Daejongism: Berghendorf, CC0, source
- Ao Ao: Cowboymax, CC0, source
- Shuihu: Author: b. 1654, Public domain, source
- Samaton: Isabelm-h, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tarand: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
- The Dragon of the North: Ivo Kruusamägi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bevis of Hampton: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Wiedergänger: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Peaches of Immortality: Anonymous ( China ) Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Benzhuism: G41rn8, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nine-headed bird: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Witege: Max Koch, (1859–1930), Public domain, source
- Werejaguar: Ruben Charles, ( http://www.rubencharles.com ), CC BY 2.0, source
- Anchanchu: Arizz4k, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Legio Maria: Comondi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Snallygaster: Tripodero, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Anguane: Elena Alexandrina Bednarik, Public domain, source
- Jasy Jatere: Patty P, Public domain, source
- Vishap: Kulttuurinavigaattori, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dawon: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, source
- Sânziană: Saturnian, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lemminkäinen: Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Public domain, source
- Spiritualist church: Jim.henderson, CC0, source
- Enchanted Moura: Henrique José Teixeira Matos, Public domain, source