All entries
2,216 entries so far, best known first. 3,111 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
🇦🇲 ArmeniaVishapվիշապ
A water dragon of Armenian myth linked to storms and the sunBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇷🇺 Russia and 1 moreChuvash dragonВӗрӗҫӗлен
A mythological serpent from Chuvash legends that can fly and breathe fire.Being · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandGancanaghgean cánach
A male Irish fairy known for seducing women and tricking humans.Being · Cursing and harm · Love and attraction Legendary
🇵🇹 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
🇮🇹 ItalySquasc
A small, tawny creature from Eastern Lombardy folklore that frightens children and plays jokes on young girlsBeing · Cursing and harm · Wonder and entertainment 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
🇬🇧 United KingdomLlamhigyn y Dŵr
A winged frog-like creature blamed for harm to fishermen and livestock in Welsh folkloreBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇺 Russia and 2 moreSupernatural beings in Slavic religion
Mythic entities of nature, death, and fate in Slavic folklore and belief.Being · Protection · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandLeabharcham
A nurse in the Ulster Cycle who raised Deirdre and delivered a tragic verdictFigure Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandDevil Whale
A giant sea creature mistaken for an island that drags sailors to the deepBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreSea Swine
A mythical sea creature depicted with dragon feet and a navel eye in early mapsFigure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇮🇸 IcelandHjúki and Bil
A brother and sister pair from Norse mythology who follow the Moon across the skyFigure Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandLúin of CeltcharLúin Celtchair
A fiery Irish spear that burned its wielder unless quenched in bloodCharm · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreMinoan Genius
A composite creature from Bronze Age Crete, often shown as a libation bearer or sacrificial attendant.Being · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Legendary
🇱🇹 Lithuania and 1 moreAšvieniai
Twin horse deities of Baltic mythology who pull the sun chariotBeing · Protection Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomNanny Rutt
A cautionary figure from Lincolnshire folklore who lures girls into the woodsFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇫🇷 France and 1 moreSebile
A medieval enchantress who evolved from a classical prophetess into an Arthurian fairy queenFigure · Love and attraction · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇦🇱 AlbaniaLjubi
A multi-headed water demon from Albanian folklore linked to storms and sacrificeBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceAloadaeἈλωάδαι (Aloadai)
Twin giants of Thessaly who challenged the gods and built mountains to reach Olympus.Being Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandSleih beggey
Manx fairies and little people of the Isle of ManBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇺 RussiaMeduzaМедуза
A Russian mythic figure with a woman's head and a serpent body, linked to trickery.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomTom Thumb
A tiny English folk hero who outwits giants and serves King ArthurFigure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇦🇹 Austria and 3 moreSalige Frau
A blissful Alpine spirit who guides farmers and guards mountain gameFigure · Protection · Healing Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandDeath coachcóiste bodhar
A spectral carriage that signals an unavoidable death in European folkloreBelief · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇷 GreecePolemosΠόλεμος
A Greek spirit of war and the personification of conflictBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomTom Hickathrift
A legendary giant-slayer of East Anglian folklore with prodigious strengthFigure Legendary
🇳🇴 Norway and 1 moreBödvar BjarkiBöðvarr Bjarki
A Norse hero who fights as a bear and appears in legends of King Hrolf KrakiFigure · Power and authority Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceCentaurideΚενταυρίδε (Kentauride)
A female centaur from Greek mythology, depicted in art and literature as a hybrid of woman and horse.Being · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomPiers Shonks
A legendary knight who slew a dragon and cheated the Devil in HertfordshireFigure · Cursing and harm · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceEurynomosΕὐρύνομος
An ancient Greek underworld spirit said to strip corpses down to bone.Being Legendary
🇷🇸 Serbia and 1 moreVampire pumpkins and watermelons
A Balkan folk tale about ground fruit that turns into vampires.Belief · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇸🇪 SwedenYsätters-Kajsa
A wind-troll from Swedish folklore who danced with the gales of NärkeFigure · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreScyllaΣκύλλα
A sea monster from Greek tales who guards a perilous passage and devours sailors.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇯🇵 Japan and 5 moreMythic humanoids
Creatures that blend human and animal traits across global folkloreBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanLooking taboo
A mythic rule forbidding a gaze that would bring disasterBelief · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇴 RomaniaMuma Pădurii
A forest spirit in Romania who protects nature and punishes those who harm itBeing · Protection · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainXana
A water spirit of Asturian myth who offers treasures or madness to those who hear her song.Being · Luck and prosperity · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇦🇹 AustriaHaymon
A legendary giant of Tyrol who founded a monastery and defeated local spiritsFigure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇫🇮 FinlandFirefoxtulikettu
A mythical Finnish fox whose tail sparks the northern lightsBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇫🇮 FinlandAjatar
An evil female spirit of Finnish folklore associated with serpents and diseaseFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇦🇱 AlbaniaXhindi
Invisible spirits in Albanian mythology that appear at night and may help or harm.Being · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇮🇹 ItalySatyress
A female mythological creature with a human upper body and goat lower half, invented by later artists.Figure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainGatipedro
A horned cat from Galicia that makes children wet their bedsFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇹 ItalyCacus
A fire-breathing giant of Roman myth who stole cattle and was slain by HerculesBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇦🇹 AustriaThyrsus
A Tyrolean giant from legend, associated with healing shale oil and a fatal duel.Figure Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandChildren of LirOidheadh chloinne Lir
An Irish myth about four siblings transformed into swans by a jealous stepmotherFigure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 1 moreIspolinисполин
A legendary giant from Bulgarian folklore, said to be the second generation of Earth's inhabitants.Figure Legendary
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Children of Lir: John Duncan, Public domain, source
- Satyress: art_traveller, CC BY-SA 2.0 uk, source
- Xana: John William Waterhouse, Public domain, source
- Scylla: Unknown artist, Public domain, source
- Hecate: Henryk Siemiradzki, Public domain, source
- Centauride: John La Farge, Public domain, source
- Sebile: tony_57, CC BY 3.0, source
- Ašvieniai: Wojsyl , 2005, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Devil Whale: Edmund Dulac, Public domain, source
- Lúin of Celtchar: Harold Robert Millar, Public domain, source
- Sea Swine: Jacob van Maerlant, Public domain, source
- Aloadae: No machine-readable author provided. Antars~commonswiki assumed (based, Public domain, source
- Tom Thumb: Leutemann or Offterdinger , photo by Harke, Public domain, source
- Salige Frau: various, Public domain, source
- Tom Hickathrift: John D. Batten, Public domain, source
- Bödvar Bjarki: Louis Moe, Public domain, source
- Piers Shonks: William Blyth Gerish, Public domain, source
- Vampire pumpkins and watermelons: The original uploader was Ke4roh at English Wikipedia ., Public domain, source
- Looking taboo: ArchaiOptix, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Haymon: Hafelekar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gatipedro: Dende, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cacus: William Blake, Public domain, source
- Thyrsus: Mathias Bigge, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Minoan Genius: Zde, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ispolin: Joshua Davis, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Vishap: Kulttuurinavigaattori, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Enchanted Moura: Henrique José Teixeira Matos, Public domain, source
- Supernatural beings in Slavic religion: Bartolomeo Giuliano, CC BY-SA 3.0, source