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
🇦🇹 Austria and 3 moreSalige Frau
A blissful Alpine spirit who guides farmers and guards mountain gameFigure · Protection · Healing Legendary
🇨🇳 ChinaInterconnected-arm gibbon通臂猿
A mythical primate with linked arms that can extend one limb by pulling in the other.Figure · Power and authority 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
🇫🇷 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
🇬🇧 United KingdomTom Hickathrift
A legendary giant-slayer of East Anglian folklore with prodigious strengthFigure Legendary
🇳🇿 New ZealandMaero
A wild supernatural people of New Zealand forests and mountainsBeing · Cursing and harm 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
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreAiravataऐरावत
A pristine white mythic elephant that carries the king of gods and controls the rains.Being · Power and authority · Protection Legendary
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreBalakבָּלָק
A biblical king who sought a sorcerer's curse against the IsraelitesFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇱 GreenlandIdlirvirissong
A sky spirit who tests the dead with a dance and punishes laughter by disembowelling them.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇺🇸 United StatesBell Witch
A Tennessee legend of a shapeshifting spirit that tormented the Bell family in the early nineteenth century.Being · Cursing and harm 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
🇦🇱 AlbaniaLjubi
A multi-headed water demon from Albanian folklore linked to storms and sacrificeBeing · Cursing and harm 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
🇯🇵 JapanŌnyūdō大僧正
A giant monk spirit in Japanese folklore, ranging from helpful helpers to menacing shadows.Being · Cursing and harm · Healing Legendary
🇮🇱 IsraelAdne Sadehאַדְנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה
A wild humanoid from Jewish folklore tethered to the earth by its navelBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇨🇳 ChinaHuodou祸斗
A fire-spitting dog from southern Chinese folklore that signals disasterBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇳 ChinaNine-Eared Hound九耳犬
A legendary dog from Leizhou Peninsula mythology that predicts prey and discovers the Thunder GodBeing · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanMakuragaeshi枕返し
A Japanese spirit that flips pillows and turns sleepers upside downBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanAzukibabaaあずきばばあ
A Japanese yōkai that mimics the sound of red beans to lure or frighten peopleBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanHitotsume-nyūdō独眼僧
A one-eyed Japanese monk spirit from folklore and legendBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreBake-danuki化け狸
A shape-shifting raccoon dog spirit from Japanese folklore known for pranks and illusions.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanIkuchiゐくち
A legendary sea serpent from Japanese folklore that leaves oil on shipsBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanAmorōnagu天降女子
A celestial maiden from Japanese folklore who descends to Earth for love or soulsFigure · Love and attraction 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
🇮🇳 IndiaHingchabiꯍꯤꯡꯆꯥꯕꯤ
A giantess figure from Meitei folklore who feeds on raw fleshBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanNyūdō-bōzu入道坊主
A Japanese yokai that grows taller when stared at and can kill or vanish depending on the responseBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇵🇭 PhilippinesMarukos
A crossroads demon in Ilocano folklore that drowns wayward travelers.Figure · 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
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreFlying Africans
A legend of enslaved people returning to Africa by magic flightFigure · Cursing and harm · Speaking with spirits and the dead Legendary
🇵🇭 PhilippinesBatibat
A tree-dwelling demon that causes sleep paralysis and nightmares in Philippine folkloreBeing · 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
🇨🇱 ChilePincoya
A Chilotan sea spirit whose dance predicts the catch of fish and seafood.Being · Luck and prosperity · Power and authority Legendary
🇫🇮 FinlandAjatar
An evil female spirit of Finnish folklore associated with serpents and diseaseFigure · 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
🇲🇳 MongoliaAlmaz
A feral forest spirit from the North Caucasus with magical hair and a split nature.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreScyllaΣκύλλα
A sea monster from Greek tales who guards a perilous passage and devours sailors.Being · 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
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreFiery flying serpentשָׂרָף מְעוֹפֵף (sārāf mə‘ōfēf)
A biblical creature described as a venomous winged snake in the Book of IsaiahFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇳 ChinaAo鰲
A colossal sea turtle of Chinese myth whose legs support the skyBeing · Protection · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainGatipedro
A horned cat from Galicia that makes children wet their bedsFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇳 ChinaChang伥
A Chinese ghost enslaved by a tiger to lure new victimsBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇹 ItalyCacus
A fire-breathing giant of Roman myth who stole cattle and was slain by HerculesBeing · 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.
- Ao: David Jackson, CC BY-SA 2.0 uk, source
- Xana: John William Waterhouse, Public domain, source
- Scylla: Unknown artist, Public domain, source
- Pincoya: Paul Lowry, CC BY 2.0, source
- Flying Africans: Matthew T Rader, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hecate: Henryk Siemiradzki, Public domain, source
- Centauride: John La Farge, Public domain, source
- Sebile: tony_57, CC BY 3.0, source
- Salige Frau: various, Public domain, source
- Interconnected-arm gibbon: Xuande Emperor, Public domain, source
- Tom Hickathrift: John D. Batten, Public domain, source
- Bödvar Bjarki: Louis Moe, Public domain, source
- Airavata: Unknown, India, Rajasthan, Amber, South Asia, Public domain, source
- Balak: Philip De Vere, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bell Witch: Unknown author, 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
- Nine-Eared Hound: User:Vmenkov, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bake-danuki: Poposhka at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Hitotsume-nyūdō: Kashiwa Seiho (柏正甫), Public domain, source
- Looking taboo: ArchaiOptix, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hingchabi: Bemni, N, CC0, source
- Haymon: Hafelekar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fiery flying serpent: דוד דוד.. Original uploader was Androctonus at he.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gatipedro: Dende, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cacus: William Blake, Public domain, source