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
OccasionWeddings and betrothalFestivalsBirth and childhoodDeath and remembranceHarvest, farming and weatherNew yearInitiation and coming of ageIllness and misfortuneJourneys and voyagesEveryday use
PeopleScottish (remove)
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomGlaistig
A Scottish shape-shifting spirit linked to cattle, deer, and haunted castles.Being 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland and 3 moreChangeling
A substitute left by supernatural beings in place of a stolen human child or adultBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 2 moreMichael Scot
A medieval scholar and astrologer who became a legendary magician in folklore.Figure 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 3 moreMorgause
A legendary queen of Orkney and sister to King Arthur in British mythFigure 路 Power and authority Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomBrowniebr霉naidh
A nocturnal household spirit from Scottish folklore that performs chores in exchange for offerings.Being 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 1 moreBlue men of the Minchna fir ghorma
Mythical blue-skinned spirits of the Scottish strait who challenge sailors to poetry contestsBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomCat-s矛th
A spectral feline from Celtic lore that haunts the Scottish Highlands and guards the dead.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomLoch Ness MonsterUilebheist Loch Nis
A legendary lake creature from the Scottish Highlands, famous for disputed photographs and folk tales.Being 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary
馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland and 1 moreFionn mac CumhaillFionn mac Cumaill
A legendary Irish hero and leader of the Fianna warrior bandFigure 路 Power and authority 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 1 moreWater Horse
A mythical shape-shifter from Celtic and Nordic lore, often linked to lake monsters.Being 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomMoragM貌rag
A Scottish lake monster said to dwell in Loch MorarBeing 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomAm Fear Liath M貌r
A mountain spirit said to haunt the misty peaks of the Scottish CairngormsBeing Legendary
馃嚝馃嚪 France and 3 moreLes Lavandi猫resKannerez-Noz
Supernatural washerwomen who wash shrouds or bloodstained clothes for those about to die.Being 路 Seeing and foretelling Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomMaggy Moulach
A Scottish brownie known for her hair and fierce protection of her kinBeing 路 Power and authority 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚠馃嚜 IrelandDeath coachc贸iste bodhar
A spectral carriage that signals an unavoidable death in European folkloreBelief 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland and 3 moreChangeling
A substitute left by supernatural beings in place of a stolen human child or adultBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 2 moreMichael Scot
A medieval scholar and astrologer who became a legendary magician in folklore.Figure 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 3 moreMorgause
A legendary queen of Orkney and sister to King Arthur in British mythFigure 路 Power and authority Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomBrowniebr霉naidh
A nocturnal household spirit from Scottish folklore that performs chores in exchange for offerings.Being 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 1 moreBlue men of the Minchna fir ghorma
Mythical blue-skinned spirits of the Scottish strait who challenge sailors to poetry contestsBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomCat-s矛th
A spectral feline from Celtic lore that haunts the Scottish Highlands and guards the dead.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomLoch Ness MonsterUilebheist Loch Nis
A legendary lake creature from the Scottish Highlands, famous for disputed photographs and folk tales.Being 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary
馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland and 1 moreFionn mac CumhaillFionn mac Cumaill
A legendary Irish hero and leader of the Fianna warrior bandFigure 路 Power and authority 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 1 moreWater Horse
A mythical shape-shifter from Celtic and Nordic lore, often linked to lake monsters.Being 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomMoragM貌rag
A Scottish lake monster said to dwell in Loch MorarBeing 路 Wonder and entertainment Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomAm Fear Liath M貌r
A mountain spirit said to haunt the misty peaks of the Scottish CairngormsBeing Legendary
馃嚝馃嚪 France and 3 moreLes Lavandi猫resKannerez-Noz
Supernatural washerwomen who wash shrouds or bloodstained clothes for those about to die.Being 路 Seeing and foretelling Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomMaggy Moulach
A Scottish brownie known for her hair and fierce protection of her kinBeing 路 Power and authority 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚠馃嚜 IrelandDeath coachc贸iste bodhar
A spectral carriage that signals an unavoidable death in European folkloreBelief 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.
- Changeling: Henry Fuseli, Public domain, source
- Michael Scot: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Morgause: H. S. Campbell, Public domain, source
- Brownie: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Loch Ness Monster: StaraBlazkova at Czech Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fionn mac Cumhaill: Ary Scheffer / Formerly attributed to Anne-Louis Girodet, Public domain, source
- Water Horse: Theodor Kittelsen, Public domain, source
- Blue men of the Minch: Lord P in the Commons 17:16, 17 June 2007 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Am Fear Liath M貌r: Richard Webb, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Les Lavandi猫res: Jean-脡douard Dargent, Public domain, source
- Cat-s矛th: John D. Batten, Public domain, source