Magic in Europe
Cunning folk and grimoires, alchemy, runes and seidr, the fairy faith, the witch trials, and the folk calendar of fire and fertility. 828 entries on EveryJaadu so far.
Places of magic
London 18Paris 18Delphi 13Athens 12Cairo 5Dodona 5Edinburgh 4Krak贸w 4Olympia 4Praeneste 4Prague 4Amsterdam 3Bamberg 3Capitoline Hill 3Cumae 3Dartmoor 3Egyptian Hall 3Eleusis 3Logro帽o 3Lyon 3Milan 3New York 3Quebec 3Santiago de Compostela 3Trier 3Val Camonica 3Veii 3Vilnius 3W眉rzburg 3York 3
Rites of the region
Midsummer and St John's Eve herbs and firesWalpurgis Night and May Day firesSamhain and Halloween divination gamesFirst-footing at HogmanayWitch bottleKnocking on wood and horseshoe customsThe Sator squareIcelandic galdrastafirMalocchio removal with oil and waterMatiasma and ftou ftou
Countries
馃嚘馃嚤 Albania 30馃嚘馃嚛 Andorra 1馃嚘馃嚬 Austria 33馃嚙馃嚲 Belarus 21馃嚙馃嚜 Belgium 11馃嚙馃嚘 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4馃嚙馃嚞 Bulgaria 37馃嚟馃嚪 Croatia 16馃嚚馃嚳 Czech Republic 14馃嚜馃嚜 Estonia 28馃嚝馃嚠 Finland 38馃嚝馃嚪 France 157馃嚛馃嚜 Germany 136馃嚞馃嚪 Greece 135馃嚟馃嚭 Hungary 14馃嚠馃嚫 Iceland 47馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland 104馃嚠馃嚬 Italy 138馃嚱馃嚢 Kosovo 5馃嚤馃嚮 Latvia 10馃嚤馃嚬 Lithuania 20馃嚤馃嚭 Luxembourg 2馃嚥馃嚬 Malta 2馃嚥馃嚛 Moldova 4馃嚥馃嚜 Montenegro 4馃嚦馃嚤 Netherlands 32馃嚥馃嚢 North Macedonia 6馃嚦馃嚧 Norway 44馃嚨馃嚤 Poland 44馃嚨馃嚬 Portugal 17馃嚪馃嚧 Romania 42馃嚪馃嚭 Russia 117馃嚪馃嚫 Serbia 37馃嚫馃嚢 Slovakia 4馃嚫馃嚠 Slovenia 7馃嚜馃嚫 Spain 76馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden 85馃嚚馃嚟 Switzerland 30馃嚭馃嚘 Ukraine 25馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom 231馃嚮馃嚘 Vatican City 1
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
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 1 moreLikho袥懈褏芯
A Slavic spirit of bad luck and misfortune, often depicted as a one-eyed creature.Being 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 3 moreLeshy谢械褕懈泄
A forest spirit from Slavic folklore who guards the woods and misleads travelers.Being 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 1 moreMoroi
A Romanian phantom that drains the living, linked to strigoi and unbaptised infants.Figure 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 3 moreVodyanoy胁芯写褟薪芯泄
A water spirit of Slavic folklore that dwells in rivers and lakesBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚠馃嚬 Italy and 5 moreFig sign
A hand gesture used to ward off the evil eye or as an insult in many culturesBelief 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚙馃嚞 Bulgaria and 5 moreKukeri泻褍泻械褉懈
A costumed ritual in Bulgaria to chase away evil spirits and welcome springRite 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚠馃嚫 IcelandGaldrab贸k
An Icelandic grimoire of spells and staves from around 1600Text 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomWitch bottle (sample)
A stoppered bottle set out against curses.Charm 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomPuck
A mischievous domestic sprite of English folklore known for practical jokes and household choresBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚪馃嚭 RussiaBlack magic
Magic used for evil or selfish purposes, and the beliefs surrounding itBelief 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyBadaliscBadalisch
A mythical goat-headed creature from the Italian Alps, captured and mocked during Epiphany celebrations.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚠馃嚬 Italy and 5 moreEuropean witchcraft
Historical beliefs in harmful magic and the resulting trials across EuropeBelief 路 Cursing and harm 路 Protection Historical
馃嚦馃嚧 Norway and 1 moreTroll cat
A familiar spirit in Nordic folklore blamed for stealing milk and cream from farmsBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚟馃嚭 HungaryCurse of TuranTur谩ni 谩tok
A Hungarian belief that a historic spell causes national misfortune and personal despairBelief 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland and 5 moreSeventh son of a seventh son
A folklore belief that birth order grants supernatural healing or cursed powersBelief 路 Healing 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚠馃嚫 IcelandRau冒skinna
A legendary Icelandic grimoire said to grant mastery over dark forces.Text 路 Power and authority 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 2 moreSolomonari葮olomonar
A Romanian weather wizard who rides a dragon and controls the storms.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 1 moreUnclean force薪械褔懈褋褌褜
A Slavic term for evil spirits and the undead that inhabit the natural worldBelief 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomWirry-cow
A Scottish folk figure representing a frightening object or spiritBeing 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚨馃嚤 Poland and 1 moreDydko
A Polish folk creature evolved from a Slavic house demon into a night-time scarecrow.Being 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚞馃嚪 GreeceWitchcraft in ancient Greece and Rome
Ancient beliefs and practices of magic, curses, and love charms in the Mediterranean worldTradition 路 Cursing and harm 路 Love and attraction Historical
馃嚠馃嚬 Italy and 1 moreShamanism in Europe
Scholarly theories on shamanic elements in European folk beliefs and witch trialsTradition 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚚馃嚟 Switzerland and 3 moreTatzelwurm
A cat-headed lizard of the Alps, said to guard mines and drink cow milk.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚘馃嚤 Albania and 4 moreDhampir
A half-vampire figure from Balkan folklore who hunts the undeadBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚚馃嚟 Switzerland and 2 moreOrder of the Solar TempleOrdre du Temple solaire
A neo-Templar new religious movement responsible for mass deaths in the 1990s.Tradition 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 3 moreChort褔褢褉褌
A Slavic demon spirit with horns and hooves, known in folklore as a trickster or minor evil force.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden and 5 moreLindwormlindorm
A serpentine dragon of Northern and Central European folklore, often depicted as limbless or winged.Being 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 2 moreStrix蟽蟿蟻委尉
A classical bird of ill omen that evolved into a term for witches and vampires across Europe.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 5 moreBalaur
A many-headed dragon from Romanian folklore that guards treasures and controls the weather.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Legendary
馃嚘馃嚤 Albania and 3 moreKulshedra
A multi-headed serpent demon in Albanian folklore that controls storms and droughts.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 4 moreFiery serpents芯谐薪械薪薪褘泄 蟹屑械泄
A pan-Slavic spirit of fire and wind, seen as a demon or a household helperBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚨馃嚤 Poland and 3 moreStrzyga
A female demon in Polish folklore, linked to owls and vampiric traitsBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Protection Historical
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 1 moreBabay袘邪斜邪泄
A night spirit in Slavic folklore used to frighten children into sleepingFigure 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 2 moreZmeu
A humanoid dragon from Romanian folklore that kidnaps maidens and steals treasures.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Love and attraction Legendary
馃嚞馃嚪 GreeceGello螕蔚位位蠋
A Greek demon of infancy and a class of beings blamed for infant death.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Protection Historical
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 2 moreJenny Greenteeth
A river-hag from English folklore used to warn children away from dangerous watersFigure 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomBoobrie
A shapeshifting loch monster from Scottish folklore that preys on livestock and horses.Being 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚪馃嚭 RussiaShishiga褕懈褕懈谐邪
A female swamp spirit of Russian and Komi folklore that brings misfortune and death.Being 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚠馃嚬 Italy and 1 moreCola Pesce
An Italian merman legend about a boy cursed by his mother to live in the seaFigure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Seeing and foretelling Historical
馃嚨馃嚤 PolandTopielec
A Slavic water spirit of the drowned dead that pulls victims into lakes.Being 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden and 1 moreSkogsr氓
A forest spirit in Swedish folklore who appears as a beautiful woman but hides a hollow back and animal feet.Being 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚛馃嚜 Germany and 3 moreWiederg盲nger
A German term for a revenant or ghost that returns to the world of the living.Being 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 1 moreLikhoradka袥懈褏芯褉邪写泻邪
A fever spirit in Slavic myth who brings illness and sicknessBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚪馃嚧 RomaniaC膬pc膬un
A Romanian ogre with a dog head known for kidnapping children and eating peopleBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚫馃嚜 SwedenAskafroa
A Scandinavian tree spirit believed to guard the ash and demand appeasement.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Protection Legendary
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceYan-gant-y-tan
A Breton demon who carries five candles and is said to bring bad luck.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚝馃嚪 France and 1 moreDusios
A Gaulish spirit type later classified as an incubus demon by early Christian writersBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚛馃嚜 Germany and 4 moreNight ravennattravn
A nocturnal creature of European folklore, feared as a child-stealer or seen as a ghost in bird form.Being 路 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.
- Boobrie: Ole Worm - Olaus Wormius, Public domain, source
- Black magic: https://www.flickr.com/photos/eliogarcia/ (nick in flickr:creo que soy, CC BY 2.0, source
- Order of the Solar Temple: George Stock derivative work: thumperward ( talk ), Public domain, source
- Badalisc: Luca Giarelli, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- European witchcraft: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, source
- Unclean force: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Likho: Mhapon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Leshy: 螕蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Vodyanoy: Ivan Bilibin, Public domain, source
- Fig sign: Harald the Bard, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kukeri: Nenko Lazarov, CC BY 2.5, source
- Tatzelwurm: Abrasax, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
- Lindworm: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Strix: Prosthetic Head, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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
- Gello: Filippino Lippi, Public domain, source
- Jenny Greenteeth: Jayan.thanal, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Skogsr氓: Gunnar Creutz (Achird), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Wiederg盲nger: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Yan-gant-y-tan: Louis Le Breton, Public domain, source
- Night raven: Kim Diaz Holm (den unge herr Holm), CC BY 4.0, source
- Dusios: Eric Hunt, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Puck: Joseph Noel Paton, Public domain, source
- Witchcraft in ancient Greece and Rome: Wilhelm Tischbein, Public domain, source
- Chort: Unknown author, Public domain, source