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. 830 entries on EveryJaadu so far.
Places of magic
London 18Paris 18Delphi 13Athens 12Cairo 5Dodona 5Edinburgh 4Kraków 4Olympia 4Praeneste 4Prague 4Amsterdam 3Bamberg 3Capitoline Hill 3Cumae 3Dartmoor 3Egyptian Hall 3Eleusis 3Logroño 3Lyon 3Milan 3New York 3Quebec 3Santiago de Compostela 3Trier 3Val Camonica 3Veii 3Vilnius 3Würzburg 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
🇦🇱 Albania 30🇦🇩 Andorra 1🇦🇹 Austria 34🇧🇾 Belarus 21🇧🇪 Belgium 11🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4🇧🇬 Bulgaria 37🇭🇷 Croatia 16🇨🇿 Czech Republic 14🇪🇪 Estonia 28🇫🇮 Finland 38🇫🇷 France 157🇩🇪 Germany 137🇬🇷 Greece 135🇭🇺 Hungary 13🇮🇸 Iceland 47🇮🇪 Ireland 105🇮🇹 Italy 138🇽🇰 Kosovo 5🇱🇻 Latvia 10🇱🇹 Lithuania 20🇱🇺 Luxembourg 2🇲🇹 Malta 2🇲🇩 Moldova 4🇲🇪 Montenegro 4🇳🇱 Netherlands 32🇲🇰 North Macedonia 6🇳🇴 Norway 44🇵🇱 Poland 45🇵🇹 Portugal 17🇷🇴 Romania 42🇷🇺 Russia 117🇷🇸 Serbia 37🇸🇰 Slovakia 4🇸🇮 Slovenia 7🇪🇸 Spain 75🇸🇪 Sweden 85🇨🇭 Switzerland 30🇺🇦 Ukraine 25🇬🇧 United Kingdom 231🇻🇦 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
🇷🇺 Russia and 3 moreChortчёрт
A Slavic demon spirit with horns and hooves, known in folklore as a trickster or minor evil force.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇵🇱 Poland and 1 moreBishop-fish
A legendary sea creature said to gesture like a cleric before vanishingBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇯🇵 Japan and 4 moreHousehold deity
A spirit or minor god believed to guard a home and its family members.Being · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
🇷🇴 Romania and 2 moreStrixστρίξ
A classical bird of ill omen that evolved into a term for witches and vampires across Europe.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇮🇪 IrelandSalmon of KnowledgeAn Bradán Feasa
A mythical fish in Irish folklore that holds all the world's wisdom.Being · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇫🇮 FinlandIku-Turso
A primordial giant and sea monster from Finnish mythologyBeing · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇫🇷 FranceTitivillus
A medieval demon who collects scribal errors and liturgical mistakes in a sack.Being · Cursing and harm Historical
🇦🇲 ArmeniaAralēzարալէզ
Winged dog-like spirits in Armenian mythology that revive fallen heroesBeing · Healing Legendary
🇷🇴 Romania and 5 moreBalaur
A many-headed dragon from Romanian folklore that guards treasures and controls the weather.Being · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanAllocer
A duke of demons in grimoires who teaches sciences and commands legionsBeing · Power and authority Historical
🇪🇸 SpainBasajaun
A hairy forest lord of Basque myth who protects livestock and teaches human skillsBeing · Protection · Power and authority Legendary
🇱🇹 Lithuania and 2 moreLaumaLaumė
A Baltic fairy-like spirit of the sky, weather, and newborn children.Being · Protection · Healing Historical
🇷🇺 RussiaIndrikИндрик-зверь
A legendary Russian beast said to rule all animals from a sacred mountainBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇵🇱 Poland and 3 moreStrzyga
A female demon in Polish folklore, linked to owls and vampiric traitsBeing · Cursing and harm · Protection Historical
🇦🇱 Albania and 3 moreKulshedra
A multi-headed serpent demon in Albanian folklore that controls storms and droughts.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇷🇴 Romania and 2 moreZmeu
A humanoid dragon from Romanian folklore that kidnaps maidens and steals treasures.Being · Cursing and harm · Love and attraction Legendary
🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreFiery serpentsогненный змей
A pan-Slavic spirit of fire and wind, seen as a demon or a household helperBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇪🇸 SpainCatalina Lercaro
A ghost story from Tenerife about a woman who took her own life on her wedding dayBeing Living
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreWater Horse
A mythical shape-shifter from Celtic and Nordic lore, often linked to lake monsters.Being · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreCacodemonκακοδαίμων (kakodaimōn)
An ancient Greek evil spirit, depicted as a horned youth and used in literature and games.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomAm Fear Liath Mòr
A mountain spirit said to haunt the misty peaks of the Scottish CairngormsBeing Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomMoragMòrag
A Scottish lake monster said to dwell in Loch MorarBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceGelloΓελλώ
A Greek demon of infancy and a class of beings blamed for infant death.Being · Cursing and harm · Protection Historical
🇫🇷 FranceTarvos Trigaranus
A Gaulish bull deity depicted with three cranes on a Roman-era Parisian pillarBeing Legendary
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreElwetritschElwedritsch
A chicken-like creature from German folklore that tames the fear of sleep paralysisBeing · Protection Living
🇵🇱 PolandBoginka
Female spirits of wild nature in Polish pagan mythologyBeing · Cursing and harm Historical
🇬🇧 United KingdomBoobrie
A shapeshifting loch monster from Scottish folklore that preys on livestock and horses.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇫🇷 France and 3 moreLes LavandièresKannerez-Noz
Supernatural washerwomen who wash shrouds or bloodstained clothes for those about to die.Being · Seeing and foretelling Legendary
🇩🇪 GermanyBahkauv
A deformed calf-like monster from Aachen folklore that harasses drunk menBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandFar darrigFear Dearg
A solitary Irish faerie known for cruel jokes and the ability to shift sizeBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceCancer (mythology)Καρκίνος
A giant crab from Greek myth that became a zodiac constellationBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainJentilJentilak
Giants of Basque myth linked to ancient stone builders and pre-Christian timesBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainHerensuge
A mythical seven-headed dragon or serpent from Basque legendBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇺 RussiaTriple-headed eagle
A heraldic and mythological bird with three heads, appearing in Russian symbolism and European manuscripts.Being · Power and authority Historical
🇷🇺 RussiaShishigaшишига
A female swamp spirit of Russian and Komi folklore that brings misfortune and death.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇸🇪 Sweden and 1 moreSkogsrå
A forest spirit in Swedish folklore who appears as a beautiful woman but hides a hollow back and animal feet.Being · Luck and prosperity · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainAnjanaanˈhana / an.xa.nɜ
Cantabrian fairies who protect forests and bring gifts to children.Being · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreSaint Michael
A Christian archangel who defends the faithful and weighs soulsBeing · Protection · Cursing and harm Living
🇷🇴 RomaniaZână
A Romanian woodland spirit linked to Diana that guides travelers and blesses children.Being · Protection · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇵🇱 PolandTopielec
A Slavic water spirit of the drowned dead that pulls victims into lakes.Being · Cursing and harm Historical
🇷🇸 SerbiaCikavacцикавац
A winged creature from Serbian folklore that fetches honey and milk for its ownerBeing · Luck and prosperity · Power and authority Legendary
🇷🇺 Russia and 1 moreLikhoradkaЛихорадка
A fever spirit in Slavic myth who brings illness and sicknessBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇺 RussiaMoryanaМоря́на
A female sea spirit in Slavic folklore who controls winds and calms stormsBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainMinairó
Tiny magical beings from the Pyrenees said to build stone piles and work fields.Being · Power and authority Legendary
🇷🇴 RomaniaCăpcăun
A Romanian ogre with a dog head known for kidnapping children and eating peopleBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇺 RussiaHabernitsa
A noon demon of Slavic fields who punishes workers and causes pain.Being · Cursing and harm Historical
🇪🇸 SpainTibicena
A demon of the Guanches, imagined as a black-furred dog with red eyes.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇩🇪 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
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
- Xana: John William Waterhouse, Public domain, source
- Salmon of Knowledge: Man vyi, Public domain, source
- Bishop-fish: photo by Sean Linehan, NOS, NGS National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin, Public domain, source
- Strix: Prosthetic Head, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Iku-Turso: Hugo Simberg, Public domain, source
- Titivillus: Andrewrabbott, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Allocer: Louis Le Breton, Public domain, source
- Basajaun: Airiartmed2, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Strzyga: Filip Gutowski, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kulshedra: Bidgee, CC BY 3.0, source
- Cacodemon: Louis Le Breton, Public domain, source
- Gello: Filippino Lippi, Public domain, source
- Tarvos Trigaranus: Als33120, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Elwetritsch: AnRo0002, CC0, source
- Boginka: Walery Eljasz Radzikowski, Public domain, source
- Cancer (mythology): Diosphos Painter, Public domain, source
- Herensuge: Francisco Tomas Burgui, Public domain, source
- Jentil: Ketari ( http://ketari.nirudia.com/ ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bahkauv: Sascha Faber, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Skogsrå: Gunnar Creutz (Achird), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Wiedergänger: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Water Horse: Theodor Kittelsen, Public domain, source
- Chort: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Lauma: Raki_Man, CC BY 3.0, source
- Household deity: Claus Ableiter, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Saint Michael: Francesco Botticini, Public domain, source
- Am Fear Liath Mòr: Richard Webb, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Les Lavandières: Jean-Édouard Dargent, Public domain, source
- Catalina Lercaro: tivity.es, CC BY 3.0, source
- Triple-headed eagle: Неизвестный автор. (фото обложки сборника: Александр Храмов), Public domain, source