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. 817 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 3New York 3Quebec 3Santiago de Compostela 3Trier 3Val Camonica 3Veii 3Vilnius 3W眉rzburg 3York 3Zugarramurdi 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 29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 135馃嚞馃嚪 Greece 134馃嚟馃嚭 Hungary 14馃嚠馃嚫 Iceland 47馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland 104馃嚠馃嚬 Italy 136馃嚱馃嚢 Kosovo 4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 43馃嚨馃嚬 Portugal 16馃嚪馃嚧 Romania 42馃嚪馃嚭 Russia 115馃嚪馃嚫 Serbia 36馃嚫馃嚢 Slovakia 4馃嚫馃嚠 Slovenia 7馃嚜馃嚫 Spain 75馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden 85馃嚚馃嚟 Switzerland 30馃嚭馃嚘 Ukraine 25馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom 230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
馃嚞馃嚪 Greece and 5 moreBay Laurel未维蠁谓畏
An aromatic Mediterranean plant used in cooking and as a symbol of victory and purification.Substance 路 Protection 路 Cleansing and purification Living
馃嚛馃嚜 Germany and 7 moreWalpurgis NightWalpurgisnacht
A spring vigil marking the eve of Saint Walpurga's feast day with bonfires and student festivalsRite 路 Protection 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomEnglish folklore
The myths, legends, and customs of England passed down through generations.Tradition 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyFortunaFort奴na
The Roman goddess of luck and fate, shown with a wheel and a horn of plentyBeing 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Seeing and foretelling Historical
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 1 moreScottish folkloreBeul-aithris na h-Alba
The myths, creatures and beliefs of the Scottish people, recorded from ancient times to the present.Tradition 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Protection Living
馃嚠馃嚬 Italy and 1 moreMedieval European magic
A broad category of ritual and natural practices in the Middle Ages, blending healing, divination, and religious belief.Tradition 路 Healing 路 Seeing and foretelling Historical
馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland and 1 moreBrigid's crossCros Bhr铆de
A woven straw charm hung for protection, named after Ireland's patron saintCharm 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland and 4 moreWinter solstice
The shortest day and longest night of the year, marked by rites of solar returnTradition 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Protection Living
馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden and 3 moreRunic magic
The use of ancient Germanic letters for spells, divination, and protectionTradition 路 Protection 路 Seeing and foretelling Living
馃嚭馃嚘 Ukraine and 5 moreMugwort褔芯褉薪芯斜懈谢褜 (chorn贸byl')
An aromatic herb used in folk medicine, cooking, and magical protection across Eurasia.Substance 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 5 moreConcealed shoes
Shoes hidden in building structures as folk charms for protection and fertilityCharm 路 Protection 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 4 moreLady MiddayPoludnitsa
A Slavic noon spirit who watches over fields and punishes those who work during the hottest hours.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Protection Historical
馃嚜馃嚫 Spain and 5 moreSt John's Eve
A Christian vigil marked by bonfires and plant gathering on the summer solstice eveRite 路 Protection 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 5 moreVampire folklore
Global legends of blood-drinking spirits and undead revenantsBelief 路 Cursing and harm 路 Protection Historical
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 7 moreSaint Andrew's Day
A Christian feast day marked by national holidays in Scotland and Romania, and folk divination across Europe.Rite 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚞馃嚪 Greece and 5 moreVotive offering
Objects left in sacred places to honor a deity or fulfill a vow, never to be recovered.Tradition 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚞馃嚪 Greece and 2 moreMagic in the Greco-Roman world
Private supernatural practices in ancient Greece and Rome, distinct from public state religion.Tradition 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 4 moreFolk Orthodoxy薪邪褉芯写薪芯械 锌褉邪胁芯褋谢邪胁懈械
A blend of Eastern Orthodox doctrine and pre-Christian pagan beliefs in Slavic communitiesTradition 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland and 5 moreCairn
A human-made stack of stones used as a marker, memorial, or religious symbol across many cultures.Tradition 路 Protection 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 2 moreCaul
A birth membrane kept as a talisman for luck and protection from drowningCharm 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚠馃嚪 Iran and 5 moreKnocking on wood
A gesture of tapping wood to ward off bad luck or prevent tempting fateBelief 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomEvil eye bead (sample)Nazar boncu臒u
A blue glass bead hung to turn aside envy.Charm 路 Protection 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
馃嚠馃嚜 IrelandStatue rubbing
A tourist custom of touching statues to attract luck, love, or a return visit.Belief 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Love and attraction Living
馃嚠馃嚬 Italy and 1 moreKollyra curse tablet
An ancient Greek tablet cursing a thief to suffocation until stolen goods are returned.Text 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚪馃嚫 Serbia and 5 moreWolves in folklore, religion and mythology
A global survey of how cultures view the wolf as symbol, spirit or threatBelief 路 Power and authority 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚡馃嚨 Japan and 4 moreHousehold deity
A spirit or minor god believed to guard a home and its family members.Being 路 Protection 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
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
馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 1 moreS芒nzian膬
Romanian fairies and a summer solstice festival of flowers and magicBeing 路 Protection 路 Love and attraction Living
馃嚜馃嚫 SpainIndalo
A Bronze Age pictograph used as a protective house charm and lucky symbol in Almer铆a, SpainCharm 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 5 moreWedding superstitions
Folk beliefs and omens tied to marriage customs across many culturesBelief 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden and 1 moreTroll crosstrollkors
A carved or bent iron sigil used in Sweden and Norway to ward off harmful magic and creatures.Charm 路 Protection Revived
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 5 moreSailors' superstitions
A global collection of omens, charms and taboos used by mariners to manage the risks of life at seaBelief 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚚馃嚟 SwitzerlandSegen
A German term for blessing, charm, or spell rooted in Christian and folk traditions.Belief 路 Protection 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceTempestarii
Medieval figures accused of controlling storms and the beliefs surrounding them.Belief 路 Cursing and harm 路 Protection Historical
馃嚘馃嚥 Armenia and 5 moreSpilling water for luck
A folk custom of pouring water to wish a traveler or worker a smooth journeyBelief 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Protection Living
馃嚛馃嚜 Germany and 3 moreDrude
A Germanic nightmare spirit and the pentagram charm used to keep it outBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Protection Historical
馃嚞馃嚪 GreeceDaimon未伪委渭蠅谓
A Greek spirit or divine force that mediates between gods and humansBeing 路 Protection 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
馃嚙馃嚞 Bulgaria and 5 moreApocryphal prayer
A folk prayer text blending church forms with apocrypha and incantations for protection and healingText 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚠馃嚜 IrelandLatoon fairy bush
A whitethorn tree in County Clare saved from a motorway by folkloric warnings of misfortuneBelief 路 Protection Living
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Fortuna: Charles Samuel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Amniomancy: JC Brand, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- European witchcraft: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, source
- Knocking on wood: The White House, Public domain, source
- Bay Laurel: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, source
- Walpurgis Night: Luis Ricardo Falero, Public domain, source
- Jiangshi: Dick Thomas Johnson, CC BY 2.0, source
- English folklore: J. R. Skelton, Public domain, source
- Fig sign: Harald the Bard, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Medieval European magic: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Imbolc: Culnacreann, CC BY 3.0, source
- Statue rubbing: Matthias Rosenkranz, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Winter solstice: Image by Przemyslaw " Blueshade " Idzkiewicz, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Wolves in folklore, religion and mythology: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Gello: Filippino Lippi, Public domain, source
- Mugwort: Prahlad balaji, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Drude: Ramessos, Public domain, source
- Concealed shoes: Edmund Patrick, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lady Midday: 袙褨褖褍薪, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Daimon: Fran莽ois-Andr茅 Vincent, Public domain, source
- Sailors' superstitions: Siren Painter (eponymous vase), Public domain, source
- St John's Eve: Jules Breton, Public domain, source
- Saint Andrew's Day: Henryk Siemiradzki, Public domain, source
- Troll cross: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Household deity: Claus Ableiter, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Votive offering: Walter J. Pilsak, Waldsassen ( W.J.Pilsak at de.wikipedia ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Magic in the Greco-Roman world: ArchaiOptix, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Folk Orthodoxy: 袥芯斜邪褔械胁 袙谢邪写懈屑懈褉, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cairn: Andrew Bossi, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Indalo: Ismael Olea, Public domain, source
- Wedding superstitions: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
- S芒nzian膬: Saturnian, CC BY-SA 3.0, source