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. 822 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 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 137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 115馃嚪馃嚫 Serbia 37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 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
馃嚦馃嚧 NorwayTycho Brahe daysTycho Brahes-dage
Scandinavian folklore dates believed to be unlucky for magic and businessBelief 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚝馃嚠 Finland and 1 moreFrog coffin
A Finnish folk magic burial of a frog in a tiny coffin to steal luck or reflect harmRite 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden脜rsg氓ng
An archaic Swedish divination ritual performed on Christmas Eve to glimpse the coming year.Rite 路 Seeing and foretelling Historical
馃嚝馃嚪 FrancePetit AlbertSecrets merveilleux de la magie naturelle et cabalistique du petit Albert
An 18th-century French grimoire of natural and cabalistic magic sold to rural householdsText 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
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
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 1 moreElder Mother
A guardian spirit of elder trees in English and Scandinavian folkloreBeing 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm 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
馃嚪馃嚭 RussiaAugust curse
A Russian belief that severe disasters and national tragedies cluster in the month of August.Belief Living
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 3 moreOdinic Rite
A UK-based Heathen group that restricts membership to people of European ancestry.Tradition 路 Power and authority 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
馃嚜馃嚫 Spain and 3 moreJewish heraldry
Heraldic achievements used by Jewish communities in Europe and abroadTradition 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚛馃嚜 Germany and 1 moreCromniomancy
Divination by onions to reveal health, love, weather and distant newsOracle 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Love and attraction Historical
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyIn bocca al lupo
An Italian idiom wishing good luck by invoking danger, with a response asking for the wolf's death.Belief 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomShoes on a table
A superstition that placing footwear on a table invites bad luck or disrespectBelief 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚝馃嚠 FinlandEti盲inen
A Finnish belief in a premonitory apparition that precedes a person's arrivalBelief 路 Seeing and foretelling Living
馃嚪馃嚭 RussiaAiy袗泄褘褘 (Ay谋谋)
Benevolent spirits of the Upper World in Yakut mythologyBeing 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚦馃嚧 NorwayBergen rune charm
A four-sided wooden stick with runic verses for love and protection from medieval Norway.Charm 路 Love and attraction 路 Protection Historical
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
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomFairy FlagA' Bhratach Sh矛th
A tattered silk heirloom of Clan MacLeod, said to hold fairy magic and ancient power.Charm 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚨馃嚤 PolandLucky Jew呕yd z pieni膮偶kiem
A Polish figurine of a Jewish man with a coin, used as a talisman for financial fortune.Charm 路 Luck and prosperity Living
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
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 2 moreBesom胁械薪懈泻
A twig broom used for sweeping, folk magic, and fire responseCharm 路 Protection 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomHobgoblin
A household spirit from English folklore known for chores and mischiefBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚛馃嚜 GermanyFeldgeist
German folk creatures tied to crops, weather and harvest ritualsBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomBuccabocka
A Cornish sea-spirit and mine-dweller who receives fish offerings from coastal communities.Being 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 1 moreBogle
A Northumbrian and Scots household spirit or ghost known for perplexing people.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚛馃嚜 Germany and 3 moreKlabautermann
A North Sea ship kobold that aids sailors and signals a vessel's doom.Being 路 Protection 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚪馃嚫 Serbia and 2 moreBibiBibijako Dive
A Romani holiday honoring a protective aunt figure for family and children's healthRite 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚞馃嚪 GreeceMinoan sealstones
Carved gemstones and amulets from Bronze Age Crete used for identification and ritualCharm 路 Protection 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚜馃嚫 Spain and 2 moreHoly ChaliceSanto C谩liz
A cup believed to have held the blood of Jesus at the Last SupperCharm 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚤馃嚬 LithuaniaLazdeika the CrabKrabas Lazdeika
A rainbow crab used as an oracle to predict basketball match outcomes in Lithuania.Oracle 路 Seeing and foretelling Historical
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
馃嚝馃嚠 Finland and 2 moreSaint Knut's Daytjugondag jul; nuutinp盲iv盲
A January festival ending the Christmas season with tree removal and traditional visits.Rite 路 Cleansing and purification Living
馃嚫馃嚜 SwedenSigtuna rib
A runic bone amulet from medieval Sweden bearing a spell against diseaseCharm 路 Healing Historical
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyTredesin de Mars
A Milanese spring celebration marked by a flower fair and a legendary stoneTradition 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚨馃嚬 PortugalAngel of PortugalAnjo de Portugal
A guardian spirit of Portugal, celebrated on June 10 and linked to the F谩tima visions.Being 路 Protection 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚨馃嚤 Poland and 4 moreMorana袦芯褉械薪邪
A Slavic goddess of winter and death, whose effigy is drowned to welcome springFigure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 1 moreDried cat
A dried feline body hidden in walls to protect a home from harmCharm 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomChained Oak
A Staffordshire oak bound in chains by a local legend of a curse and an earl.Belief 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.
- Jewish heraldry: Consulta Araldica, 1868, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hobgoblin: Herbert Railton, Public domain, source
- Feldgeist: Zwoelefant, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bucca: Frederick Whymper, Public domain, source
- Klabautermann: Anton von Werner, Public domain, source
- Drude: Ramessos, Public domain, source
- Morana: Marta Malina Moraczewska, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chained Oak: Gary Rogers, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Sailors' superstitions: Siren Painter (eponymous vase), Public domain, source
- Petit Albert: Albertus Parvus Lucius, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Troll cross: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Minoan sealstones: Andree Stephan, CC BY 3.0, source
- Holy Chalice: Vitold Muratov, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dried cat: The Voice of Hassocks, CC0, source
- Bergen rune charm: Bengt A. Lundberg, CC BY 2.5, source
- Fairy Flag: Otter, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Besom: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Cox_(artist), Public domain, source
- Indalo: Ismael Olea, Public domain, source
- Sigtuna rib: Swedish National Heritage Board, CC BY 4.0, source
- Wedding superstitions: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Angel of Portugal: Daderot, Public domain, source
- Lucky Jew: Silar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bibi: Andrija12345678, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tredesin de Mars: A ntv, Public domain, source