Results for "evil spirit"
39 entries found.
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreKolamகோலம்
A daily geometric floor drawing made with rice flour at the home entrance in South IndiaTradition · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇦🇺 AustraliaMokoi
An evil spirit in Yolngu mythology that kills sorcerers and kidnaps childrenBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇵🇭 PhilippinesAswang
A shape-shifting monster from Philippine folklore that preys on humans.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇳🇬 Nigeria and 4 moreJuju
A West African spiritual belief system involving charms and ritualsTradition · Healing · Luck and prosperity Living
🇺🇸 United StatesDeliverance ministry
A Christian practice to remove evil spirits believed to cause personal afflictionRite · Cursing and harm · Cleansing and purification Living
🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreJangseung장승
Wooden or stone poles that guard Korean villages and temples from evil spiritsTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreAdder stone
A naturally perforated stone used as a protective talisman in European folkloreCharm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreConcealed shoes
Shoes hidden in building structures as folk charms for protection and fertilityCharm · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreKnocking on wood
A gesture of tapping wood to ward off bad luck or prevent tempting fateBelief · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇯🇵 JapanSetsubun節分
A Japanese seasonal rite to drive away bad luck and welcome spring with roasted beansRite · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇩🇪 Germany and 7 moreWalpurgis NightWalpurgisnacht
A spring vigil marking the eve of Saint Walpurga's feast day with bonfires and student festivalsRite · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇹🇿 TanzaniaPopobawa
A shapeshifting spirit of Zanzibar blamed for night attacks and mass panicBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreSt John's Eve
A Christian vigil marked by bonfires and plant gathering on the summer solstice eveRite · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇬🇧 United KingdomWitch ball
A glass sphere hung in windows to trap spirits and ward off evilCharm · Protection Historical
🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 5 moreKukeriкукери
A costumed ritual in Bulgaria to chase away evil spirits and welcome springRite · Protection · Cursing and harm Living
🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the CongoKindoki
A belief in spirit possession that leads to abuse and abandonment in the Congo regionBelief · Cursing and harm Living
🇨🇳 ChinaPixiu貔貅
A winged Chinese creature that guards wealth and wards off evil spiritsFigure · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇯🇵 JapanHamaya破魔矢
A blunt arrow given at shrines to ward off evil and secure good luck for the new yearCharm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreCoin-sword辟邪劍 (bì xié jiàn)
A Chinese numismatic talisman made of cash coins strung on a rod to ward off evil spiritsCharm · Protection Living
🇷🇺 Russia and 1 moreUnclean forceнечисть
A Slavic term for evil spirits and the undead that inhabit the natural worldBelief · Cursing and harm Historical
🇻🇳 Vietnam and 2 moreVietnamese numismatic charmsBùa Việt Nam
Coin-shaped charms used for protection, luck, and ritual in Vietnamese cultureCharm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇦🇿 AzerbaijanBastyBasdı
A group of evil spirits and goblins from Turkic folklore in Anatolia.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreLock charms家锁 / 锁片 (jiā suǒ / suǒ piàn)
A Chinese metal pendant shaped like a lock to protect children from harm and death.Charm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreLei Ting curse charm符咒钱
A numismatic charm invoking the thunder god to banish evil spirits.Charm · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical
🇵🇾 Paraguay and 2 moreKurupiCurupí
A Guaraní forest spirit known for his elongated phallus and role as a protector or abductor.Being · Protection · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreMogwai魔鬼
A Chinese term for demons and evil spirits, borrowed from Sanskrit lore through Buddhism.Being · Cursing and harm Historical
🇬🇷 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
🇯🇵 JapanAkuma悪魔（あくま）
An evil spirit in Japanese folklore, later used for Satan in ChristianityBeing · Cursing and harm Historical
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreNuo folk religion傩 (Nuó)
A Chinese exorcistic tradition using wooden masks and ancestor worship to drive away malevolent forcesTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇨🇱 Chile and 1 moreCuerotrülke wekufü
An aquatic creature from Mapuche and Chilote myth that drags victims into the depths.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇳 ChinaPixiu貔貅
A winged lion-like creature from Chinese lore that guards wealth and wards off evil spirits.Being · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇺🇦 Ukraine and 5 moreBullroarer
A wooden slat on a string that produces a roaring sound for ritual and communication.Tradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇨🇱 Chile and 3 moreGualichu
An evil spirit feared in Mapuche and Tehuelche traditions, and a word for bad luckBeing · Cursing and harm Historical
🇬🇷 Greece and 3 moreExorcist
A religious specialist who performs rites to remove alleged demonic possession from people or places.Tradition · Cursing and harm · Cleansing and purification Living
🇮🇳 IndiaHenjunaha and LairoulembiHensunaha Lailoulempi
A Meitei epic of lovers who die and return from the underworld through devotion.Figure · Love and attraction Legendary
🇪🇬 EgyptMenatmnj.t
A beaded necklace and rattle linked to Hathor for protection and luck in ancient EgyptCharm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical
🇬🇱 GreenlandIdlirvirissong
A sky spirit who tests the dead with a dance and punishes laughter by disembowelling them.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomLantern man
A ghost light of the English fens said to lure victims into the marshesBelief · Cursing and harm Historical
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreDried cat
A dried feline body hidden in walls to protect a home from harmCharm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Kolam: mckaysavage, CC BY 2.0, source
- Obake: Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞), Public domain, source
- Tagalog religion: The original uploader was Rodsan18 at English Wikipedia . ( Original t, CC BY 2.5, source
- Kurupi: FrankOWeaver, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hamaya: Tomomarusan, CC BY 2.5, source
- Knocking on wood: The White House, Public domain, source
- Setsubun: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Walpurgis Night: Luis Ricardo Falero, Public domain, source
- Unclean force: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Lei Ting curse charm: Donald_Trung, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Witch ball: John W. Schulze, CC BY 2.0, source
- Kukeri: Nenko Lazarov, CC BY 2.5, source
- Pixiu: Sol lc, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Jangseung: Yoshiaki Sano, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Exorcism: Francisco Goya, Public domain, source
- Adder stone: Ansgar Koreng, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
- Vietnamese numismatic charms: Jean-Michel Moullec, CC BY 2.0, source
- Cacodemon: Louis Le Breton, Public domain, source
- Mogwai: Gisling, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Nuo folk religion: Wikiwikiyarou, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pixiu: N509FZ, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Menat: Anagoria, CC BY 3.0, source
- Concealed shoes: Edmund Patrick, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Coin-sword: Etnografiska museet, CC BY 2.5, source
- St John's Eve: Jules Breton, Public domain, source
- Lock charms: Scott Semans World Coins (CoinCoin.com)., CC BY 3.0, source
- Juju: ILN Staff, after special artist correspondent Mr Harries F.R.G.S., Public domain, source
- Dried cat: The Voice of Hassocks, CC0, source