Historical practices
Documented in the past; no continuous living tradition today.
- Living
- Revived
- Fading
- Historical
- Legendary
- Performed
RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
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
馃嚜馃嚫 SpainGeomantic figures
Sixteen four-line symbols used in geomancy to interpret questions through elemental and astrological correspondences.Oracle 路 Seeing and foretelling Historical
馃嚤馃嚬 Lithuania and 2 moreEgl臈 the Queen of SerpentsEgl臈 啪al膷i懦 karalien臈
A Lithuanian folk tale about a woman who marries a serpent king and turns her family into trees.Figure 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 5 moreFiredrakeognennyi zmei
A European dragon myth born from sightings of shooting stars and will-o'-the-wispsBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚤馃嚬 Lithuania and 3 moreThe Swan Queen
A Lithuanian fairy tale about a bird maiden who becomes human and returns to the skyFigure 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚫馃嚜 SwedenGlemminge stone
A Viking Age runestone in Sweden bearing a Younger Futhark inscription and a curse.Text 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚨馃嚤 Poland and 1 moreTwardowski's Mirror
A cracked Renaissance mirror linked to the legend of a magical alchemistCharm 路 Power and authority Historical
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
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 5 moreVeles袙械谢械褋
A Slavic chthonic deity of cattle, the underworld, and oathsBeing 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyOmen (ancient Rome)omen
A sign in ancient Rome believed to reveal the future, good or bad.Belief 路 Seeing and foretelling Historical
馃嚠馃嚫 IcelandSowilo
The s-rune representing the sun in Germanic writing systemsText 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚛馃嚜 Germany and 5 moreYellow badgeJudenstern
A marked garment worn by Jews under laws of distinction and humiliation across centuries.Charm 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚫馃嚜 SwedenStentoften Runestone
A seventh-century Swedish stone inscribed with a curse and harvest blessings in Proto-NorseText 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚝馃嚠 Finland and 2 moreTiet盲j盲
A traditional Finnic healer and sage whose power came from memorised spells and deep knowledge.Figure 路 Healing 路 Protection Historical
馃嚫馃嚲 Syria and 5 moreInsufflation
A ritual breath used in Christian rites to drive out evil or invite the spirit.Rite 路 Protection 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
馃嚠馃嚤 Israel and 1 moreMagical motto
A chosen name used by occultists to separate their spiritual identity from their everyday life.Belief 路 Power and authority Historical
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
馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden and 4 moreSun cross
A cross inside a circle found in prehistoric art and modern political symbolsBelief 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚨馃嚤 Poland and 1 moreKarze艂ek小泻邪褉斜薪懈泻, 袣谢邪写械薪械褑
A Slavic mine spirit that guards treasures and guides miners.Being 路 Protection 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚠馃嚫 Iceland and 1 moreUr (rune)
A runic character representing the aurochs or cold rain in Germanic alphabetsText 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚫馃嚜 SwedenSigtuna rib
A runic bone amulet from medieval Sweden bearing a spell against diseaseCharm 路 Healing 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
馃嚨馃嚤 PolandFrankenstein town gravediggers scandal
A 1606 witchcraft trial in Silesia that may have inspired Mary Shelley's novelBelief 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚝馃嚪 France and 1 moreDogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie
A foundational treatise on ritual magic by 脡liphas L茅vi, structured around the tarot.Text 路 Power and authority 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚞馃嚪 Greece and 3 morePalladium
A sacred image or object believed to guarantee the safety of a city or nationCharm 路 Protection Historical
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 1 moreAstral body
A subtle vehicle of emotion and dream said to travel beyond the physical formBelief 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Change and initiation Historical
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyAngitia
A Sabine and Roman goddess of healing and snake magic in central ItalyBeing 路 Healing 路 Power and authority 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
馃嚛馃嚜 Germany and 1 moreReligious aspects of Nazism
The study of how Nazi ideology borrowed religious forms and esoteric beliefs to build a political movement.Tradition 路 Power and authority 路 Cursing and harm 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
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyMazap茅gul
A mischievous elf of Romagna with a red cap that steals sleep and braids horse manesBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚜馃嚫 SpainHuman sacrifice in the ancient Iberian Peninsula
Ancient ritual killings by Lusitanian and Vetton peoples for divination and warRite 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚚馃嚟 SwitzerlandArbatel de magia veterum
A 1575 Swiss grimoire focused on celestial spirits and Christian ethicsText 路 Power and authority 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyDe Umbris Idearum
A 1582 treatise by Giordano Bruno on memory, magic and philosophyText 路 Power and authority 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomSpring-heeled Jack
A Victorian phantom known for leaping over walls and breathing fire.Figure 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚛馃嚜 GermanyThule SocietyThule-Gesellschaft
A German occult group that sponsored the early Nazi party and promoted racial mysticism.Tradition 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚞馃嚪 GreeceTrophonius韦蟻慰蠁蠋谓喂慰蟼
A Greek hero turned subterranean oracle god at LebadeaFigure 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceMagonia
A cloud realm of aerial sailors blamed for hail and stolen grain in medieval EuropeBelief 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
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
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 1 moreDevil's Footprints
A 1855 English mystery of hoof-like tracks appearing across snow-covered landscapesBelief 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚞馃嚪 Greece and 2 moreClassical elements
Ancient theories that explain all matter as combinations of earth, water, fire, air, and aetherBelief 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚠馃嚫 Iceland and 3 moreRune poem
Proverbial verses used to memorize the names and order of runic lettersText 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden and 1 moreStalloSt谩llu
A large, clumsy creature from S谩mi folklore that eats people and is often outwitted by humans.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚪馃嚧 RomaniaUria葯
Giants in Romanian folklore, known by regional names and linked to landscape features.Being Historical
馃嚞馃嚪 Greece and 2 moreDione螖喂蠋谓畏
An ancient Greek oracular goddess and Titaness, mother of Aphrodite.Being 路 Seeing and foretelling Historical
馃嚜馃嚫 SpainLiber Ignium
A medieval Latin manuscript containing recipes for incendiary weapons and chemicals.Text 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚛馃嚜 GermanyAlgiz
A runic letter representing a terminal sound and later symbols of life and deathText Historical
馃嚤馃嚬 Lithuania and 2 moreEgl臈 the Queen of SerpentsEgl臈 啪al膷i懦 karalien臈
A Lithuanian folk tale about a woman who marries a serpent king and turns her family into trees.Figure 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 5 moreFiredrakeognennyi zmei
A European dragon myth born from sightings of shooting stars and will-o'-the-wispsBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚤馃嚬 Lithuania and 3 moreThe Swan Queen
A Lithuanian fairy tale about a bird maiden who becomes human and returns to the skyFigure 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚫馃嚜 SwedenGlemminge stone
A Viking Age runestone in Sweden bearing a Younger Futhark inscription and a curse.Text 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚨馃嚤 Poland and 1 moreTwardowski's Mirror
A cracked Renaissance mirror linked to the legend of a magical alchemistCharm 路 Power and authority Historical
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
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 5 moreVeles袙械谢械褋
A Slavic chthonic deity of cattle, the underworld, and oathsBeing 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyOmen (ancient Rome)omen
A sign in ancient Rome believed to reveal the future, good or bad.Belief 路 Seeing and foretelling Historical
馃嚠馃嚫 IcelandSowilo
The s-rune representing the sun in Germanic writing systemsText 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚛馃嚜 Germany and 5 moreYellow badgeJudenstern
A marked garment worn by Jews under laws of distinction and humiliation across centuries.Charm 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚫馃嚜 SwedenStentoften Runestone
A seventh-century Swedish stone inscribed with a curse and harvest blessings in Proto-NorseText 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚝馃嚠 Finland and 2 moreTiet盲j盲
A traditional Finnic healer and sage whose power came from memorised spells and deep knowledge.Figure 路 Healing 路 Protection Historical
馃嚫馃嚲 Syria and 5 moreInsufflation
A ritual breath used in Christian rites to drive out evil or invite the spirit.Rite 路 Protection 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
馃嚠馃嚤 Israel and 1 moreMagical motto
A chosen name used by occultists to separate their spiritual identity from their everyday life.Belief 路 Power and authority Historical
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
馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden and 4 moreSun cross
A cross inside a circle found in prehistoric art and modern political symbolsBelief 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚨馃嚤 Poland and 1 moreKarze艂ek小泻邪褉斜薪懈泻, 袣谢邪写械薪械褑
A Slavic mine spirit that guards treasures and guides miners.Being 路 Protection 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚠馃嚫 Iceland and 1 moreUr (rune)
A runic character representing the aurochs or cold rain in Germanic alphabetsText 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚫馃嚜 SwedenSigtuna rib
A runic bone amulet from medieval Sweden bearing a spell against diseaseCharm 路 Healing 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
馃嚨馃嚤 PolandFrankenstein town gravediggers scandal
A 1606 witchcraft trial in Silesia that may have inspired Mary Shelley's novelBelief 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚝馃嚪 France and 1 moreDogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie
A foundational treatise on ritual magic by 脡liphas L茅vi, structured around the tarot.Text 路 Power and authority 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚞馃嚪 Greece and 3 morePalladium
A sacred image or object believed to guarantee the safety of a city or nationCharm 路 Protection Historical
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 1 moreAstral body
A subtle vehicle of emotion and dream said to travel beyond the physical formBelief 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Change and initiation Historical
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyAngitia
A Sabine and Roman goddess of healing and snake magic in central ItalyBeing 路 Healing 路 Power and authority 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
馃嚛馃嚜 Germany and 1 moreReligious aspects of Nazism
The study of how Nazi ideology borrowed religious forms and esoteric beliefs to build a political movement.Tradition 路 Power and authority 路 Cursing and harm 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
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyMazap茅gul
A mischievous elf of Romagna with a red cap that steals sleep and braids horse manesBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚜馃嚫 SpainHuman sacrifice in the ancient Iberian Peninsula
Ancient ritual killings by Lusitanian and Vetton peoples for divination and warRite 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚚馃嚟 SwitzerlandArbatel de magia veterum
A 1575 Swiss grimoire focused on celestial spirits and Christian ethicsText 路 Power and authority 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyDe Umbris Idearum
A 1582 treatise by Giordano Bruno on memory, magic and philosophyText 路 Power and authority 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomSpring-heeled Jack
A Victorian phantom known for leaping over walls and breathing fire.Figure 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚛馃嚜 GermanyThule SocietyThule-Gesellschaft
A German occult group that sponsored the early Nazi party and promoted racial mysticism.Tradition 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚞馃嚪 GreeceTrophonius韦蟻慰蠁蠋谓喂慰蟼
A Greek hero turned subterranean oracle god at LebadeaFigure 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceMagonia
A cloud realm of aerial sailors blamed for hail and stolen grain in medieval EuropeBelief 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
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
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 1 moreDevil's Footprints
A 1855 English mystery of hoof-like tracks appearing across snow-covered landscapesBelief 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚞馃嚪 Greece and 2 moreClassical elements
Ancient theories that explain all matter as combinations of earth, water, fire, air, and aetherBelief 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚠馃嚫 Iceland and 3 moreRune poem
Proverbial verses used to memorize the names and order of runic lettersText 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden and 1 moreStalloSt谩llu
A large, clumsy creature from S谩mi folklore that eats people and is often outwitted by humans.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚪馃嚧 RomaniaUria葯
Giants in Romanian folklore, known by regional names and linked to landscape features.Being Historical
馃嚞馃嚪 Greece and 2 moreDione螖喂蠋谓畏
An ancient Greek oracular goddess and Titaness, mother of Aphrodite.Being 路 Seeing and foretelling Historical
馃嚜馃嚫 SpainLiber Ignium
A medieval Latin manuscript containing recipes for incendiary weapons and chemicals.Text 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚛馃嚜 GermanyAlgiz
A runic letter representing a terminal sound and later symbols of life and deathText Historical
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Glemminge stone: Jorchr, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Stallo: John Bauer, Public domain, source
- Angitia: Marica Massaro, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Classical elements: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Devil's Footprints: John Good, Public domain, source
- Hobgoblin: Herbert Railton, Public domain, source
- Spring-heeled Jack: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Feldgeist: Zwoelefant, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bucca: Frederick Whymper, Public domain, source
- Astral body: Rad el Baluvar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Palladium: Marie-Lan Nguyen ( Jastrow ), Public domain, source
- Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie: Eliphas Levi, Public domain, source
- Frankenstein town gravediggers scandal: Jacek Halicki, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, source
- Klabautermann: Anton von Werner, Public domain, source
- Karze艂ek: Krystian Hasterok, CC BY 2.5, source
- Tiet盲j盲: Robert Wilhelm Ekman, Public domain, source
- Egl臈 the Queen of Serpents: Huw, CC BY 2.0, source
- Firedrake: Ramesh Kumar R, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Stentoften Runestone: Sendelbach ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ur (rune): RexCrudelissimus, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Algiz: Arolsen Archives, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Fairy Flag: Otter, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Veles: Andrey Shishkin, CC BY 3.0, source
- Sun cross: National Museum of Denmark, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sigtuna rib: Swedish National Heritage Board, CC BY 4.0, source
- Rune poem: Tollef Salemann, CC0, source
- Religious aspects of Nazism: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
- Dione: Phidias, CC BY 2.5, source
- Yellow badge: Edited version of original photo by Rama, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Human sacrifice in the ancient Iberian Peninsula: Manuel Parada L贸pez de Corselas User:Manuel de Corselas ARS SUMMUM, Ce, Public domain, source