Legendary practices
Known from myth, story and legend rather than from recorded practice.
- 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
🇯🇵 JapanLooking taboo
A mythic rule forbidding a gaze that would bring disasterBelief · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇱🇹 Lithuania and 1 moreAšvieniai
Twin horse deities of Baltic mythology who pull the sun chariotBeing · Protection Legendary
🇷🇴 RomaniaMuma Pădurii
A forest spirit in Romania who protects nature and punishes those who harm itBeing · Protection · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomNanny Rutt
A cautionary figure from Lincolnshire folklore who lures girls into the woodsFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇦🇹 AustriaHaymon
A legendary giant of Tyrol who founded a monastery and defeated local spiritsFigure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇫🇮 FinlandFirefoxtulikettu
A mythical Finnish fox whose tail sparks the northern lightsBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇫🇷 France and 1 moreSebile
A medieval enchantress who evolved from a classical prophetess into an Arthurian fairy queenFigure · Love and attraction · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇫🇮 FinlandAjatar
An evil female spirit of Finnish folklore associated with serpents and diseaseFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇦🇱 AlbaniaLjubi
A multi-headed water demon from Albanian folklore linked to storms and sacrificeBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomBluecap
A blue flame spirit of English mines that guides miners and warns of dangerBeing · Seeing and foretelling · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainGatipedro
A horned cat from Galicia that makes children wet their bedsFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇹 ItalyCacus
A fire-breathing giant of Roman myth who stole cattle and was slain by HerculesBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇦🇹 AustriaThyrsus
A Tyrolean giant from legend, associated with healing shale oil and a fatal duel.Figure Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceCentaurideΚενταυρίδε (Kentauride)
A female centaur from Greek mythology, depicted in art and literature as a hybrid of woman and horse.Being · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 1 moreIspolinисполин
A legendary giant from Bulgarian folklore, said to be the second generation of Earth's inhabitants.Figure Legendary
🇸🇪 SwedenYsätters-Kajsa
A wind-troll from Swedish folklore who danced with the gales of NärkeFigure · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandCú Chulainn
A legendary Irish warrior hero and demigod of the Ulster CycleFigure · Power and authority Legendary
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreScyllaΣκύλλα
A sea monster from Greek tales who guards a perilous passage and devours sailors.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomCeffyl Dŵr
A Welsh water spirit that takes the form of a horse to test or harm travellers.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainXana
A water spirit of Asturian myth who offers treasures or madness to those who hear her song.Being · Luck and prosperity · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇦🇱 AlbaniaXhindi
Invisible spirits in Albanian mythology that appear at night and may help or harm.Being · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇮🇹 ItalySatyress
A female mythological creature with a human upper body and goat lower half, invented by later artists.Figure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomJoan the Wad
A Cornish pixie queen linked to fire and fortuneFigure · Luck and prosperity · Protection Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandChildren of LirOidheadh chloinne Lir
An Irish myth about four siblings transformed into swans by a jealous stepmotherFigure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇩🇪 GermanyVril Society
A fictional secret society from conspiracy theories about Nazi Germany and occult energy.Belief · Power and authority Legendary
🇷🇴 RomaniaSântoaderi
Supernatural beings in Romanian folklore known for causing illness through music and danceBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇬🇷 GreecePhemonoeΦημονόη
A mythic Greek poet and priestess of Delphi linked to prophecy and verseFigure Legendary
🇬🇷 GreecePasiphaëΠασιφάη
A Cretan queen and solar goddess cursed with lust for a bull, mother of the MinotaurFigure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇬🇷 GreecePhoebeΦοίβη (Phoíbē)
A Titaness of prophecy and the original keeper of the Delphic oracleFigure · Seeing and foretelling Legendary
🇩🇪 GermanyWitte Wiwer
Subterranean spirits of Low German folklore known for music and child exchangeBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreAmphiarausἈμφιάραος
A Greek seer and hero who became a healing oracle after being swallowed by the earth.Figure · Healing · Seeing and foretelling Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceBranchusΒράγχος
A mortal lover of Apollo who became a prophet and founded an oracle cult in ancient Greece.Figure · Seeing and foretelling · Healing Legendary
🇸🇮 SloveniaGiantess of Crngrobajdovska deklica
A Slovene giantess who helped build a church and left a rib as an omenFigure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇫🇷 France and 4 moreRobert the Devil
A medieval legend of a knight born to Satan who seeks redemptionFigure · Cursing and harm · Change and initiation Legendary
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreSwan maiden
A folk motif where a man steals a bird-woman's feather cloak to force marriage.Figure · Love and attraction · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇹 ItalyWinged lion
A mythological creature combining a lion's body with bird wings, used in heraldry and art.Being · Protection · Power and authority Legendary
🇦🇱 AlbaniaStihistihí
A fire-breathing storm demon from Albanian folkloreBeing Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandEllén Trechend
A three-headed creature from Irish myth that terrorized the landBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceHorkosὍρκος
A Greek divine personification of the curse that follows a broken oathFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceMares of DiomedesΔιομήδους ἵπποι
Man-eating horses from Greek myth, captured by Heracles as his eighth labourBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandTír na nÓg
An island realm in Irish myth where time stands still and youth never fadesBelief · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreFiddler's Green
A maritime afterlife of endless music and rest for veteran sailorsBelief · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇬🇧 United KingdomGwragedd Annwngwraig Annwn
Welsh lake fairies linked to the origin of black cattle and the Tylwyth TegBeing Legendary
🇮🇹 ItalyBorda
A blindfolded witch from the Po Valley who drowns children in marshesFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇭🇺 HungaryLidérc
A shape-shifting spirit from Hungarian folklore that brings wealth or illness.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇫🇷 FranceFarfadet
Small helpful spirits of French folklore that perform chores for foodBeing · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainTrenti
A forest goblin from Cantabrian mythology known for pranks and mischiefBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇫🇮 FinlandRahko
A Finnish mythic figure linked to the darkening of the Moon and nightmaresBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Robert the Devil: Gustave Doré, Public domain, source
- Winged lion: Rjcastillo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Giantess of Crngrob: Vid Pogacnik, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Children of Lir: John Duncan, Public domain, source
- Satyress: art_traveller, CC BY-SA 2.0 uk, source
- Xana: John William Waterhouse, Public domain, source
- Scylla: Unknown artist, Public domain, source
- Centauride: John La Farge, Public domain, source
- Sebile: tony_57, CC BY 3.0, source
- Ašvieniai: Wojsyl , 2005, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tír na nÓg: Arthur Rackham, Public domain, source
- Farfadet: User:Mattes, Public domain, source
- Looking taboo: ArchaiOptix, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Haymon: Hafelekar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gatipedro: Dende, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cacus: William Blake, Public domain, source
- Thyrsus: Mathias Bigge, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ispolin: Joshua Davis, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Cú Chulainn: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Leimanbhradain, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Vril Society: John Martin, Public domain, source
- Pasiphaë: ArchaiOptix, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Phoebe: Olivierw, Public domain, source
- Amphiaraus: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Branchus: Francesco Bini, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Swan maiden: Walter Crane, Public domain, source
- Horkos: Furienmeister, Public domain, source
- Mares of Diomedes: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source