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
🇪🇬 Egypt and 1 moreSphinx
A mythical hybrid with a human head and lion body, serving as guardian or riddler in Egyptian and Greek traditions.Being · Protection · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇮🇱 IsraelWitch of Endorאֵ֥שֶׁת בַּֽעֲלַת־אֹ֖וב בְּעֵ֥ין דֹּֽור
A biblical spirit-diviner summoned by King Saul to consult the prophet Samuel.Figure · Speaking with spirits and the dead Legendary
🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 5 morePrester John
A legendary Christian king and priest said to rule a lost kingdom in the East.Figure · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreDivدیو
Monstrous creatures of Persian and West Asian lore, later adapted into Islamic and regional mythologiesBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇦🇿 AzerbaijanBastyBasdı
A group of evil spirits and goblins from Turkic folklore in Anatolia.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreDragon
A serpentine mythical creature found in global folklore and art, representing power, chaos, or imperial authority.Being · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇪🇬 EgyptSerpopard
A mythical hybrid creature with a serpent-like neck and feline body from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.Being · Protection · Power and authority Legendary
🇯🇵 Japan and 3 moreBahamutبهموت
A cosmic fish or bull that supports the earth in medieval Islamic cosmographyBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇱🇾 Libya and 4 moreHeadless men
A legendary race of people described as lacking heads or having facial features on their chest.Being · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇮🇷 IranAzhdahaاژدها
A winged serpent from Iranian myth and literature, often linked to the dragon archetype.Being · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇪🇬 Egypt and 2 moreHybrid beasts in folklore
Creatures made of animal and human parts found in myths and ancient artBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreSolomon's shamirשָׁמִיר
A legendary worm or stone used to carve stone without iron toolsBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇸🇾 Syria and 1 moreLotan𐎍𐎚𐎐 (LTN)
A coiled sea serpent defeated by a storm god in Ugaritic mythBeing Legendary
🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreRahabרַהַב
A Hebrew mythic sea monster and symbol of chaos, later used as a poetic name for Egypt.Being · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇸🇾 SyriaOdontotyrannosόδοντοτύραννος
A mythical three-horned beast from Alexander the Great's Indian campaignsFigure Legendary
🇮🇷 IranArzhang Divارژنگ دیو
A demon chief in Persian epic who is defeated by the hero RostamFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇷 IranAkvan Divاکوان دیو
A shape-shifting demon from Persian mythology that disguises itself as a wild horse.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇸🇾 SyriaEchidnaΈχιδνα
A half-woman, half-snake monster in Greek myth who mothered many famous beastsBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇸🇾 SyriaAscusἌσκος
A Greek giant flayed by Hermes after chaining DionysusBeing Legendary
🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreTanninתַּנִּין
A sea monster of chaos in Canaanite and Hebrew myth, later a symbol for Egypt and Babylon.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇱 IsraelAdne Sadehאַדְנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה
A wild humanoid from Jewish folklore tethered to the earth by its navelBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreBalakבָּלָק
A biblical king who sought a sorcerer's curse against the IsraelitesFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇾 CyprusPyraustaπυραλλίς
A Cypriot mythic insect said to live within fire itselfBeing Legendary
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreFiery flying serpentשָׂרָף מְעוֹפֵף (sārāf mə‘ōfēf)
A biblical creature described as a venomous winged snake in the Book of IsaiahFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreBabr-e Bayanبَبْرِ بَیان
A legendary armor worn by the Iranian hero Rostam, said to be made from a dragon's skin.Figure · Protection · Power and authority Legendary
🇸🇾 Syria and 1 moreHumbaba
A Mesopotamian giant who guarded the cedar forest and faced the hero GilgameshBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇾🇪 Yemen and 2 moreQueen of Shebaמַלְכַּת שְׁבָא (Hebrew), ملكة سبأ (Arabic), ንግሥተ ሳባ (Geʽez)
A legendary queen from ancient Arabia or Ethiopia who visited King Solomon.Figure Legendary
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Rabisu: editor Austen Henry Layard , drawing by L. Gruner, Public domain, source
- Odontotyrannos: anonymous, London, England, 14th century, Public domain, source
- Sphinx: Ipipipourax, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Div: Unknown Calligrapher, Public domain, source
- Witch of Endor: Adam Elsheimer / John Kay, CC BY 4.0, source
- Dragon: Katsushika Hokusai, Public domain, source
- Serpopard: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Headless men: Hartmann Schedel (1440-1514), Public domain, source
- Azhdaha: Andersen, H. C. (Hans Christian), 1805-1875, Dugald Stewart Walker (18, Public domain, source
- Solomon's shamir: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eberhard_Werner_Happel, Public domain, source
- Arzhang Div: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Echidna: Daderot, Public domain, source
- Tannin: Zakariya al-Qazwini, Public domain, source
- Hybrid beasts in folklore: Peter Schmelzle, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Balak: Philip De Vere, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Prester John: Diogo Homem, Public domain, source
- Leviathan: Gustave Doré, Public domain, source
- Fiery flying serpent: דוד דוד.. Original uploader was Androctonus at he.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Queen of Sheba: Jacopo Tintoretto, Public domain, source