recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Ganaskidi

**Also known as:** Ghanaskidi

**Origin:** Navajo

**Classification:** Yei

Ganaskidi is the name of the Navajo deity who leads a group of spirits called the Ganaskidi. They are spirits of abundance and the harvest. Ganaskidi literally means “humpback.” Images of the Ganaskidi seen as pictographs or petro-glyphs sometimes resemble the more ubiquitous Kokopelli. Both Kokopelli and Ganaskidi have close associations with precipitation and mountain sheep.

The hump on Ganaskidi’s back is actually a cloud sack loaded with mist, rainbows, and produce, especially corn. The cloud bag is so heavy, Ganaskidi must lean over and brace himself with a staff. Ganaskidi appears in ancient canyon petroglyphs, modern Navajo carpet motifs, and as a sacred mask. There is a famous 1905 photograph by Edward S. Curtis of a Navajo man wearing a Ganaskidi mask.

Take good care of those mountain sheep! Anyone may be a spirit in disguise.

**Manifestation:** Ganaskidi manifest in their classic image but also in the form of Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.

**Iconography:** Ganaskidi wears a crown formed from a basket ornamented with eagle feathers, so as to resemble the sun’s rays emerging from behind a cloud. His head may be crowned with ram’s horns instead, in which case the solar ray-like feathers may emanate from his hump.

**See Also:** Yei

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Harpies

*The Snatchers*

**Origin:** Greece

The Harpies are winged bird women, similar to spirits like the Sirens, Russian magical bird spirits, and Lilith. Their name has developed negative connotations. A “harpy” is an unrelenting, nagging, shrewish woman. The Harpies are now frequently classified as monsters but they are really spirits of vengeance, death, and justice in the employ of Zeus. Known as the Hounds of Zeus, he assigns them tasks of punishment.

In their most famous myth, the Harpies mercilessly plagued Phineus until Jason’s Argonauts rescued him. Phineus, once King of Thrace and a prophet, prophesied a little too well, aggravating Zeus, who blinded him and sent the Harpies to punish him. Every day just as Phineus sat down to eat, the Harpies swooped down from the sky, stealing and befouling his food. (Imagine a picnic attacked by aggressive swarming gulls.)

The Harpies are death goddesses. Those who disappeared at sea were described as snatched by the Harpies. Archaeologist Marija Gimbutas theorized that their origins lie in Old European/Anatolian vulture goddesses. The number of Harpies is variable. This is the standard list although there may be more Harpies, too:

* Aello (Aellopus): “wind-foot”
* Okypete (Okypode, Okythoe): “swift-footed”
* Podarge: “fleet-footed”

**Manifestation:** The Harpies are winged women with birdlike talons rather than fingers. In early depictions, they are beautiful if fierce. Only later would they be portrayed as consistently monstrous and terrifying.

The Harpy Podarge, raped by Zephyr, gave birth to the immortal horses Balios and Xantho, similar to Medusa, whose liaison with Poseidon resulted in the winged-horse Pegasus.

**Spirit ally:** Their sister, Iris

**Realm:** Allegedly when not flying around, the Harpies live deep beneath Crete.

**See Also:** Erinyes; Iris; Lilith; Medusa; Poseidon; Sirens; Sirin; Zephyr; Zeus

## Appearance in Modern Media

From Blood BrothersFrom Kamihime ProjectFrom Shin Megami TenseiFrom Brave FrontierFrom Rage of BahamutFrom Age of Ishtaria
## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Hazel Tree

The hazel tree is one of powerful magic, according to ancient beliefs. Hermes’ caduceus, a gift from Apollo, was made of hazel. The early Roman naturalist, Pliny, wrote of how to use hazel wands for divining underground springs. The rod of Moses was cut from a hazel tree by Adam in the Garden of Eden. Moses and Aaron used hazel rods to bring plagues into Egypt. In the fourth century, St. Patrick is said to have rid Ireland of snakes by drawing them together with a magic hazel rod and then casting them into the sea.

Hazel wood and hazelnuts are believed to offer protection against witchcraft, demons and fairy bewitchment. Hazel breastbands on harnesses have been used to protect horses. In Ireland, the hazel is a symbol of great mystical wisdom. Cattle are singed with hazel rods at Beltane and Midsummer fires in order to keep fairies away. In Scotland, double hazel nuts are thrown at witches.

Hazel nuts also have been used in the casting of spells. In some areas, picking hazel nuts on a Sunday is believed to summon the Devil to appear. Hazelnuts are gathered in traditional fall fertility rites in some parts of England.
Duna

**Also known as:** Baleri

**Origin:** Hausa

**Classification:** Bori

Duna belongs to the Seventh House of Bori spirits. He and his sorceress wife, Ladi Mayya, have three children:

* Kure the Hyena, their eldest son
* Manzo Maye, who lives with Ladi Mayya’s parents in the Twelfth House of Sorcerers
* Ciwo Babu Magani, “Illness with No Medicine,” who is the second wife of Dan Galadima

Duna is a master archer; his specialty is shooting women so that they are unable to bear live children. Duna’s arrows cause miscarriage and stillbirth.

Duna is a nocturnal spirit, a frequent visitor in human dreams. He prefers to visit people and communicate with them via nightmares rather than ritual possession.

**Manifestation:** Duna is described as standing like a hyena; long black monkey fur hangs from his face.

**Color:** Black

**See Also:** Dan Galadima; Kure

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Caointeach

The Keener

The Caointeach of the Western Highlands is a Scottish equivalent of Ireland’s Banshee. She is attached to a clan who comes to mourn prior to a death, hence serving as a harbinger. She is usually heard crying, weeping, and wailing several days before a death in the family. She keens, a word related to her name, the ancient Celtic mode of mourning. Like the Banshee, the Caointeach is a psychopomp, a spirit who provides escort service to the world beyond.

Clans and families associated with the Caointeach include the Curries, Duffies, MacDonalds, Macmillans, Mackays, Macfarlanes, Mathisons, and Shaws. The Caointeach of Clan MacDonald was heard to wail for several nights prior to the Massacre at Glencoe in 1692.

**Also known as:** Caoineag

**Manifestation:** In general, the Caointeach is heard, not seen; she is described as child-sized and wearing a green shawl or dress.

**See Also:** Banshee; Cyhyraeth; Psychopomp

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Ex-voto

An *ex-voto* is an object used to request or fulfil a vow. The term derives from the Latin phrase meaning "from a vow." (Another Roman term used to indicate votive offerings was *donaria*, related to *donation*.)

Ex-votos come in several traditional forms. Typical votive offerings include:

* Votive plaques describing miracles, as, for example, the modern retablo
* Small images or charms

The most common modern ex-votos are the small, anatomically shaped charms known as *milgaros* (miracles), most commonly tiny metal arms, legs, eyes, or other body parts. The word *ex-voto* is now sometimes used synonymously with *retablo* or *milagro*.

During the Middle Ages, ex-votos, including what would now be called *milagros*, were mass-produced from materials including metals, wood, stone, clay, wax, and bread dough. Later on, paper ex-votos became popular. Fabric has also intermittently been used. Some ex-votos are still mass-produced, but they are also very easily handcrafted. Forms and possibilities are endless.

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Ezili Ge Rouge

*Red Eyed Ezili*

**Also known as:** Ezili Je Wouge

Ezili Ge Rouge is the shadow side of Ezili Dantor. They may or may not be the same spirit. Allegedly the most volatile and dangerous Ezili, she is the reckless, fearless spirit who fought during Haiti’s war for independence. She is inarticulate. She can’t verbalize her rage. The men whom she fought beside didn’t trust her to keep their secrets, and so they cut out her tongue. Alternatively, technically she has the capacity for speech, but she’s so livid with rage, words no longer flow from her mouth. She’s past the point of speaking. Ezili Ge Rouge is invoked in the most desperate situations. She is too angry to be afraid of anything.

**Color:** Red

**Offerings:** Rum laced with gunpowder

**See Also:** Ezili; Ezili Dantor; Ezili La Flambeau

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Djab

**Origin:** Haiti

Djab are mercenary spirits: spirits for hire. Each Djab is an independent contractor who can be paid or bribed to do magical work for you. (The word Djah is singular and plural.) Theoretically they can be compelled, too, but that course of action is not advised. Eventually, inevitably, the Djab will turn the tables.

Djab are invoked in rituals and spells to perform magical work on behalf of the spell-caster. Typically, they’re invoked in aggressive, less savory spells—spell-work that other spirits will refuse. If safer spirits would participate in such spells (usually those that cause harm to others or that make others do what they do not wish), then no one would invoke Djab.

Djab is a corruption of Diable, French for “devil,” but the Djab are not necessarily diabolical. Some are scary and unpleasant; others are just exceptionally independent. There may not be one clear-cut, precise definition for Djab, if only because each may manifest a little differently. They make up their own rules. Although potentially dangerous spirits who are willing to do malevolent work from which other spirits may shy, Djab also serve as guardians if so requested, aggressive bodyguards willing to search out and destroy enemies. Djab are sometimes invoked to serve justice when it will otherwise not be found.

Some Djab are affiliated with a person or family who may or may not be able to exert control over the Djab. Others are wild, autonomous spirits who play by no rules other than their own.

Exactly like an independent contractor, they must be paid per job and they can be very aggressive about collections, to the point where they can be described as loan sharks. Should one find oneself in trouble with Djab, whether by one’s own devices or via someone else’s malicious magic, preventive and safety measures do exist, but they must be performed by experienced practitioners.

**See Also:** Baka; Lwa

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Hachiman

**Also known as:** Yawata

**Classification:** Kami, Bosatsu

**Pantheon**: Shinto

**Title**: Lord of the Eight Banners

Hachiman the Divine Warrior is the patron, guardian, and defender of Japan. In his past life, he was Emperor Ojin, son of Empress Jingu. Mother, son, and Ojin’s wife, Himegami, are venerated together as a triad at Hachimangu shrines. Hachiman may or may not also be Bishamon in disguise. Hachiman transcends boundaries: he is venerated at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Originally a shamanic spirit, he became patron of the Minamoto Clan and was revered by samurai and peasants alike.

**Favoured people:** Soldiers, warriors, archers, the Japanese

**Iconography:** Hachiman is usually depicted in the guise of a Buddhist monk.

**Bird:** Dove

**Number:** 8

**Sacred sites:** There are thousands of Hachiman shrines (Hachimangu) including:

* Usa Shrine in Usa
* Todaisi Temple in Nara
* Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine in Kamakura
* Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine in Yawata
* Tomioko Hachiman Shrine in Tokyo

**See Also:** Bishamon; Bosatsu; Empress Jingu; Kami

## Smite Lore

War. It is an inevitable truth of Gods and Men. Harbinger of death and misery, of orphans and widows, of safety. It can be brutal and bloody, lacking all mercy, stripping away humanity, leaving only violent souls. Some believe war is about more than victory, some believe it is how that victory is won. That a warrior can be honourable, can treat his enemies with respect, that he can retain his humanity. When there is war to be fought, this is the kind of warrior Hachiman teaches.

Pregnant with her unborn son, Hachiman, the Empress Jingu led a fierce campaign against the forces that slew her husband. Fearing her child's birth would slow the army's advance, she tied bandages about her belly and held him within for 3 years, until the war was done. Each day, she prayed she would not lose the child, that he would be born strong. That he would be a God. As 8 banners descended from heaven, heralding his birth, her prayers were answered.

Hachiman embodies all a warrior should be. Temperate but fearless. Deadly not ruthless. Respectful, to enemies and allies alike. He understands that war cannot be stopped, so he teaches how war should be.

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Gestinana

*The Mother Vine of Heaven; Lady of the Wilderness; Lady of the Underworld*

**Also known as:** Ama-Gestin-Anna; Belili; Belit Seri; Geshtinana

**Origin:** Sumeria

In the myth of Inanna’s descent into the realm of death, Gestinana appears to have little importance other than as Dumuzi’s self-sacrificing sister. She was, however, a sacred goddess in her own right, once widely venerated thorough Mesopotamia. She is the Goddess of the Grapevine, Lady of Intoxicants.

Gestinana initially tried to hide Dumuzi from the Demons sent to escort him to Death, refusing to reveal his location even when tortured. When a friend of Dumuzi betrayed him to the Demons, Gestinana negotiated so that she could alternate with her brother, taking his place in Hell for half the year. While living in the Realm of Death, Gestinana serves as scribe and recording secretary to Ereshkigal, its queen.

Gestinana is the sacred brew master who may or may not be identical with Siduri. She is a singer and interpreter of dreams.

**Offerings:** Beer, wine

**See Also:** Dionysus; Ereshkigal; Inanna-Ishtar; Siduri; Tammuz

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Fauna

**Also known as:** Fatua and Bona Dea

**Origin:** Roman region

Fauna is the goddess of wildlife, forests, and fertility. She is Faunus’ daughter and among those spirits who possessed Mysteries, meaning that while certain of their rituals were open to the general public, others (the Mysteries) were reserved solely for initiates. Fauna is among the spirits known as Bona Dea, literally the “Good Goddess,” but also indicating that their interaction is solely with women.

Fauna was an extremely important goddess. She was enshrined on Rome’s Aventine Hill, but her annual Mystery was held in the home of Rome’s leading magistrate under the direction of his wife, who was assisted by Vestal Virgins. A women-only event, even representations like sculptures or portraits of men or male animals were covered or removed. Fauna’s Mysteries were secret upon pain of law. Were men curious? They must have been. Legal records exist of men prosecuted for attempting to sneak into her rites. Her Mysteries remain secret and thus unknown today.

In 62 BCE, Publius Clodius Pulcher dressed in drag and tried to sneak into the Mysteries, held that year in the home of Julius Caesar. He was caught. The scandal resulted in a trial, but he was acquitted via bribery. Rumour on the street was that he was conducting or attempting to conduct an affair with Pompeia, Caesar’s wife. Although no evidence indicated this to be true, Caesar divorced her, famously saying that the wife of Caesar must be above suspicion. Pulcher was assassinated in 52 BCE.

In addition to secret, mystic rites, Fauna was also very publicly a goddess of physical healing. The sick were tended in her temple’s garden of medicinal herbs, essentially a sacred hospital. In Rome, snakes were associated with healing in general, but especially with women’s reproductive health. Snakes, Fauna’s sacred creature, were housed in her temple gardens.

**Iconography:** Fauna is portrayed seated upon a throne, holding a cornucopia.

**Creature:** Snake

**Element:** Earth

**Day:** December 4th commemorates the anniversary of her Mystery.

**Offerings:** There is controversy as to whether wine is forbidden from Fauna’s rites. One theory is that, because wine was once taboo for Roman women, any wine brought into Fauna’s temple was euphemistically called “milk.” Alternatively, the legend goes that wine and myrtle were banned because Faunus once got drunk and beat Fauna with a myrtle branch. That may be a euphemism for the myth in which Faunus rapes his daughter (who may also be his consort).

**See Also:** Asklepios; Faunus; Vesta

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Fortuna

*Lady Luck; She Who Brings*

**Origin:** Roman region

Fortuna may originally have been an Etruscan or Latin goddess. When the Romans encountered her, they too fell in love with Lady Luck. Fortuna is the spirit of opportunity, fortune, fertility, abundance, or the lack thereof. Although now not as well known as Juno or Diana, she was an extremely significant deity, beloved by the masses. Augustus Caesar claimed that she had adopted him as her favoured son. That was perhaps a bit of a threat to his enemies: if Fortuna favours you, who can harm or defeat you?

Fortuna, the original Lady Luck, genuinely does not correspond to any Greek goddess. She doesn’t fit neatly into mythology books based on identification, and so she is often ignored. (Athena is Minerva; Zeus is Jupiter; and so forth.) Yet Fortuna was widely adored. Roman soldiers carried her veneration to England, where she shared altar space in Gloucester with Mercury and Rosmerta.

Fortuna personifies good fortune. She rules oracles, fate, and chance. She protects married women and is especially venerated by mothers. She controls the energy that leads to reproduction. She does, unfortunately, have a bit of a reputation for being fickle.

Fortuna is an oracular goddess. It was possible to have your fortune told in her shrines. She was not specifically a goddess of gambling, more of the fortunes of life; however, she does bestow luck: it can’t hurt to invoke her blessings for gambling success.

Fortuna may survive under the mask of Catherine of Alexandria, the saint with the wheel.

**Emblem:** The Wheel of Fortune, as in a roulette wheel

**Attributes:** Wheel, rudder (both can instantly change direction, move, or stay still, just like luck), a spinning globe, also a cornucopia

**Sacred dates:**

* 1 April is Fortuna’s holy day in her guise as Fortuna Virilis, the spirit who causes men to desire women. Wives traditionally invoke her to retain or revive their husbands’ sexual interest. (However, anyone could invoke her for this purpose, married or not.)
* 11 June was the dedication day of Fortuna’s temple in Rome’s Forum Boarium.
* The Fortunalia, Fortuna’s festival, coincides with the Summer Solstice.

**Sacred sites:** She had a major shrine in Trastevere, as well as in the Forum, and a temple in Praeneste, now modern Palestrina. In 2008, archaeologists uncovered a temple apparently dedicated to Fortuna and Jupiter in Zippori, Israel, capital of the Galilee region during the era of Roman rule. A church was built over the site during Byzantine rule.

**Offering:** Her traditional offering was a blend of honey, milk, and poppies, plus cakes in the shape of a wheel.

**See Also:** Athena; Lakshmi; Mercury; Rosmerta; Zeus

## Appearances in Modern Media

From Shin Megami TenseiFrom Rage of BahamutFrom Monster StrikeFrom Kamihime ProjectFrom Age of Ishtaria
## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Fand

The Pearl of Beauty

**Origin:** Isle of Man

Fand, a sea spirit, was once the bride of Manannan, powerful king of the sea. (They divorced, but periodically reconcile.) She manifests in the guise of a beautiful woman but also as a magical sea bird whose sweet song can lull humans to sleep. She travels among a flock of similar magic birds: they travel in pairs linked by silver chains. Only Fand and her sister, Liban, are linked by a gold chain, indicating their power, supremacy, and uniqueness. Fand is most famous from a myth involving Irish hero Cu Chulain. Seeking to capture a pair of these beautiful birds for his wife, of course, he sought the pair with the gold chain. He threw his spear, which went between their wings. The birds mysteriously disappeared, but later Fand and Liban manifesting in the form of women appeared to Cu Chulain in a vision and brutally horsewhipped him. Visions can be real: Cu Chulain was ill and incapacitated for a year. (Eventually, following his recovery, Fand sought his help in battle. They fell in love and had a passionate affair, much to the displeasure of Cu Chulain’s wife.) This seductive, beautiful, powerful spirit is now classified as a Fairy Queen.

**Manifestation:** Fand allegedly wears a green cloak.

**See Also:** Aife; Fairy Queens; Manannan; Scatach

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Cihuateteo

*Divine Women*

**Pronounced**: See-wha-tet-ay-o

**Origin:** Mexico

The Cihuateteo are Aztec female warrior spirits, souls of women who died in childbirth, considered the equivalent of dying valiantly in battle. The Aztec afterlife was fairly dismal for most dead souls, but the Cihuateteo were given the glorious role of escorting the sun on its downward passage through the sky. When not busy with celestial chores, the Cihuateteo haunt crossroads, where they are accused of stealing children, seducing and harming gullible men, and causing seizures and madness.

They would leave their paradise of the West, called Tamoanchan, coming back to bring disease to children. On the days that the Cihuateteo were believed to descend, parents would not allow their children outdoors. To placate the evil spirits, temples were built at crossroads, and offerings of bread, sometimes in the form of butterflies, were made. The Cihuateteo were portrayed with blanched white faces, and their hands, arms, and legs were whitened with powder.

The bodies of women who died in childbirth were considered very valuable. Soldiers and warriors fought over their remains, considered talismans ensuring courage and victory in battle.

**Iconography:** Aztec stone sculptures portray them as kneeling women with skeletal faces and taloned hands.

**Sacred sites:** Shrines for the Cihuateteo are placed at crossroads.

**See also:** Cihuacoatl; Itzpapalotl; Mictlantecuhtli

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes

Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow
Elixir of life

Elixir/Elixir of Life In Alchemy, frequently used names for the Philosopher's Stone. The Elixir has healing properties- 88 elements, healing the deficiencies and imperfections of base metals so that they can be transmuted into the perfect metals of Gold and Silver. The Elixir also heals the imperfections in humans, creating longevity and potentially immortality. Paracelsus developed hundreds of elixirs for treating various medical conditions, disorders, and illnesses; his most famous was aurum potabile, or “potable gold.” Elixirs for immortality are more common in Eastern alchemy than in Western alchemy. mercury and cinnabar are frequently named ingredients.
Delphin

**Also known as:** Delphinus

**Origin:** Greek

Delphin, whose name literally means “dolphin,” is a dolphin spirit in Poseidon’s employ. He may be Amphitrite’s brother. When Amphitrite fled from Poseidon’s advances, Delphin found her, advised Poseidon of her location, and ultimately persuaded Amphitrite to emerge and marry Poseidon, thus making Poseidon King of the Sea. Poseidon rewarded Delphin by placing him in the sky as the constellation Delphinus.

**See Also:** Amphitrite; Poseidon

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Magie Blanche

La Magie Blanche est la plus courante des magies de Villya. Elle est appréciée pour ses capacités à apporter la vie, la régénérer, et éliminer le mal.

Les sorts de Magie Blanche sont disponibles ici: Catégorie:Sorts Blancs

## Principe de base

Cette magie utilise les glyphes de la vie, de la croissance, de la santé, de l'immunité. Elle permet avant tout de régénérer les blessures, d'apporter des soins à un corps, effacer les maladies, contrer les maux.

## Usages

Il est peu simple de trouver de mauvais usages à une magie uniquement capable d'apporter la vie. C'est en partie pour cette raison que la Magie Blanche sera appréciée quasiment partout où vous vous trouverez. On en trouve à tous les niveaux, que ce soit au niveau Mei pour soigner quelques égratignures au village ou chez les enfants, ou au niveau Kol ou Fyr en tant que médecin de guerre.

Certaines légendes parlent d'un Chevalier-Mage pourfendeur de Démons, qui voyageait il y a longtemps sur Fableterre. On soupçonne sa Magie Blanche d'être derrière sa capacité de purification des êtres de l'Enfer.

## Objets d'Arcane

La Magie Blanche est difficile à appréhender en terme d'objet d'arcane, étant donné sa nature abstraite.

On constate tout de même que les plantes médicinales rares possèdent de bonnes arcanes blanches. Étrangement, l'eau claire, bénie avec succès par Célèste, en est aussi très concentrée. Les Mages les portent en général en pendentif, dans un sac ou sur un bâton pour les plus extravagants, enfermées dans une petite fiole de verre.

Les réservoirs assureront des soins plus fréquents, et les catalyseurs des soins plus efficaces.
Roll

Le Roll, abréviation anglaise signifiant "lancer de dé", est la simulation d'un lancer de dé sur le jeu, qui vise à déterminer le degré de réussite ou d'échec d'une action d'un personnage selon le score atteint.

Sur Fyrolia, on lance un dé à 20 faces et on ajoute au score obtenu les bonus/malus qu'apportent les Caractéristiques, les Talents et les Tares du personnage. Plus le score est élevé, plus l'action est réussie. On se réfère à un Seuil de Réussite ou au score du Roll adverse pour déterminer ce qui réussit et ce qui rate.

## Le /roll

Pour se faciliter la vie en jeu, la commande /roll permet de lancer un dé avec simplicité, sans vérifier constamment sa Fiche Personnage et ses 22 Caractéristiques. La syntaxe complète est alors:

**/roll [type] [bonus]**

Le [type] du roll détermine quel bonus de Caractéristique sera prise en compte. Le nom du type est composé des trois premières lettres du nom de la Caractéristique. On parle alors communément de "Roll de FOR", "Roll d'AGI", "Roll de COU", etc.

Il existe le type RAW, qui n'octroie aucun bonus de stat et lance un simple dé 20, le type JDR, qui lance un dé 100 sans bonus de stat, et le type POF qui lance un "dé" à 2 faces sans bonus de stat.

Le [bonus] du roll est un nombre positif ou négatif qui sera ajouté au score. Il permet de prendre en compte l'influence d'un Talent, d'une Tare, d'un bonus ou d'un malus temporaire octroyé à votre personnage par un maître de jeu ou par un autre personnage, ou de l'effet d'un équipement offrant des bonus/malus.

Le résultat du Roll est ensuite affiché sous la forme:

**Personnage lance un roll [type]+[bonus]: (XX+YY+ZZ) WW!**

XX est le score du dé 20, YY est le bonus de Caractéristique, ZZ est le bonus/malus, WW est le score final.
Elias Ashmole

Elias Ashmole (1617–1692) was an English historian and scholar with an intense interest in Alchemy. Elias Ashmole is best known as the founder of the Ashmolean Library in Oxford.

Ashmole was born in 1617 to a Lichfield saddler. He studied law and then served as a Royalist in the Civil War. In 1673, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and was one of its founding members. He was one of the first “speculative Masons” accepted into the London guild of “working Masons.”

Ashmole was intensely interested in alchemy, Astrology, Hermetic philosophy, magic, angel magic, and other esoteric topics. William Backhouse, his adoptive father, was an alchemist who one day took Ashmole aside and revealed to him the secret of the Philosopher’s Stone.

In 1652, Ashmole published Theatricum chemicum Brittanicum, a substantial opus on the study of alchemy. In it, he expounds on Hermetic and Neoplatonic principles. The Emerald Tablet —that which is above is like that which is below—contains the true cosmology, expressing the correspondences binding the celestial world and the earthly world together. The true alchemist is one in whom the spiritual descends into the material, creating a unity, or vinculum, which has the power to hold all celestial influences.

Ashmole believed in the transmuting powers of the Stone but held that its true power and purpose lay in spiritual transmutation, not changing base metals into gold and silver. He said:

"And certainly he to whom the whole course of Nature lies open, rejoyceth not so much that he can make Gold and Silver, or the Divells to become Subject to him, as that he see the Heavens open, the Angells of God Ascending and Descending, and that his own Name is fairely written in the Book of Life."

He upheld the principles of natural magic. He considered medicine to be an Hermetic art linked to Solomon and Moses, who, along with Hermes, are the only ones ever to have fully understood the nature and powers of the Stone. The Stone, he said, bears a relationship to scrying crystals, such as the one used by John Dee and Edward Kelly for contacting angels. Ashmole believed in an invisible angel scrying stone that:

"hath a Divine Power, Celestiall and Invisible, above the rest; and endowes the possessor with Divine Gifts. It affords the Apparition of Angells, and gives the power of conversing with them, by Dreams and Revelations: nor dare any Evill Spirit approach the Place where it lodgeth."

Ashmole believed strongly in practical astrology — he kept a horoscope of Backhouse— and in the efficacy of magical tools, sigils, seals, and so forth. Ashmole also translated Fasciculus chemicus by Arthur Dee, published in 1650, a work aimed at adepts. For his own name, he used an anagram, James Hasolle.

## Information Source

The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy Written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley
Chernobog

**Pantheon**: Slavic

**Title**: Lord of Darkness

## Smite Lore

Sunlight's last grasp reached up from the horizon like the clawing hand of a drowning man. Black against a blackening sky, the Great Mountain's frozen peak loomed.

In the crannies and crevisses, in the darkened recesses of stone and ice, the denizens of nightmare crawled and squirmed. Silken shadows given form, withered hags of sorcerous witchcraft, leathery gargoyles, and skeletal fiends - all creeping ever upward, gathering for their unholy sabbath.

Night at last swallowed light. Crystalline silence befell the summit. The wicked waited for their God. The pointed peak cracked and opened, two colossal bat-like wings spreading. He emerged, exultant.

Creatures of every horror danced and cheered in twitches and fits, calling to their God. His jagged finger pointed and his minions of malice spewed forth to spread fear and death and darkness.

Chernobog, Lord of Darkness, grinned.
E Bukura e Dheut

*Earthly Beauty; Beauty of the Earth*

**Classification:** Fairy

**Origin:** Albania

E Bukura e Dheut, Queen of Albania’s Fairies, rules over a host of other beautiful spirits. They are volatile, capricious, and utterly unpredictable. When encountered they may be generous and kind or maliciously destructive. E Bukura e Dheut herself is the epitome of beauty and happiness; her name is sometimes used to describe an ideal woman. She may be petitioned for help if any of her subordinates are misbehaving.

Before E Bukura e Dheut was an Albanian Fairy, she was an Illyrian goddess of beauty and love. Her lover is Tomor, supreme deity of the Illyrians, an Indo-European people, ancestors of many Albanians.

**Realm**: E Bukura e Dheut lives in a fairy-tale castle atop a mountain guarded by fabulous beasts and creatures. She may also possess an underworld realm.

**See Also:** Ana; Tünder Ilona

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Gnome

**Origin:** Teutonic

Gnomes are subterranean spirits now most associated with garden statuary. They resemble tiny people: Paracelsus described gnomes as two spans high. (A span is the width of an outstretched human hand.) Unlike dwarves or kobolds, gnomes are not mine or cave spirits but tend to live beneath human gardens. They have a reputation for emerging at night to do a little helpful garden work. Garden gnomes allegedly bring luck.

Gnomes tend to be quiet, private, taciturn spirits, but they respond well to gifts and offerings. They can be persuaded to become loyal allies, guardians, and helpers. Female gnomes may be especially taciturn; they are rarely depicted. However folklore indicates that there are entire gnome communities with male and female gnomes of all ages. Gnomes maintain good relationships with birds, rabbits, foxes, hedgehogs, and squirrels.

The earliest gnome statuary was produced in Thuringia, Germany, in the early nineteenth century and was based on German folklore. Gnome statues potentially welcome and attract real gnomes, as well as Flower Fairies or other benevolent spirits. The earliest statues were carefully wrought, hand-painted terra-cotta and were exceptionally popular.

By the 1960s, cheaper plastic and resin versions were mass-produced. The old terra-cotta ones are now extremely valuable and are family heirlooms. Garden gnome statues tend to evoke very visceral responses. Some people adore and collect them. Others loathe them so much that they feel justified destroying or removing other people’s property.

Gnomes are the subject of modern entertainment as well as old folktales: The animated children's television show The World of David the Gnome was highly unusual in that it depicted both female and male gnomes.

* The gnomes in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series are garden pests, not helpers.

**Iconography:** The standard garden gnome depicts an older male gnome with long beard and peaked red hat. He wears a big belt over leggings, a blue tunic, and boots. Sometimes they wear gardeners’ aprons.

**Emblem:** Mushrooms, especially amanita muscaria

**Plant:** The presence of galbanum (Ferula gal-baniflua) allegedly invites the protection of the gnomes.

**See Also:** Dwarves; Flower Fairy; Kobold

## Appearance in Modern Media

From Gravity FallsFrom Force of WillFrom Monster StrikeFrom Shin Megami TenseiFrom Rage of Bahamut
## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Chinese

The creation of the universe and the world began with the mighty god Pangu. Awoken by the discord from the formation of the universe, he swung his axe to break through the chaos. The exposed lighter matter of the chaos ascended and became the sky while the darker matter sunk and became the earth. Pangu stood in between the two layers and pushed up the sky. Once the earth and sky have reached its limit, Pangu created the world by sacrificing himself to form the world. Wind and Cloud was created from his breath; his voice became thunder; the sun was formed from his left eye and the moon from his right; his hair transformed into the stars and sky; his blood turned into the lakes and rivers, his bones became minerals, the rain came from his sweat, and the fur on his body transformed into forests and fields. As for mankind, it is said that Nu Wa dipped a rope in clay and when she flicked the rope a human arose from each globule that landed on earth. The world was divided into three realms consisting of the heavens, the earth, and the underworld. The Jade Emperor is the supreme ruler of the heavens and is the main authorization in the heavenly court. The heavenly court encompasses all the gods worshipped in China.

From Smite Gods

## Gods

Jade EmperorXi WangmuChang'eFu XiNu WaNezhaMa ZuAo KuangErlang ShenHou YiHe BoJing WeiJade MaidensXing TianZhong KuiChi YouMa Gu
Erlik Khan

**Origin:** Mongolia

In a primordial era, prior to creation of our world, Erlik Khan was the spirit of Venus, the Morning Star. Each morning before dawn, he slaughters all the other stars. After Earth was created, Tengri, supreme creator, destroyed Erlik’s celestial territory. Erlik Khan requested even a tiny plot of land on Earth, but apparently no room could be found for him: he was given a subterranean realm instead. He is King of the Mongolian Underworld, a Hades-like figure. Under Buddhist influence, he was further demoted and classified as a Demon.

Erlik Khan is a proud, brooding spirit. He has spent centuries plotting his revenge. In the Mongol vision of the Apocalypse, at the end of time, Erlik Khan will emerge from his realm accompanied by an entourage of nine iron warriors riding nine iron horses. Everyone and everything in their path will be destroyed. People will beg for help from various deities but will receive no response, possibly because Erlik Khan’s posse got to them first. His two most powerful warriors will attack Buddha Shakyamuni. Earth will be consumed by flames emerging from his blood. Until then, Erlik Khan waits …

A character named Erlik Khan is an arch-foe of Marvel comic hook hero Dr. Strange.

**Metal:** Iron

**Planet:** Venus

**See Also:** Buddha; Demon

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Harpokrates

**Also known as:** Harpocrates

Harpokrates is the Greek name for Horus. (It’s a corruption of the Egyptian Har-Pa-Khered.) Harpokrates is a Hellenized vision of Horus. The Greeks did not approve of animal-human hybrid deities and so Harpokrates has shed his associations with falcons and instead appears exclusively as the Divine Child.

According to Egyptian myth, Isis was destined to bear a miraculous, magical child with her true love and brother, Osiris. When Osiris died before she conceived, Isis refused to accept that the prophecy was wrong or moot. Instead, Isis, world’s greatest sorceress, worked her magical skills to revive and restore Osiris long enough to conceive her predestined baby. In Greek versions of this myth, sometimes Serapis replaces Osiris. Isis, Harpokrates, and Serapis were venerated together in an Alexandrian Mystery tradition.

Harpokrates’ birth defied all odds. Harpokrates affirms life against all odds. His image was used to create healing potions. He is the spirit who removes all obstacles. He is the promise of salvation: the potential saviour of the world in the form of a small boy. Veneration of Harpokrates spread from Egypt to Greece and Rome. He may be the prototype for the various Divine Children now so beloved in Christianity, for example the Infant of Prague or the Holy Child of Atocha.

**Iconography:** He is a beautiful, radiant small boy wearing the side lock of youth or a crown. He often has one finger pressed to his lips as if cautioning silence.

**Planet:** Sun (Harpokrates is the newborn sun that rises each day.)

**See Also:** Horus; Isis; Osiris; Serapis

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Forks

Though they are commonly found in Western tables today, forks were once used solely for noneating purposes such as spearing fish, working with hay, and digging. The first fork was probably a forked stick. Until late in the seventeenth century, most Western peoples ate with their fingers. Though the fork was introduced into Europe in the eleventh century, it took five hundred years for it to gain widespread use.

The fork is ruled by Mars and the element of fire. As a tool for
eating, it has been regarded as sacred, and bent forks played a role in European protective rituals. They were buried in gardens or placed inside walls to ward off negativity.
Garters

Ornaments with magical properties, and in contemporary Witchcraft, sometimes worn in various rituals and as badges of rank. Garters may have been used in rituals in Paleolithic times: an ancient cave painting in northeastern Spain portrays nine women, wearing pointed headdresses, dancing in a circle around a naked man, who wears a cord or garter tied under each knee. Garters are prominent in folklore and folk magic. The colour of a garter carries special meaning. Green, for example, is the colour of fairies and Robin Hood.

Garters are worn by Morris dancers, and “Green Garters” is the name of an old tune used in Morris dancing. red is protection against bewitchment; silver is associated with the Moon.

In witch trials, garter, or “pointes,” were associated with the Devil. Accused witches often described the Devil’s clothing as being tied with garters, as in this description by Margaret Johnson of Lancashire in 1633: “. . . a spirit or divell in the similtude and proportion of a man, apparelled in a suite of black, tyed about with silke pointes.” Margaret A. Murray, a British anthropologist, said that the garter was a secret symbol of identification among medieval witches; however, no evidence exists that witches were widely or uniformly organized.

In Wicca, the garter is the emblem of the high priestess of the Craft. Some garters are made of green snakeskin or leather, or green or blue velvet, and decorated with a silver buckle
Epithet

An epithet is a traditional phrase or title used to address a spirit. Epithets are not just random words of flattery, but impart significant information about a spirit. Epithets serve as sacred shorthand. Thus if a spirit's epithets include titles like *The Terrible* or *Worst of the Worst*, consider yourself warned. Sometimes epithets are shared: many of the Virgin Mary's epithets, such as *Star of the Sea* or *Mother of God* also belong to Isis.

Some epithets are included among the individual pages of this wiki. Epithets are a polite, respectful way to address spirits with whom you are not on a first-name basis. Not all spirits possess epithets. Some have only a few, while others have enough to fill a book. When the Egyptiansaddressed Hathor as the *Lady of Countless Names*, they weren't kidding.

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies,
Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Candelina

**Also known as:** Candelina Sedifé; Candela

**Classification:** Lwa; Metresa

Candelina may be Candelo’s sister, wife, or female alter ego. The nature of her relationship with Candelo evokes strong feelings from devotees who argue passionately about whether she is wife or sister. If they are married, then they may have two children, Candelito and Candelita, son and daughter respectively. They may all be venerated together. Candelina is a benevolent and generous lwa who protects and guides her devotees. Although she has a temper, she is not as spectacularly fiery as Candelo. Candelina is syncretized to the Black Madonna of Candelaria.

**Colour:** Red

**Sacred day:** Candelina is honoured at the Feast of Candelaria/Candlemas on 2 February.

**Offerings:** Scarlet lipstick; red clothing, fabric, and jewellery; perfume in red bottles like Christian Dior’s Hypnotic Poison or Cacharel’s Amor Amor; red wine; red soda; hibiscus tea; add a little Florida Water and dark rum to a glass of dark beer and then offer it to her. (Don’t drink it yourself; Florida Water is an eau de cologne and not for human consumption.)

**See Also:** Black Madonna of Candelaria; Candelo; Metresa; Twenty-one Divisions
Goryo

**Origin:** Japan

The term Goryo first emerged in the eighth century CE to refer to the dangerous, angry ghosts of nobles who had died in political intrigues. Because the person’s life ended amid public humiliation, their ghostly anger and vengeance manifested against the mass public. Goryo were associated with epidemics, wars, and disasters, as opposed to the standard angry, vengeful ghost who may target one single victim or family.

Goryo could be accessed through divination and shamanic or necromantic rituals. By communicating with them, they can be appeased and propitiated. Goryo could be transformed from malevolent forces into benevolent spirit guardians, which may have been the original intent of their rampages. By calling public attention to themselves and their power, they could receive the honors denied to them while alive. Often the unjust circumstances of their deaths were exposed.

Over time, however, the term Goryo was loosened and expanded to refer to any hostile, unfriendly ghost. Anyone, even the most mundane person, can transform into a Goryo by sheer will or by the intensity of rage experienced at time of death. Goryo now generally refers to the ghosts of those who died sudden, unexpected, and/or violent deaths.

An example of a traditional Goryo situation may be witnessed in the 2001 Japanese movie, Onmyoji.

Go is a prefix honorific; ryo refers to souls. It is a respectful euphemism. Shinto tradition suggests that those who died violent, unexpected deaths or in a state of extreme anger or resentment must be buried with extra-special reverence and care. Many are enshrined so that they can be honored on a regular basis. Special religious services are held for them. Otherwise, if not propitiated, they can cause disaster of one sort or another.

**See Also:** Hannya; Obake; Tenjin

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Lalla Mimouna

**Origin:** Morocco

**Classification:** Djinn

Lalla Mimouna lives in wells and deserted houses. She likes to seduce traveling men but will attack both men and women. Lalla Mimouna is married to Sidi Mimoun. She has a sanctuary in Marrakech.

**Colours:** Blue, black

**Incense:** Hasalban (roseMary)

**See Also:** Djinn; Sidi Mimoun

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes