recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Mania

Mother of Ghosts; Grandmother Ghost

**Also Known As:** Mana; Manea; Manuana

**Origin:** Italy, possibly Etruscan

**Feast:** 24 August

The term mania derives from this goddess’ name. Mania supervises the Manes, Spirits of the Dead. She is their Mother Superior and leader. A goddess of life and death, her mania (lunacy, moon-illness, lunar-inspired madness) is a conduit to the divine.

Although the Manes are sometimes called the benevolent dead, they weren’t always that benevolent, and neither is Mania. At the New Moon nearest November 1, windows were shuttered, houses sealed up, and mirrors turned to face the wall. The Manes were loose. (The Manes can slip in through cracks and use mirrors as portals.) Woolen dolls called maniae were hung over doorways with garlic and poppies to serve as protection.

The Manes were accused of stealing children. Speculation exists that in ancient days, young boys were sacrificed to Mania at the Festival of the Crossroads (the Compitalia) in exchange for her protection of the remaining family. This tradition was allegedly abolished following the expulsion of the Etruscan kings and the founding of the Roman Republic. Poppies and garlic were substituted for human sacrifice.

Post-Christianity, Mania lost her goddess status but survives in Italy as a dreaded night witch who haunts people’s dreams. Her afflictions include chronic nightmares, madness, and manias. She can be invoked to banish ghosts if she’s feeling benevolent.

**Manifestation:** Mania appears alone in dreams but otherwise leads a host of spirits. She wears a mask, rarely if ever revealing her face.

**Attribute:** Mania is associated with the fig hand (mano fica), her life-affirming protective gesture. The fig hand mimes sexual intercourse: make a fist and thrust the thumb through the first two fingers. It repels the Evil Eye and ghosts. Mania commands ghosts. The gesture lends you some of her authority. Make the sign of the fig hand whenever ghosts threaten. Fig hand amulets may be worn or posted on a wall.

**Consort:** Mantus, overlord of a realm of death

**Realm:** Mania governs the subterranean Land of the Dead. For the Romans, this wasn’t just some abstract realm someplace underground: an entrance was located in the pit beneath the lapis manalis in the Roman Forum. This stone was lifted three times a year in order to release the Manes, who emerged to accept offerings from the living before returning, shepherded by Mania in both directions.

**Offerings:** Garlic, poppies

**See Also:** Endymion; Ghost; Lara; Manes

## Information Source

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

*Mrs. Twelve*

**Origin:** Japan

Juni-Sama is a mountain goddess who annually gives birth to twelve children. Those twelve children represent the twelve months in a solar calendar and so Juni-Sama births the year. If she was ever a creation goddess, those myths are forgotten. Instead Juni-Sama is treasured for her ability to conceive and deliver easily. She births those twelve children every year effortlessly; Juni-Sama’s blessings are thus sought for human women, too.

Juni-Sama is believed to ensure easy labor and childbirth but she must be asked. If labor was difficult or extended, it was once traditional for the father or other relative to lead a horse towards the direction of a mountain to summon her. (Any mountain; it doesn’t have to be a specific mountain. Whether she was once associated with a specific peak, she is now a spirit who dwells in mountains in general.) Juni-Sama would ride back on the horse and hopefully successfully take charge of the delivery.

Few people now have horses. It’s unknown whether Juni-Sama will deign to ride in a car or on a bike or scooter. It may be easier to have her image substitute for her.

Allegedly, hanging a scroll depicting the mountain spirit near a laboring woman’s bedside offers protection and relief. (The image may also be used in the same way during pregnancy.) Her blessings thus are available to everyone, even those far away from mountains.

**Iconography:** Juni-Sama holds a rice spoon in her right hand. (Phallic symbol? You bet.)

## Information Source

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

**Also known as:** Mamzelle Charlotte; Maitresse Charlotte

**Origin:** Haiti

**Classification:** Lwa

Mademoiselle Charlotte is a lwa of European origin. She speaks only French, not Kreyol. Those whom she ritually possesses may discover themselves suddenly fluent in the most stylish French even if normally they can’t speak a word.

To some extent, Mademoiselle Charlotte epitomizes a stereotypical rich, upscale white woman—and not her best traits, either. She’s fussy; impatient; a stickler for etiquette and what she considers appropriate behaviour. She adores fine manners and Paris style and visibly turns up her nose at what she considers uncouth.

Mademoiselle Charlotte rarely manifests during ceremonials, perhaps because she’s a snob; perhaps because she’s aware she’s not loved nor entirely welcome. She’s a capricious lwa; somewhat lazy; not overly hardworking even on behalf of those she favours. Mademoiselle Charlotte’s assistance must be coaxed out of her. If and when she gives it, she can be very effective and helpful, but Mademoiselle Charlotte will only help those who appeal to her and only for as long as they appeal to her. Did we mention that her attention span is limited?

She is served in similar fashion to Ezili Freda Dahomey. If you are very chic or stylish, she may desire you as a pet, the equivalent of a human poodle. If you are persuasive and persistent, she may even do some large favours for you.

**Colours:** Pink, cream

**Offerings:** French cosmetics; French perfume; elegant and expensive French scarves; delicate, refined, expensive foods, preferably French; sweet soft drinks; pink champagne; aperitifs; rum liqueurs; cream-colored beverages; cream-filled pastries; French or luxury cigarettes; serve all beverages, whatever they are, in a champagne flute; offer food on fine china.

**See Also:** Ezili Freda Dahomey; Lwa; Mami Waters

## Information Source

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

The key is symbolic of the power to open and the power to lock. This concept is displayed in the symbol of the dove and the key, signifying the spirit that opens the gates of heaven. In Roman mythology, Janus, the god of doors and new beginnings, was generally represented by a doorkeeper’s staff and key.

The goddess Hecate was the keeper of the key that unlocked the door to the underworld, which opened the way to the mysteries and secrets of knowledge found in the afterlife.

In symbolic language, a key often signifies initiation and the knowledge the owner of the key will soon possess. The colour of the key is important as well. The silver key represents psychological understanding, the gold key signifies philosophical wisdom, and the key made of diamond confers the power to act.

To find a key signifies the stage prior to the actual discovery of the treasure, found only after great difficulties. There is also a relationship between the key and the Egyptian ankh (sign of eternal life). We often see engravings of Egyptian gods and goddesses holding the ankh by the top as if it were a key, especially in ceremonies concerning the dead. As an archetypal symbol, the key represents the knowledge
or ability to open up the gates of death to immortality.
Laverna

**Origin:** Etruscan

Laverna is the matron of charlatans, con artists, card sharks; plagiarists; counterfeiters; thieves and bamboozlers of all kinds. She is the goddess of illegally gotten funds and goods. She is invoked by the light-fingered for blessings and protection. Author Charles Godfrey Leland, an authority on Italian witchcraft, describes Laverna as the “patroness of pilfering.”

Laverna may also be petitioned for protection from crime and for the return of stolen articles; however, be forewarned: Laverna’s sympathies tend to be with the thieves. She is invoked to avenge theft. She may be sympathetic towards you if you know who committed the crime: Laverna gets annoyed with shoddy crime and bungling.

In her earliest incarnation, Laverna seems to have been a goddess of darkness, night and the underworld. Thieves traditionally operate under cover of the night and so Laverna became their matron. She became identified with the criminal underworld rather than the underworld realm of death.

Laverna is also identified with illicit pregnancy. Both men and women may request her assistance when pregnancy is inconvenient, embarrassing or worse. She’s not a moralist: Laverna will help dead-beat dads escape obligations and assist women whose pregnancies threaten to wreck their lives.

Laverna continues to adapt: in recent years she has become associated with media piracy; bootlegging and illicit downloading. Laverna is traditionally worshipped in silence. Her name may derive from the verb Levare meaning “to lift” as in literally to lift a load but also to lift your wallet.

**Favoured People:** Thieves (especially clever thieves and shysters; as opposed to thugs)

**Manifestation:** Laverna is a great shape-shifter. She has a clever, sardonic wit. Allegedly those who first invoke her see only her head.

Those who prove to be bunglers will see only her body. Clever thieves who find favour in her eyes witness Laverna with head and body intact.

**Sacred site:** Rome’s Lavernal Gate (Porta Lavernalis) on the Aventine Hill was named in her honor. She had a sanctuary there as well as a sacred grove on the Via Saleria, the ancient highway that cut across the Apennine Chain from Rome to the Adriatic Sea. Highway robbers invoked Laverna’s aid. Thieves traditionally rendezvoused at Laverna’s shrine to divvy up their plunder.

**Offerings:** Tools of the trade

**See Also:** Furina; Hermes; Levana

## Information Source

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

You may find references to "Egyptian Aphrodite" in older mythology books. Should these references inspire you to search for stories of Aphrodite's adventures by the Nile, you will be disappointed. "Egyptian Aphrodite" is not "Greek Aphrodite"; Egyptian Aphrodite is Hathor. That reference is an example of identification: the process of identifying one spirit with another.

Although the Hellenistic Greeks were not the only culture to engage in identification, they provide the most famous and accessible examples of what can be a difficult, esoteric concept to comprehend. Once upon a time, when the Greeks considered the deities of their neighbours, they were perplexed. They were not monotheistic; they did not insist on the existence of only one deity, but they did insist on their own deities. Their worldview did not leave room for parallel pantheons or creation myths. So then who were these other deities belonging to foreign peoples?

Two choices emerged:

* These might be independent deities who could either be incorporated into the Greek pantheon or ostracized as monsters. Thus Dionysus, originally from Thrace, was identified as Zeus' son who had spent time travelling but had returned to Greece and a throne on Mount Olympus.
* Foreign spirits could be identified as native spirits with different names. Hathor is a beautiful Egyptian spirit of love, romance, and joy with dominion over perfume, cosmetics, and fertility. That description could very easily also apply to Aphrodite; hence the Greeks identified Hathor with Aphrodite. The two goddesses were identified as one being with different names and local manifestations

At best, identification serves as spiritual shorthand giving someone unfamiliar with a spirit a quick sense of that spirit's nature via correspondences. At worst, it oversimplifies mythology, ignoring important nuances that distinguish one spirit from another. Identification also frequently demonstrates the arrogance of conquerors who can't be bothered to familiarize themselves with the deities of their new subjects. It is as if an observer, having noticed that you resemble your sibling, decides to call you by that sibling's name, rather than your own, to save themselves the trouble of distinguishing between you.

Identification might have made theology simpler for the Greeks (and later the Romans), but it makes accurate identification of ancient spirits very difficult today. Information is clouded. Much of what we know about many ancient pantheons derives from Greek and Roman commentators who often did not bother to write down a foreign spirit's name, substituting their own identification instead. When the Romans describe the Celtic veneration of Mars, it is impossible, from our vantage point, to be absolutely certain whether the actual Roman Mars is described or whether it is a reference to a now-nameless local spirit identified with Mars.

## Information Source

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

**Also Known As:** Kurana; Kurene; Kyrene; Cyrene; Qrennah

**Origin:** Berber (Amazigh)

Kura is a Berber water spirit, guardian of a spring in Cyrene, now in modern Libya. Cyrene may sound like a backwater now but once upon a time, it was a wealthy and significant place. The nation now known as Libya was once called Cyrenaica. The spring, the city, and the nation all derive their name from Kura. Cyrene is the Greek version of her name.

Cyrene was famous as the sole home of the now extinct plant, silphium, famed as an extremely effective herbal contraceptive (and allegedly an aphrodisiac, too). The powers of that plant and the fortune that it engendered attracted outside attention. Legend says that Apollo sent Greeks to colonize Cyrene. The city expanded and became one of Greece’s Hellenized outposts in North Africa although not without some tension between the Greeks and the native Berbers, as history records.

Greece took over the silphium trade. (In 74 BCE, Cyrene came under Roman rule. Silphium disappeared in late antiquity, having been over-harvested into extinction. More information about silphium may be found in John Riddle’s 1997 book, Eve’s Herbs: A History of Contraception and Abortion in the West.)

Apollo was considered patron and founder of the Greek city of Cyrene. A temple of Apollo was constructed as early as the seventh century BCE. The neighbouring port on the Mediterranean was named Apollonia but the city itself remained named after its presiding indigenous spirit. Apollo’s sanctuary was built beside her spring, which was renamed the Fountain of Apollo.

Cyrene’s Berber roots were hidden. A legend emerged that Apollo had transported a Greek Nymph named Cyrene to Libya, naming the city in her honour. (Apollo may indeed have transported other Nymphs to North Africa, however the name Kura/Cyrene predates his arrival in the region.) Greek myth identifies Cyrene and Apollo as the parents of the major deity, Aristaeus. Kura’s waters emerge from a cavern. She is a hidden goddess of love, fertility, and contraception.

**Iconography:** Depending on perspective, Cyrene is depicted strangling or hugging a lion. This image officially derives from Pindar’s Ninth Pythian Ode, which recounts how Apollo fell in love with Cyrene, a Thessalian Nymph in the entourage of Artemis, after witnessing her battle a lion. Whether or not the image of the goddess with a lion in this region predates Apollo is now unknown. In addition to ancient images, the Strength tarot card, which traditionally depicts a woman with a lion, may be used to represent Kura.

**Sacred site:** The ruins of the ancient city of Cyrene may be visited as can Kura’s spring, now known as Apollo’s spring.

**Offerings:** Spring water; Berber jewellery; honey; old coins from Cyrene, which virtually all feature images of the silphium plant; pilgrimage to her spring

**See Also:** Apollo; Aristaeus; Artemis; Nymph

## Information Source

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

A phosphorescent light seen in marsh and swamp areas, which in folklore is either the manifestation of a malicious lost soul or a death omen. Jacko’-lantern is known by various names, including will-o’-the-wisp and corpse light (England); fairy light and fox fire (Ireland).

According to most legends, the jack-o’-lantern is a wandering soul who has been denied entry into both heaven and hell. Clothed in a luminous garment or carrying a lighted wisp of straw, it drifts about at night, scaring travellers and beckoning them to follow it into the marshes.

Charms to protect oneself against the spirit include carrying an object made of iron, which is believed to repel evil spirits, or sticking an iron knife into the ground. In Ireland, children who are caught outdoors after dark are told to wear their jackets inside-out in order not to be lured astray by a jack-o’-lantern. In Sweden, the spirit is believed to be the soul of an unbaptized child, who tries to lead travellers to water in hopes of receiving baptism.

The jack-o’-lantern also appears in American Indian and Appalachian folklore. The Penobscot Indians call it the “fire demon,” who has lighted fingertips which it spins in a wheel, and skims the milk at dairies during the night. In the Appalachians, mysterious, firelike balls of light appear in the hills at night and float, move and bob about the countryside. Some are quite large and rise high into the air; others light up the surroundings like daylight. In Africa, the jack-o’-lantern light is called a “witch-fire” and is believed to be the witch herself, flying through the air, or a light sent by the witch to scare wrongdoers. As a corpse light, the eerie glow forecasts death in a household by hovering over a rooftop or even appearing on top of the chest of the person who is about to die.
Izanagi

*August Male; The Male Who Invites*

**Origin:** Japan

Izanagi and Izanami, the celestial pair, formed the universe. (See Izanami for details.) After Izanami’s death and Izanagi’s narrow escape from the realm of death, he cleansed and purified himself from the taint of death by bathing in a sacred river. As he bathed, Izanagi gave birth to three of the most significant kami without female assistance:

* Amaterasu was born from his left eye.
* Tsukiyomi was born from his right eye.
* Susano’o was born from his nose.

Izanagi handed the reigns of power over to these three children:

* Amaterasu, Lady of the Sun and supreme ruler, was given dominion over day.
* Tsukiyomi, Lord of the Moon, was given dominion over night.
* Susano’o was given dominion over storms and sea.

Then Izanagi retired to northwest Kyushu, where a shrine is dedicated to him and Izanami.

**Sacred site:** Awaji Island, the first island created by Izanami and Izanagi; they are enshrined at Onokorojima Shrine and elsewhere on the island.

**See Also:** Amaterasu; Izanami; Kami; Susano’o; Tsukiyomi

## Appearance in Modern Media

From Puzzle & DragonsFrom Force of WillFrom Yu-Gi-OhFrom Monster StrikeFrom DislyteFrom Shin Megami Tensei
## Information Source

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

Hygeia is the goddess of good health and healing. She protects against all potential dangers to health. The word hygiene derives from her name. She is the daughter of divine healer Asklepios and may be venerated alongside her father. A theory exists that Asklepios’ family is cobbled together of various independent healing deities, who were then worshipped together as a mini-pantheon. Although Hygeia is worshipped alongside her father, she is not particularly subordinate. (The Orphics claimed she was his wife.) She is a goddess in her own right who works with Asklepios. She may also be venerated independently. First venerated at least as early as the seventh century BCE, Hygeia’s primary shrines included those at Epidaurus, Cos, Corinth, and Pergamon.

**Iconography:** Her statues were created by the most renowned sculptors of the time. Statues depict her standing alone, with her father or her whole family (mother and siblings, too). Hygeia is traditionally envisioned as a beautiful young woman feeding a large snake entwined around her, often from a vessel held in her hand.

**Sacred animal:** Snake

**Offerings:** People traditionally offered their hair to Hygeia in her shrines, attaching it to her statues. Clothing or fabric was apparently attached, too.

**See Also:** Asclepius; Fauna; Sara la-Kali; Telesforos

## Information Source

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

Golden Light; Saint Mother

**Origin:** China

The Lady of Lightning, now also known as the Mother of Electricity presides over lightning, electricity, flashes of light and electromagnetism. She causes and controls them. The Lady of Lightning also presides over the esoteric use of mirrors for divination, protection and feng shui. She holds mirrors in her hands, moving them about; their flashes are lightning.

## Information Source

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

*Wondrous One; Wind Swift-Footed*

**Origin:** Greece

Iris, a rainbow goddess, is an Angelos—a messenger. She serves the Olympian deities by flying or running over a rainbow bridge carrying messages between realms. Iris can travel to any realm. She traverses various realms of spirits, as well as realms of the dead and living. She serves as a psychopomp, guiding female souls to Hades. In addition to serving as messenger, she is a spirit of justice. Iris is the sister of the Harpies and Hera’s devoted servant.

**Manifestation:** Iris is the rainbow; she also manifests as a beautiful golden-winged young woman.

**Iconography:** It was once traditional to plant iris flowers over women’s graves or mark their headstones with images of Iris, or her namesake flower.

**Attributes:** Pitcher; caduceus (staff entwined by two serpents)

**Flower:** Iris

**See Also:** Harpies; Hera; Hermes; Psychopomp; Styx

## Appearance in Modern Media

From Monster StrikeFrom Kamihime ProjectFrom Age of IshtariaFrom Reign of Dragons
## Information Source

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

*Earth Matrix*

**Pronounced:** Kshee-tee-garb-ah

**Also Known As:** Dizang (China); Jizo (Japan); Sai Nyingpo (Tibet)

**Origin:** India

**Classification:** Bodhisattva

Bodhisattvas vow to remain on Earth until all suffering on Earth is relieved. Ksitigarbha took this one step further, vowing not to become a Buddha until all beings are saved and all hells are emptied. Ksitigarbha is the Bodhisattva of the Hell Beings. Ksitigarbha’s myth appears in the Sutra of the Great Vow of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, a Sanskrit text in the form of a dialogue between Buddha Shakyamuni and Ksitigarbha.

Centuries before the time of Buddha Shakyamuni, Ksitigarbha was a young and devout Brahmin girl named “Sacred Girl” or “Holy Girl.” Distraught by the death of her irreverent mother, whom she feared was destined for Hell; Sacred Girl sold all her possessions to make offerings to the Buddha and spent all her time petitioning for mercy for her mother’s soul. (Although Sacred Girl is identified as a Brahmin, the story, philosophy, rituals and her fears are not consonant with Hinduism but are very Buddhist. She is essentially identified as a precursor to historical Buddhism.) While praying in a temple, she heard the disembodied voice of Buddha advise her to go home and chant repetitions of his name if she wished to save her mother. She did so; eventually experiencing a vision journey to Hell whose guardian informed her that because of her piety and good deeds, she had accrued enough merit to liberate her mother. Although happy, Ksitigarbha was shocked at the suffering she witnessed in Hell and so made her famous vow.

Ksitigarbha heals the sick, comforts the grieving and the depressed and provides spiritual protection. She provides safety in the face of evil. Ksitigarbha trounces Demons. Ksitigarbha travelled east through Asia with Buddhism where she also resonated with the non-Buddhist population and was incorporated into Taoist and Shinto practices, too. Ksitigarbha is now almost universally envisioned and depicted as male.

**Iconography:** Ksitigarbha is typically envisioned as a monk

**Attribute:** The wish-granting jewel; pilgrim’s staff

**Sacred site:** Mount Jiuhua, one of China’s four sacred Buddhist Mountains. The entire mountain is sacred to Ksitigarbha and contains many shrines and temples dedicated to her (or him, as the case may be).

**Mantra:** Chant her mantra for safety, protection and relief if menaced by nightmares, night paralysis, malevolent spirits or any kind of danger: OM KSHITIGHARBHA BODHISATTVA YAH

**See Also:** Bodhisattva; Buddha; Jizo; Koyasu; Mantra

## Information Source

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

*Lady of Birth*

**Also known as:** Ji Sung Niang Niang

**Origin:** China

Lady Chan, divine midwife, rules the birth process. She protects pregnant women and babies and oversees labor. In her most famous legend, a Sung Dynasty official’s daughter-in-law suffered a puzzling, never-ending pregnancy. The young woman had been pregnant for seventeen months when a woman mysteriously appeared at the door, announcing that she was the midwife. She had not been summoned; she just appeared out of the blue. Identifying herself as Mrs. Chan from Foochow, she immediately took charge, demanding a special birthing room for this special pregnancy. As per her directions, a large hole was dug in the room and filled with sharp stakes. The pregnant woman was placed above it and with the midwife’s help delivered a white snake, which was trapped inside the hole.

The family, impressed and relieved, sought to pay the midwife lavishly but she refused all money and gifts, asking for and accepting only one white handkerchief. She blessed the young woman and departed. Although things returned to normal for the family, they always remembered this strange experience and thought of the midwife fondly. When the official visited Foochow, he decided to look up Mrs. Chan and offer further thanks. Although he searched high and low, she could not be found, nor had anyone heard of her. Finally someone recommended that he try the local birth goddess’ shrine, as that was where all the local midwives went to pay obeisance. When the official approached the shrine’s votive statue, he saw, attached to it, the handkerchief given Mrs. Chan. He took a good look at the statue and recognized her as his midwife.

**Favored people:** Lady Chan is venerated almost exclusively by women. She is the matron saint of midwives and pregnant women.

**Sacred site:** Lady Chan’s shrine and miraculous statue may be visited in Foochow, now more popularly spelled Fuzhou, Fujian Province, in China.

**Offerings:** Candles, incense, handkerchiefs

## Information Source

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

**Origin:** Greek

## Information

Hypnos, Lord of Sleep, is among the children of Nyx, Goddess of Night. He causes sleep by touching someone with his magic wand or fanning them with his wings. Hypnos lives an insomniac’s dream: a dark cave where the sun doesn’t shine and the light can’t waken him. Beautiful opium poppies grow by the cave’s entrance. He sleeps in an exceedingly comfortable feather bed surrounded by black curtains to further block the light. His son/brother/servant, Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, makes sure that no one and no noise disturbs Hypnos’ slumber.

Hypnos lives with his twin brother and close companion, Thanatos, Lord of Death. The two often work together. Hypnos is perceived as the more tender-hearted, sympathetic of the brothers. One may appeal to Thanatos through him. Hypnos is served by the Oneiroi, his sons and/or brothers, Spirits of Dreams.

Insomniacs—those who wish to sleep but cannot—can invoke Hypnos’ aid.

**Manifestation:** A dark-winged man or a night bird

**Iconography:** He is usually envisioned as a naked, youthful man. Images of Hypnos were once popular cemetery monuments and gravestone motifs.

**Altar:** Anything that disturbs sleep disturbs Hypnos: bright light, noise, and so forth. Keep his altar in a dark, quiet, restful place: a closet, if need be.

**Sacred plant:** Opium poppies (Papaver somniferum)

**Offers:** Sleep-inducing incense, flowers, warm milk, anything that evokes sleep

**See Also:** Morpheus; Nyx; Oneiroi; Somnus; Thanatos

## Appearance in Modern Media

From HadesFrom Sleepy Princess in Demon CastleFrom Reign of DragonsFrom Monster StrikeFrom Shin Megami TenseiFrom Age of IshtariaFrom Kamihime ProjectFrom Destiny ChildFrom Blood Brothers
## Information Source

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

**Classification:** Buddha

Maitreya, Buddha of the Future, the essence of love and compassion will be the successor to our Buddha Shakyamuni. (Maitreya will be Buddha number five.) Until then, he provides instruction at his celestial home. As with other messianic figures, over the centuries many have claimed to be Maitreya, but his estimated arrival on Earth is circa 100,000 CE. His name derives from a root word indicating “loving kindness”.

**Iconography:** Maitreya is portrayed as a Bodhisattva; he holds a vessel containing the elixir of immortality.

**Attribute:** Golden stupa (a mound-shaped reliquary, symbolic of enlightenment)

**See Also:** Amida; Bodhisattva; Buddha; Ma Gu

## Information Source

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

**Also Known As:** Kuan Kung; Guan Gong; Guan Di; Quan Cong (Vietnamese)

**Origin:** China

Kwan Kung is the Lord of War, a spirit of protection and defense. He protects people from Demons, scoundrels, thieves and malefactors in general. The very essence of righteousness, integrity and loyalty, in Chinese cosmology, Kwan Kung is often ranked just below the Jade Emperor. Rumors persist that he has, in fact, quietly and modestly assumed that office.

Kwan Kung was an historic person. In life, he was a Chinese warrior, leader of an army possibly during the Warring Kingdoms Era. He was unvanquished, brave and fierce in battle but also very beloved because he helped and protected the weak. A chieftain’s son kidnapped a local girl, an everyday occurrence in much of the world, then as now but not something Kwan Kung could tolerate. He killed the kidnapper, rescued the girl and brought her safely home to her family. Kwan Kung who wished no further violence fled but was pursued by the vengeful chieftain’s men. He sought refuge in a temple but his pursuers set it on fire. Kwan Kung, his face aflame, escaped the burning building and killed his attackers.

Kwan Kung was eventually unjustly executed for refusing to betray his king. In death, he continued to serve the people. Temples were erected to him throughout China and now around the world. Venerate him at home, too: allegedly an image of Kwan Kung kept in the home prevents trouble and domestic disturbances.

Kwan Kung is a master martial artist. He is generous, very frank and truthful but emotional and easily-angered. He cannot be bribed. Kwan Kung is also considered a great scholar; able to recite Chinese texts by heart.

**Favoured People:** Soldiers; those who work in law enforcement; scholars; Kwan Kung is the spiritual patron of the Hong Kong police department.

**Iconography:** Kwan Kung is depicted with a red face and long black beard.

**Attribute:** A weapon named in his honor (a long staff with a blade); book; spear; pen; pike

**Mount:** Red horse

**Colour:** Red

**See Also:** Jade Emperor

## Information Source

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

The Boundless Vessel

**Also known as:** Akasagarbha (Sanskrit); Kokuyo

**Classification:** Bodhisattva; Bosatsu

Kokuzo is among the great Bodhisattvas, venerated for his endless store of knowledge. He was among the first of the Bodhisattvas to reach Japan. Technically speaking, Kokuzo Bosatsu is invoked for wisdom leading to enlightenment. However, in Japanese folk religion, Kokuzo is beloved and renowned for granting wishes.

Kokuzo grants wishes and bestows intelligence. He is invoked to improve artisanal and technical skills. Meditating on his image is believed to improve the memory. (He may also be directly petitioned for improved memory.) Kokuzo is a road-opener, removing obstacles from one’s path. He helps people recognize their own faults and self-generated obstacles and also helps to correct and remove these. Kokuzo is not widely venerated except in folk religion and in Shingon Buddhism where he is a highly significant spirit. Children aged thirteen traditionally honor Kokuzo in hopes of enhancing intelligence and academic success.

**Favoured people:** Artisans; Kokuzo is patron of those born in the years of the ox and tiger

**Attributes:** Wish-granting jewel; sword with which to slice through ignorance

**Direction:** Northeast

**See also:** Bodhisattva; Bosatsu

## Information Source

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

**Origin:** Cornwall

The Knockers are spirits of Cornwall’s tin mines. They live in the mines but they work them, too: they are divine miners. Their name derives from the sound they make as they work. Their location can be identified by the sounds.

Knockers may be mischievous, playing tricks on human miners. They are temperamental and can be dangerous but are sometimes very friendly and helpful. Knockers have been known to rescue miners in trouble.

The Knockers are understood to be the ghosts of pre-Christian people who once inhabited Cornwall and worked the mines:

* They may be the ghosts of a long-lost pre-Celtic tribe. They were kind, generous, ethical people and so when they died, they were too good to be sent to Hell. However, as Pagans, there was no room for them in Heaven and so they were left to haunt tin mines.
* They may be the ghosts of Jews who may or may not have once formed small communities in Cornwall, serving in the international tin trade, possibly in the company of Joseph of Arimathea who is credited with bringing the Grail to Britain.
* They may be the ghosts of Jews sent to labour as slaves in Cornwall’s tin mines by the Romans following the destruction of Judea.

Knockers are nocturnal, working the mines all night long although they will appear during the day, too. They are associated with rich lodes and so human miners pay close attention to noises indicating the Knockers’ location.

Knockers are highly opinionated. Whether they manifest helpfully or harmfully depends largely on whether miners humour their whims:

* The Knockers do not like whistling. It really gets on their nerves. Miners take care not to whistle in or even near mines.
* Knockers never work on Christian or Jewish holidays, especially not on Easter, Christmas Day and All Saints Day. Many miners traditionally avoided working at these times, too, so as not to offend them.
* Knockers loathe the sign of the cross; miners avoid marking anything with a + or x.
* It is considered an antagonistic sign of poor manners to enter a tin mine for the first time without asking permission from the Knockers.

**Favoured People:** Knockers dwell in the mines; the only people they have contact with are those who join them there. Knockers are only reported leaving mines to visit miners.

**Manifestation:** Knockers are described as little men about the size of toddlers; they dress in miner’s clothes.

**Offerings:** Knockers expect food offerings, especially from those who have benefited from them. A portion of whatever you’re eating is sufficient. Offerings are left in mines. Traditionally, they were also left tallow with which to craft candles. Modern Knockers might appreciate flashlights or similar light sources.

**See Also:** Dwarves; Kobold; Tommy knockers

## Information Source

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

The Charmer

**Also Known As:** Krsna

**Origin:** India

Krishna is among the most beloved Hindu deities, worshipped throughout the subcontinent and around the world. He is also a great favourite of independent practitioners. He is among the most widely venerated of all spirits, bar none.

Technically, Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu however, if so, he is the favourite form. Krishna himself is worshipped in several forms:

* Krishna is the Divine Child, eternally delightful, mischievous, fun-loving and charming
* Krishna is the intoxicatingly beautiful, irresistible lover
* Krishna is the young cowherd who lives in an idyllic forest
* Krishna is the spiritual teacher, guide and advisor

Krishna is free, spontaneous and fearless. He is a prankster although never evil intentioned. Despite his sweet, loving nature, he is a powerful spirit who vanquishes the fiercest, deadliest, most toxic Demons. Krishna is a pivotal figure in the epic, the Mahabharata. He remains a particularly energetic, active spirit; manifesting to people and appearing in dreams and visions. He is all-powerful and may be petitioned for anything.

**Manifestation:** Krishna is physically beautiful; charming and charismatic. He has a sharp sense of humor but he is an incredible spiritual adept. Those who have witnessed him recently comment on his very recognizable blue skin.

**Iconography:** Krishna’s skin is blue; he wears a peacock feather crown

**Attribute:** Flute whose sound is compelling and enchanting

**Colour:** Blue

**Sacred site:** Krishnajanmabhoomi Temple in Mathura, India, said to be Krishna’s birthplace

**Offerings:** Butter; sweets

**See Also:** Kunti; Vishnu

## Appearance in Modern Media

From Shin Megami TenseiFrom Puzzle & DragonFrom Monster StrikeFrom Kamihime Project
## Information Source

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

The Hemp Princess

**Origin:** China

**Also Known As:** Magu; Mago; Mako; Ma Ku; Madame Hemp

Ma Gu looks like a teenager, but she’s an Immortal. Legend says this fifth-century Taoist shaman and alchemist was so adept she could walk on water in her shoes. Her husband murdered her, dumping her body in a lake. Her primary temple stands where her body washed ashore. Ma Gu still walks over the surface of the lake; many claim to see her, especially at the beginning and end of each lunar month.

After she died, Ma Gu ascended to the celestial zone where she attained Fairy status and became Xi Wangmu’s handmaiden. As divine waitress, she serves the peaches of immortality to the Jade Emperor and the Heavenly Court. Ma Gu is venerated throughout China. Her devotees and shrines suffered terrible persecution during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976).

Her own life cut short by murder, Ma Gu abhors violence. Bloodshed is strictly tabooed in her sacred temple precinct: fishing and hunting are banned by order of Ma Gu, who personally enforces the prohibition. Allegedly, violators drown in her lake or become hopelessly lost.

* Ma Gu is a goddess of good health and longevity.
* She presides over spiritually powerful, intoxicating substances.
* She protects women, who may call on her if they feel endangered.

The iconic image of Ma Gu bearing her dish of peaches (or alternatively the elixir of immortality) remains a standard image for birthday greetings in China.

**Favoured People:** Women, shamans, alchemists, mystic seekers

**Manifestation:** Ma Gu resembles a beautiful eighteen-year-old dressed in a shimmery, iridescent gown. She wears her hair in a bun, but several strands inevitably loosen and fall to her waist. Her fingernails resemble long bird talons.

**Iconography:** The standard image of Ma Gu portrays her bestowing peaches of immortality and/or a mystic elixir, which may be wine or an alchemical potion brewed from mushrooms or cannabis. This image is considered an auspicious birthday gift symbolic of good health, longevity, and immortality.

**Direction:** East

**Number:** 6

**Plants:** Hemp (Cannabis spp.), mulberry

**Creature:** Snake

**Mount:** Ma Gu rides a deer and flies on a crane

**Date:** Her birthday, on the sixth day of the sixth Chinese month

**Sacred site:** Initially venerated in caves, she eventually had several large shrines:

* The Yue Gu Temple complex in Yantai, Shandong Province, contains her tomb.
* Ma Gu Temple on Mount Heng in Hunan, one of China’s five sacred Taoist peaks, is now part of Magu Fairyland, a major tourist attraction.

**See Also:** Bao Gu; Eight Immortals; Fairy; Ho Hsien-Ko; Xi Wangmu; Jade Emperor; Ma Zu

## Information Source

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

**Origin:** German

Lorelei is the name of a spirit and the big rock in the Rhine River on which she sits. Lorelei, the most famous of the Rhine Maidens, is a Siren like mermaid who sits on her rock in the Rhine, combing her long hair and singing. The Lorelei rock is located in a particularly hazardous juncture of the Rhine, characterized by swift, treacherous currents. Lorelei’s voice distracts fishermen and boaters from the dangers and they crash, many drowning.

Different legends explain her history and actions:

* She was a girl who, betrayed by a faithless lover, threw herself into the Rhine and was transformed into this alluring but deadly mermaid
* She was a local woman whose true love, a sailor, drowned and so she threw herself into the river to join him
* It’s also possible that these legends camouflage an ancient Pagan goddess

The name Lorelei derives from two old Rhine dialect words: lureln (murmuring) and ley (rock). An alternative interpretation defines Lorelei as lurking rock. The reason Lorelei is more famous than the other Rhine Maidens is because of the success of Heinrich Heine’s 1827 poem of the same name, which eventually became a well-loved song. Sylvia Plath’s 1956 poem also titled Lorelei may pay tribute to the Rhine Maidens in general.

The Rhine Maidens are the mermaids of the Rhine River. They are among the stars of Richard Wagner’s operatic Ring Cycle.

#### **Sacred Site:**

The Lorelei rock is on the Rhine’s eastern bank near Sankt Goarshausen, Germany.

**See Also:** Lamia of the Sea; Mermaid; Siren

## Appearance in Modern Media

From Rage of BahamutFrom Unison LeagueFrom Kamihime Project
## Information Source

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

**Pantheon**: Chinese

**Title**: The Oathkeeper

## Smite Lore

Against the red rising sun, a winged form sweeps out to sea, claw clutched around a pebble. With focused grit, she hurls the small stone into the watery maw, circling above as it sinks into darkness. Resolved, she turns back to collect another. Jing Wei will not cease until the ocean is filled. That is her oath. And she will not break an oath.

Once, she was a young girl, a princess, enamoured by the glory of the morning light. She gazed in wonder as her father, Yan Di, the Flame Emperor, shepherded the sun from the eastern sea. Desperately, she
longed to reach the place where it emerged, but her father refused to take her on the waters.

One night, the princess sailed out alone, secretly hoping for a clear view come the dawn. But the waters were churning in a storm. Mountainous waves crashed into her tiny ship. The sea swallowed her whole.

Yan Di woke and coaxed the sun from the horizon, only to find the shattered remains of his daughter's boat upon the shore.

Yet, even as he grieved, a bright goddess burst from the ocean and soared overhead. "Jingwei!" she cried, and Yan Di knew his daughter was reborn.

Though given a second chance that day, Jing Wei swore an oath against the seas that took her life. She would fill them with stone until they were gone. An impossible task. But Jing Wei swore an oath. And Jing Wei will not break an oath.
Kanayago

*The Iron Worker’s Child*

**Origin:** Japan

**Classification:** Kami

Kanayago, a celestial kami, stepped off the moon tree intending to deliver a treatise, “A Secret Writing about Iron Mountain” but her foot got caught and she tripped. Falling to Earth, Kanayago died. She started a vigil over her own corpse. Kanayago’s vigil is eternal. This watchful soul atop a mountain of iron emerged as the presiding spirit of metalworkers. She taught people how to work iron. (Their first project was an iron kettle.) Kanayago protects metal-workers; guards their safety; prevents accidents and increases yield.

Kanayago’s earliest manifestation seems to have been as a female but she eventually began to appear in both male and female form. Kanayago is now envisioned as the male half of a pair of iron-working spirits. The polite way to address him is Kanayago-sama and his female counterpart as Kanayama-hime (i.e., Lord Kanayago and Princess Kanayama).

Iron-working is intimately tied to primordial women’s blood mysteries. Many cultures perceive iron ore to be Earth’s own menstrual blood. Kanayago has stringent taboos against menstruating women: they cannot come into her presence. Active devotees who are male must also avoid menstruating women; not only not having sex with them but also not even looking them in the face. Complete avoidance is preferred until the menstrual cycle has completely concluded.

**Manifestation:** Kanayago wears rags and his or her teeth are blackened.

**Sacred animal:** Kanayago’s relationship with dogs is subject to controversy. Some say she travels with a dog; others that she hates them because it was a dog’s unexpected barking that caused her to trip.

**Mount:** Snowy heron

**Plant:** Wisteria

**Sacred day:** Kanayago is honored at the Bellows Festival on the eighth day of the eleventh lunar month

**See Also:** Gorgon; Inari; Kajishin; Kami; Ogun

## Information Source

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

**Origin:** Transylvanian Romani (Gypsy)

The Loçolico are chthonic spirits who live deep within Earth but frequently travel above the surface. On one such expedition, the King of the Loçolico saw and fell madly in love with Ana, the beautiful, magical, gentle Queen of the Keshalyi, Fairy-like spirits. Love was not mutual. Not one to take “no” for an answer, the King directed his Loçolico to attack the Keshalyi. Many Keshalyi were devoured; the entire species would have been exterminated had not Ana agreed to marry the king in exchange for the safety of the rest of the Keshalyi. The Loçolico are vicious spirits but their word is good: they uphold their vow and no longer harm the Keshalyi.

Ana lives atop a mountain; the Keshalyi live inside. This union of spirits of heights and depths resulted in the birth of dreaded disease spirits. However, the complex myth describing each disease Demon’s birth essentially serves as a shamanic diagnostic method for determining illness and cures.

**See Also:** Ana: Bitoso; Chthonic Spirits; Demon; Fairy; Keshalyi; Lilyi; Lolmischo; Melalo; Poreskoro; Tçaridyi; Tçulo

## Information Source

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