recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Arianrhod

*The Silver Wheel*

**Origin:** Wales

**Pantheon**: Celtic

**Authority**: Moon

## Information

Arianrhod is a Welsh goddess of the full moon and also of time, karma and destiny. She ruled over the realm of the Celtic Otherworld, called Caer Feddwidd, the Fort of Carousa. Here a mystical fountain of wine offered eternal health and youth for those who chose to spend their immortality in the Otherworld. She brings inspiration, renewal, health and rejuvenation, and is a focus for all magick, as she is a witch goddess.

A weird tale appears in the Welsh epic Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi: Math, Lord of Gwynedd, must rest with his feet in the lap of a virgin girl. When his last foot-holder loses her credentials, Arianrhod, daughter of Don and Beli and Gwydion’s sister, becomes a candidate for the position.

As a test of her virginity, she must step over Math’s magic wand. She does and instantly gives birth to twin boys. The first, Dylan, immediately joins the sea spirits. Arianrhod’s brother, Gwydion, takes the other boy under his protection. Arianrhod imposes three taboos on this twin, including the proviso that he will not receive a name until she feels like giving him one. Gwydion eventually tricks her into naming him Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Gwydion manages to subvert the other taboos, too, consistently subverting Arianrhod’s authority.

This is just part of a very complex saga written down by Christian commentators based on much older Celtic oral traditions. Arianrhod is presented as a strange, hostile girl, but older versions may have told of a moon goddess who birthed the sea and sun (or at least the spirits thereof).

Arianrhod’s name means “Silver Wheel” which is a Celtic metaphor for the moon. One of her sons is a sea spirit; the other is associated with the sun. Her mother, Don, may be the ancestress of the entire Welsh pantheon; her father may or may not be Belenus.

Little information survives regarding Arianrhod, but she is beloved in the modern Pagan community. Vestiges of myth indicate that she is an extremely powerful goddess. She owns two fortresses: one in the sky; one on an island in the sea. Arianrhod’s wheel may be perceived as a lunar year; she is sometimes given dominion over the Welsh zodiac and sacred astronomy.

Hidden within Arianrhod’s myth may be a powerful lunar goddess and her attempts to maintain her authority against those who venerate the sun. A full retelling and exploration of themes is found in Sharynne MacLeod NicMhacha’s 2005 book, Queen of the Night (Weiser Books).

**Planet:** Moon

**Metal**: Silver

**Constellation:** In Welsh, the Corona Borealis (Northern Crown) is known as Caer Arianrhod, Arianrhod’s Fortress.

**Sacred site:** Caer Arianrhod, Arianrhod’s Fortress, a reef off the coast of Gwynedd, Wales, is reputedly the remains of Arianrhod’s island castle, only visible during low tide.

**See Also:** Blodeuwedd; Lleu Llaw Gyffes

## Information Source

https://witchesofthecraft.com/tag/goddess-of-beauty/

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

**Also known as:** Ashura

**Origin:** India

The Ashuras are spirits from India who are the hostile rivals of the Hindu deities, the Devas. Ashura is now frequently translated as “Demon” or “anti-god,” but they are an earlier pantheon who came into conflict with the new Hindu pantheon. Many mythologists perceive that they correspond to the Titans or at least play a corresponding role. They are a vanquished but still troublesome pantheon hostile to newer Aryan spirits and so not incorporated into the Hindu pantheon but Demonized instead.

Unlike the priest, merchant, and warrior castes of Hinduism, Ashuras are identified with iron smelters; a caste of metalworkers still bears their name. The hostility of the Ashuras derives from a betrayal. Once upon a time, the Devas required the Ashuras’ cooperation to churn the cosmic sea and obtain the Elixir of Immortality. Vishnu engaged their help with the understanding that they would share this precious elixir, although Vishnu actually never intended to do so. Various versions of exactly what happened exist; the end result of all is that the Devas drink the elixir and the Ashuras do not.

**See Also:** Aesir; Gajasura; Titan; Vishnu

## Appearances in Modern Media

From Shin Megami TenseiFrom Reign of DragonsFrom Age of IshtariaFrom Monster Strike
## Information Source

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

*Mule of the Graves*

**Origin:** Morocco

According to the tenets of Islam, there is a proscribed waiting time before a widow can take a new husband. Officially this is described as a period of mourning, but it also serves to clarify and establish paternity, especially back in the day before instant pregnancy tests.

According to the legend of the Baghlet el Qebour, a Marrakech widow flouted this proscription. (Alternatively, she prostituted herself before the official mourning time was complete.) When she died, she was not allowed to rest in peace but was punished. Every night (except Wednesdays, her night off) she transforms into a mule. From just before midnight until the wee hours of morning, Baghlet el Qebour roams Marra kech’s deserted quarters looking for men out gallivanting. She buries them alive.

Presumably the Baghlet el Qebour was not the only woman to flout this rule: why she was singled out for punishment is unclear. Furthermore, although she’s described as being punished, Baghlet el Qebour is something of an avenging angel, the morality police in the shape of a mule. She doesn’t bother anyone who’s at home after dark. She also doesn’t bother streetwalkers; it’s their customers she has within her sights.

Baghlet el Qebour’s modern legend may be a cautionary tale reminding widows to behave properly. She’s not punished for being the only woman to misbehave; she’s punished for being a potential role model. The Baghlet el Qebour is sometimes classified with Djinn (who are a different species from people; Djinn, unlike some other spirits, do not have prior human incarnations). Lurking beneath this urban legend may be a pre-Islamic spirit who upholds matrilineal traditions, flouting the desire to establish paternity. She may be a spirit of contraception, also potentially flouting paternal control. Mules, notoriously, are sterile; it doesn’t matter when they have sex, they won’t conceive.

**Manifestation:** A solitary mule, all saddled up. Those who attempt to mount her, mistakenly thinking they can catch a ride home, are in for an unpleasant surprise.

**See Also:** Aisha Qandisha; Djinn; Xtabey

## Information Source

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

**Also known as:** Aigina

**Origin:** Greek

**Classification:** Nymph or Naiad

Aegina, presiding spirit of the island in the Saronic Gulf, south of Athens; bearing her name, is the daughter of river spirit Asopus and Metope, a Nymph. In the guise of an eagle, Zeus abducted Aegina, carrying her to an island, which he then named in her honour. Although stories sometimes describe Zeus having a “romantic interlude” with Aegina, it was clearly a resisted abduction. She had to be brought far away and to what may have been a deserted island for the relationship to be consummated. Her father attempted to rescue her, but he was driven back by Zeus’ thunderbolts.

When plague struck the island, Zeus repeopled it by turning the ants of the island into humans, who were known as Myrmidons. The ancient Cretan deity Britomartis took refuge here from the attentions of King Minos. The Aegeans called her Dictynna. Aegina has at least two children: a mortal son, Menoetius, and Zeus’ son, Aeacus. She is Achilles’ great-grandmother via Aeacus and the grandmother of Patroclus, whose father was Menoetius.

Aegina is extremely well-connected with close relatives among sea and river spirits, as well as in the afterlife. If what you need or desire involves deities of many realms, Aegina may be requested to serve as your mediator or broker. Her image was very popular in fifth-century BCE vase paintings. She is a protective spirit who bestows prosperity and may be appealed to help end family feuds.

**Animal**: Goat

**See Also:** Achilles; Aeacus; Apollo; Ariadne; Naiad; Nymph; Zeus

## Information Source

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

Greek and Roman Mythology A to Z, Revised Edition – Written by Kathleen N. Daly and Revised by Marian Rengel
Araquiel

A fallen angel who guarded the secrets of the signs of the earth. Araquiel is named in the Book of Enoch, where he is said to have fallen after giving into the temptation of beautiful mortal women. One of two hundred Watcher Angels charged with overseeing humanity, Araquiel abandoned his heavenly duties to raise a family instead. Although the knowledge was forbidden, he taught the signs of the earth to humans, further breaking his trust with Heaven.

## Information Source

Dictionary of Demons by Michelle Belanger
Ahuiateteo

*Lords of Excess*

**Pronounced:** Ah-wee-ah-teh-tay-o**Also known as:** The Macuiltonaleque

**Origin:** Aztec

The Ahuiateteo embody the dangers and consequences of overindulgence, including excessive drinking, gambling, and sex. Each of the five spirits bears a calendar name incorporating the number five:

* 5 Flower (Macuilxochitl)
* 5 Lizard (Macuilcuetzpalin)
* 5 Vulture (Macuilcozcacuahtli)
* 5 Rabbit (Macuiltochtli)
* 5 Grass (Macuilmalinalli)

Macuilxochitl (5 Flower), another name for Xochipilli, Prince of Flowers, is the chief Ahuiateteo, Lord of the Lords.

For the Aztecs, the number five symbolized excess: one too many. When you’ve had five, you’ve had too much (the fifth cigarette; the fifth drink; the fifth cup of coffee; the fifth hand of cards …). Punishment for excess was perceived in Aztec cosmology as a natural consequence. The Ahuiateteo were in charge of making sure punishment was administered, usually in the form of illness. The Ahuiateteo are also invoked by fortune-tellers and diviners to help read the writing on the wall.

**Number:** 5**Direction:** South

**See also:** Xochipilli

## Information Source

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

The Black Dog is among Britain’s most famous spectral hounds. It may be dangerous and malevolent or helpful and benevolent. It usually serves as a guardian of treasure or a sacred place. If left alone, it usually leaves you alone, too, but if aggression is shown toward it, the Black Dog isn’t afraid to Demonstrate supernatural powers, potentially causing terrible wounds, paralysis, or death before vanishing into thin air.

**Manifestation:** A shaggy black dog the size of a calf with glowing, red eyes

**See Also:** Hounds of Annwn; Sir Francis Drake

## Information Source

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

*The White Lady*

**Classification:** Birth Fairy

**Origin:** Breton

Béfind is the prototype of fairy tale Fairy godmothers. She is the queen of the Breton Fairies called “Our Good Mothers.” Béfind may appear with an entourage of other spirits or by herself. Although those who have a close, personal relationship with her may see her more frequently, in general, she makes but three appearances in a person’s life: birth, death, and marriage. She comes to bestow blessings and one’s fate. Whether she foretells fate or actually determines it is subject to debate, but it’s considered wise to propitiate her before these important events just to keep on her good side.

**Offerings:** A beautiful table is created for her, in the home if possible, just after a birth or preceding a wedding. If there is a death vigil, it is considered beneficial to lay a table for her; however, if death is a surprise, it may be laid afterward. Béfind has refined taste: in addition to the fruits, nuts, and berries generally offered to Fairies, she enjoys champagne, fine whisky, and liqueurs and elegant pastry.

**See Also:** Birth Fairy; Our Good Mothers

## Information Source

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

**Also known as:** Black Agnes; Black Anna; Cat Anna; Gentle Annie

**Origin:** England

Black Annis, Hag of the Dane Hills near Leicester, England, allegedly eats children who stray into her territory after dark, or at least so their mothers traditionally warn them. First she skins them; then she eats them, scattering the bones around the hills and hanging their skins from trees. Black Annis snatches lambs from pastures and climbs through windows to seize babies, although perhaps over the years she’s just been blamed for missing children and livestock. Sometimes Black Annis is called Gentle Annie, although this is generally considered a supplicating attempt at appeasement.

**Manifestations:** She may manifest as a blue-faced crone with long claws and yellow fangs, as a huge black forest cat, or as some sort of woman/cat merger: a cat Demon.

**Animal**: Cats

**Place**: Black Annis lives in a cave called Black Annis’ Bower that she personally clawed out from the rocks. Some scholars think her cave marks an Iron Age shrine and that Black Annis, now a dread bogeywoman, was once a venerated goddess. Once upon a time, Black Annis liked to sit and observe her territory from within a giant oak near her cave, vestige of the vast forest that once covered this region. The oak was felled and so she’s now apparently moved permanently to the cave.

**See Also:** Aine; Aynia; Ketta

## Information Source

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

Chasseur est un Métier de Talent. Il permet de se spécialiser dans la traque et la chasse d'animaux, à l'aide d'armes blanches ou de distance.

## Services

Le Chasseur a les capacités pour chasser les bêtes, ce qui lui permet, par exemple:

* De combattre les animaux et les monstres problématiques avec plus d'aisance.
* De repérer les traces animales et se dissimuler en terre sauvage
* De vendre des produits animaux tels que la peau, la viande, les cornes, etc.

## Niveaux

Le Chasseur possède le Talent évolutif de Métier: Bonne chasse

* **Niveau 1**
	+ En pleine nature, vous obtenez un bonus de Perception(PER) +1.
	+ Lorsque vous combattez une bête, obtenez un bonus de +1 sur vos actions offensives.
* **Niveau 2**
	+ En pleine nature, vous obtenez un bonus de Perception(PER) +1.
	+ Lorsque vous combattez une bête, obtenez un bonus de +2 sur vos actions offensives.
* **Niveau 3**
	+ En pleine nature, vous obtenez un bonus de Perception(PER) +2.
	+ Lorsque vous combattez une bête, obtenez un bonus de +3 sur vos actions offensives.
* **Niveau 4**
	+ En pleine nature, vous obtenez un bonus de Perception(PER) +2.
	+ Lorsque vous combattez une bête, obtenez un bonus de +4 sur vos actions offensives.
* **Niveau 5**
	+ En pleine nature, vous obtenez un bonus de Perception(PER) +3.
	+ Lorsque vous combattez une bête, obtenez un bonus de +5 sur vos actions offensives.
Anhur

**Pantheon**: Egyptian

**Title**: Slayer of Enemies

## Smite Lore

Anhur, the lion-headed Egyptian God of war, slays his enemies with spear and guile. Weapons equally as sharp!

As a son of Ra, Anhur, and his sister Bastet, rode in the golden barge their father sailed across the sky each day. They protected the ship at dawn and dusk from the world serpent, Apep, who lurked at the horizon. Courageous, formidable, and above all, intelligent, Anhur defended the vessel with his spear and wits, outsmarting and distracting the serpent until feral Bastet delivered a killing blow. With Apep gone, Ra became Pharaoh, Bastet, the Goddess of Cats and Women, and Anhur donned the mantle of the God of War. This is how he became known as the Slayer of Enemies.

As time went on, another feline Goddess, Menhet, ran away from the Pantheon, spurning Ra. Anhur vowed to bring her back from the distant lands of Nubia to appease his father, but when he finally caught up with Menhet, he was enraptured and fell in love. He tied a rope to her neck and led her home, where he requested Menhet become his wife, a boon Ra happily granted.

For Egyptians, warfare is more than bloody battle, it's a means to break the chains of tyranny. Anhur can be found at the head of any charge, crushing corruption and leading the people to freedom. While his spear is deadly, Anhur is cunning and clever, able to outmaneuver opponents in ways they least expect.
Bereginy

**Origin:** Slavic

Bereginy refers to a host of Slavic water spirits who serve as Bereginia’s entourage. Slavic women paid public homage to the Bereginy as late as the Middle Ages with secret devotions continuing long after. Christian chroniclers complained that the Bereginy were dangerous spirits precisely because of the persistence with which women continued to serve them secretly. Rituals once held openly on the banks of rivers were eventually held in secret, private places like the bathhouse. The Bereginy are not considered entirely benevolent: in Poland, they stand accused of stealing babies and leaving changelings in their place.

**Manifestations:** Beautiful women or mermaids

**Iconography:** Bereginy are portrayed as double-tailed mermaids.

**Realms**: River, forest, and lake

**See Also:** Bereginia; Mermaid; Rusalka

## Information Source

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

**Also known as:** Al Buraq (literally the Buraq)

Al Buraq is a winged white horse (bigger than a donkey; smaller than a mule) with the crowned head of a beautiful woman and the wings and tail of glorious male peacock feathers. Al Buraq is the mount on which the Prophet rode on his flight from Mecca to Jerusalem to the Seventh Heaven. Her origins are unclear. Some scholars speculate that she is related to ancient spirits of Mesopotamia depicted with human heads on large animal bodies. She may be some sort of angel.
Historically, images of al Buraq are mass-produced as popular chromolithographs, comparable to chromolithographs of Roman Catholic saints. This is highly unusual in a culture that usually discourages any sort of visual depiction. Her image serves as an amulet for personal safety and to fly over obstacles. In Pakistan, buses are ornamented with images of al Buraq in hopes that she will provide safety. In Muslim West Africa, merchants post images of al Buraq in hopes that she will serve as a vehicle for miraculous business and entrepreneurial success and progress. Her image is thus used in similar manner to that of Mami Waters and La Sirène elsewhere.

Airlines in Indonesia and Libya are named after al Buraq, as is an Islamic credit card. In Sheba, Walter Crane IV’s comic book series, al Buraq meets and mingles with ancient deities of Egypt.

**See Also:** Mami Waters; La Sirène

From Shin Megami TenseiFrom Blood Brothers
## Information Source

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

**Also known as:** Benten; Benzai Tennyo

**Origin:** Japan

Benten, beautiful dragon goddess of sex, fertility, music, dance, love, and wealth, has dominion over all Earth’s treasures, material and emotional. She brings happiness, wealth, and joy. Benten is the only female member of the Shichi Fujukin, the Seven Spirits of Good Fortune. Benten is revered in Shinto and Buddhist traditions.

Daughter of a dragon king, Benten agreed to marry a child-devouring dragon if he would promise to change his diet, which he did. She lives happily with her dragon husband under Lake Biwa, near Kyoto.

* If you are tormented by dragons in any way, Benten knows how to pacify and control them. Invoke her protection.
* Benten traditionally helps lovers remove obstacles from their path to happiness. Leave a letter or message for her at one of her many shrines or a home altar.

**Favoured people:** Geishas, dancers, musicians, creative people in general, lovers, children

**Iconography:** She is frequently depicted naked; crowned with a white snake or surrounded by them. She often appears in the company of a dragon.

**Attribute:** Biwa (musical instrument). An unexpected glimpse of a white snake is a harbinger of good fortune and/or a message from Benten.

**Element:** Water

**Sacred day:** The first serpent day in February (Japanese calendar)

**Sacred animals:** Dragon; snakes serve as her messengers, especially white snakes.

**Mounts:** Dragon or large white snake

**Sacred sites:** Lake Biwa; legend says that the holy island of Enoshima, near Tokyo, arose in response to Benten’s footsteps.

**Shrines:** Benten’s shrines are almost inevitably situated near water (sea, rivers, springs); among the most famous are the Zeniarai Benten shrines in Kamakura and in Tokyo’s Inokashira Park.

**Rituals:** Benten is associated with the magical art of money laundering. Literally. The tradition of washing coins at her shrines began in the thirteenth century and derives from ritual rice washing associated with Ugajin, the water snake spirit with whom Benten shares shrines. Paper money is now washed, too. Money is cleansed at a sacred water source within her shrine, then carefully and completely dried. If washed properly and then spent within a week, it will allegedly return to you three-fold, at least!

**Offerings:** Images of dragons, snakes; ema boards (wooden votive boards) featuring images of snakes

**See Also:** Dragon King of the Sea; Dragon Queens; Lady White Snake; Shichi Fukujin; Ugajin

## Appearances in Modern Media

From Monster StrikeFrom Shumatsu no Valkyrie/Record of Ragnarok
## Information Source

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

**Origin:** Wales

Arianrhod, the mother of Lleu Llaw Gyffes, placed him under various taboos including one preventing his marriage. His uncle, Gwydion, got around that injunction by creating Blodeuwedd, a magical woman formed from broom, oak, and meadowsweet flowers. Just how magical she is (or how gifted a magician is Gwydion) is indicated by this selection of flowers: each blooms at a different time of year in a different location.

Blodeuwedd is extremely beautiful. Although created specifically to be Lleu’s wife, the magician is unable to program her behaviour or feelings. She took a lover, with whom she plotted Lleu’s death. Delilah-like, she inveigled Lleu into revealing how he can be killed. (He’s almost immortal.) The plot fails; Gwydion kills Blodeuwedd’s lover, but Blodeuwedd cannot be killed as she is not really “alive” in the same sense as a mortal. (Or because a Welsh goddess lurks beneath this tale.) Blodeuwedd was always an Otherworld being, and so she was transformed into an owl for eternity.

This myth was committed to paper by Christian commentators based on earlier oral traditions. Blodeuwedd is very much cast as Delilah. It has been interpreted that because she is not truly human, she lacks moral sense as well as a soul, hence her faithlessness. The myth never expresses why she seeks to kill her husband, whether she has any motivation beyond being cold and immoral. Blodeuwedd may be understood as following in Arianrhod’s footsteps. Lleu is a new solar, patriarchal-oriented deity. Arianrhod and Blodeuwedd may represent earlier spiritual traditions threatened by Lleu and seeking to halt his progress in their territory. Adding to the argument that Blodeuwedd is not merely a magician’s invention is her resemblance to the Irish spirit Blathnat.

By transforming Blodeuwedd into an owl, a nocturnal bird, she has been banished from the presence of the solar spirit, Lleu, but can keep company with his mother, the Moon Lady, Arianrhod. Blodeuwedd is a spirit of love and beauty. Invoke her to enable you to choose your own lovers, not to be forced into marriage or other relationships.

Petition and perform rituals for Blodeuwedd exclusively at night; she may be inaccessible during the day.

**Flowers**: Oak, meadowsweet, broom: the flowers from which she was created

**Bird:** Owl

**See Also:** Arianrhod; Blathnat; Lleu Llaw Gyffes

## Information Source

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

An avatar is the embodiment or incarnation of a spirit, usually in the form of a human but sometimes as an animal. The word derives from the Sanskrit avatarah, meaning "descent" (of the deity to Earth). The avatar may be understood to be the servant or messenger of the original deity or as successive generations or appearances of a sacred being. The avatar is simultaneously distinct *and* the same as the root deity.

The most famous avatars are the ten incarnations of the Hindu deity Vishnu. The most famous of Vishnu's avatars is the eighth, Krishna, an exceptionally popular deity in his own right. He is simultaneously a distinct being *and* a form of Vishnu. Phoolan Devi, India's controversial bandit queen, murdered in 2001, is widely considered an avatar of warrior goddess Durga. The concept of the avatar is not exclusive to India:

* Cleopatra identified herself as an avatar of love goddess Aphrodite.
* Cleopatra's father was considered an avatar of Dionysus, lord of wine (albeit with some disapproval by his subject).
* Jewish folklore identifies Helen of Troy and the Queen of Sheba as avatars of the bewitching demon goddess Lilith.

## Information Source

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

**Origin:** Sumer (Mesopotamia)

Bau, Goddess of Healing and Life, was once among the most significant deities of the Sumerian pantheon. She is intensely associated with dogs and may appear as a dog-headed woman. It is very tempting to associate her name with “bow-wow.” Dog and puppy burials have been found amidst her temple ruins.

Bau, Lady of Life, is invoked for any sort of healing as well as prosperity, abundance, and emotional and psychic relief. Her popularity faded as that of Inanna rose. (Inanna is also associated with canine imagery; whether or not this is borrowed from Bau is subject to debate.)

Bau has seven daughters known as the Lukur Girls:

* Zazaru
* Nipae
* Urnuntaea
* Hegirnuna
* Heshaga
* Zargu
* Zurgu

The Lukur Girls served as Bau’s priestesses. (The eldest three, Nipae, Urnuntaea, and especially Zazaru were also venerated alone and possessed their own chapels.) With the ascendance of Inanna, the Lukur Priestesses were eventually transferred to her.

**Star:** Bau is the daughter of Sirius, the Dog Star.

**Animal:** Dog

**Offerings:** Build her an altar featuring dog imagery; appropriate gifts would include contributions to dog shelters and hospitals or acts on behalf of dogs in need.

In her later Babylonian incarnation, Gula Bau, spirit of healing, walks Earth accompanied by her pack of hounds.

**See also:** Inanna-Ishtar

## Information Source

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

Sanctuaire est une Caractéristique Secondaire attribuée à un Personnage. Elle permet de se protéger des sortilèges de Villya.

Sa valeur résulte d'une addition des statistiques Endurance(END) et Esprit(ESP), varie de -10 à +10 sur la Fiche Personnage, et peut être altérée via des Talents ou des Tares.

## Utilisation

* Résister à un sortilège de Villya.
	+ Si le score du Roll de SAN est supérieur au score de Mental(MEN) du Mage adverse, le sortilège est inefficace.

## Liaisons

### MEN

Sanctuaire permet de résister aux attaques magiques directes de Villya.
Al

**Origin:** Armenia

The Al is a type of generally malevolent, anti-fertility spirit held responsible for miscarriage and deaths of very young children. The Al is described as suffocating or strangling babies, but this may manifest as crib death (SIDS).

Those considered vulnerable to Als include pregnant women and infants from the moment of conception until seven months of age, at which point they are either immune or the Al loses interest. Iron amulets protect against Als, although they themselves bear iron. Those considering themselves invulnerable sometimes seek to control them. Allegedly sticking a pin into the Al’s clothing places it under your command. Beneath these ominous stories may lie forgotten (and now wrathful) pre-Christian deities.

**Manifestations:** Als are frequently invisible, but when they show themselves they are described as having brass fingernails, iron teeth, tusks like a boar, and hair like snakes, similar to Gorgon Medusa.

**Attribute:** Iron scissors

**Metal**: Iron

**Places**: Als prefer damp, dank places; they like stables and remote roadsides.

## Information Source

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

This is a collection of famous Alchemists.

Apollonius of TyanaElias AshmoleRoger BaconJakob BohmeRobert BoyleTycho BraheCount Alessandro CagliostroSir Kenelm DigbyNicolas FlamelRobert FluddJohann Wolfgang von GoetheJohn Frederick Schweitzer HelvetiusJabir ibn HayyanHeinrich KhunrathMaria ProphetessIsaac NewtonThomas NortonParacelsus von Hohenheim
Akerbeltz

*Black Goat*

**Origin:** Basque (Euskara)

Akerbeltz, goat spirit and horned deity, lives in the mountains and caves of the Pyrenees. Akerbeltz is generally considered a virile, male spirit closely associated with Mari. He may be her companion, alter ego, or even twin soul; however, some perceive Akerbeltz to actually be a path of Mari.

Regardless of their relationship, Akerbeltz is ancient: Roman inscriptions reference him. Akerbeltz protects flocks from danger and disease; he raises storms and leads a host of spirits. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Inquisition engaged in devastating witch hunts in Basque country; they identified Akerbeltz with Satan and accused women of offering him their souls.

**Manifestations:** Akerbeltz manifests as a black goat; the goats presiding over sabbats in Spanish artist Francisco Goya’s Witchcraft Paintings may be understood as portraits of Akerbeltz.

**Days:** Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

**Offerings:** Bread, eggs, coins

**See also**: Mari

## Information Source

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

*The Mother Who Is Father*

**Also known as:** Amunet; Amaunet; Ament; Imentet; Amentat

One spirit emerged in the primordial past incorporating both male and female genders. Eventually it split into two, with Ammon as the male spirit and Amonet as the female. She is usually described as his “female counterpart,” but he could just as easily be described as her “male counterpart.” Amonet possesses the same powers as Ammon.

**Manifestations:** A snake-headed woman, a cobra

**See Also:** Amentat; Ammon; Mut

## Information Source

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

**Origin:** India

The Ashvins are the Vedic divine twins. These two brothers, Dasra (“Accomplishing Wonderful Deeds”) and Nasatya (“Helpful”) are described as leaders of Heaven. The Rig Veda says they preside over Earth.
The Ashvins are solar horses, sons of the sun, born from the nostrils of their sacred mare mother, Ashvini. They rise at dawn to disperse gloom to the far corners of Earth. They are saviours from sin and are petitioned by the ailing and infirm for peace and healing. The Ashvins not only treat humans, but they are also the personal physicians of the Devas. Just to be in their presence provides healing power. They are also oracular spirits.

**Manifestation:** They are young, rambunctious, full of energy, and sweet-natured.

**Planet:** Sun

**Time:** Sunrise

**Constellation:** Ashvini, the very first of the Nakshatras (lunar mansion: divisions through which the moon passes every month in Vedic astrology) associated with the star Beta Arietis, one of the horns in the constellation Aries. (Although the Ashvins are horses, they Demonstrate the cardinal energy associated with Aries.)

**Offering**: Honey; ghee (clarified butter: place a cotton wick in ghee and burn)

**See Also:** Saulé

## Information Source

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

**Also known as:** Agassou; Agassu; Roi d’Agasou (Haiti)

**Origin:** Dahomey

**Classification:** Lwa

Agasou, the Leopard Spirit, is guardian of Dahomean traditions. Various theories regarding his root identity include:

* Agasou is an ancestral leopard spirit.
* Agasou is the founder-king of the Dahomean Empire, son of human Princess Aligbono, daughter of King Tado, and the leopard spirit, Kpo. (Kpo literally means “leopard,” the totem animal of the Dahomean royal family.)
* Agasou is a war chief from the neighbouring Yoruba city-state Oyo, exiled for aggression and nicknamed Kpo for his ferocious nature.
* Agasou is that war chief exiled, not for aggression, but because his magic powers made others nervous: he could transform into a leopard.
* Agasou is a war chief nicknamed Kpo who had a clandestine affair with either King Tado’s wife or daughter, fathering a male child. When King Tado died, the child’s mother tried to place her son on the throne, but the people rebelled, preferring the king’s nephew, son of the king’s sister. The leopard’s son fled to the Dahomean city, Allada, which he eventually took over.
* Agasou may not actually be the ancestor of the Dahomean royal family, but may, in fact, have been venerated before their arrival in the region. The supplanted Gedevi people venerated a leopard spirit.

In Dahomey, Agasou is considered an ancestral spirit, patron of the Dahomean royal family. In Haiti, he is generally venerated as the lwa of home, family, lineage, and ancestry. He serves as a lieutenant in Lord Agwé’s army. Legend has it that Ayida-Wedo asked Agasou to bring Vodou and the power of the ancestors to Haiti from Africa (Giné). Agasou immediately fulfilled this request, assisted by a crab. It is traditional for his devotees to refrain from eating crab. In Haiti, Agasou is understood to be a king.
He is syncretized to Saint Louis, the canonized king of France.

**Manifestations:** He manifests as a man or leopard. Even as a man, there may be a reference to leopards: leopard-skin clothing or leopard-pattern fabric, for instance.

**Iconography:** Agasou is represented by images of Saint Louis or a leopard.

**Consort:** Silibo Vavou

**Sacred animals:** Leopard, crab

**Colours:** White, brown, and the spectrum from yellow to gold

**Day:** Thursday

**Feast:** 25 August

**See Also:** Agoussou; Agwé; Ayida-Wedo; Gedé; Loko; Silibo

## Information Source

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

**Pronounced**: Ah-wee-zo-tul

**Origin:** Aztec

The dreaded Ahuizotl lives at the bottom of deep lakes and pools of freshwater. It cries like a baby to lure people near, then pulls its victim underwater. Several days later, the victim’s drowned corpse surfaces, missing its eyes, teeth, and nails.
The Ahuizotl, about the size of a dog, resembles a cross between a monkey and a dog, but with canine pointy ears. It has a hand on the end of its tail with which to grab victims. The Ahuizotl can come out of the water onto land, but allegedly it doesn’t travel far from the water’s edge.

The Ahuizotl is a guardian spirit of freshwater fish and thus the natural adversary of fishing people. However, in the process of guarding its charges, it seems to have developed a fondness for munching on humans and is clever enough to trick even those with no designs on fish to come close enough to kill. There is also a theory that the Ahuizotl is a cryptid (an animal that, although discussed, has not yet been proven to exist), perhaps some kind of killer otter.

Ahuizotl is also the name of the Aztec ruler who reigned just before Moctezuma II and the arrival of the conquistadors. Considered among the fiercest, most successful Aztec military leaders, the Ahuizotl for whom he is named may have been his nahual, his sacred soul animal.

**See Also:** Kappa; Tezcatlipoca

## Information Source

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

**Origin**: Greek

Anteros (love-for-love) In Greek mythology, god of passion, mutual love, and tenderness; son of Aphrodite and Ares; brother of Eros, Delmos, Enyo, Harmmia, Pallor, and Phobos. Anteros is the spirit of requited love, literally “love returned.” Aphrodite was told by Themis that her son Eros would grow only if he had another brother. As soon as Anteros was born, Eros began to grow, and his strength increased, but whenever Eros found himself at a distance from Anteros, he returned to his baby form. Often Anteros and Eros were portrayed striving to seize a palm tree from one another, to symbolize that true love endeavours to overcome by kindness and gratitude. Anteros and Eros were always portrayed in Greek academies as a symbol that students should love their teachers. Anteros is cited in Pausanias’s Description of Greece.

Anteros was a favourite subject of Victorian sculptors who perceived that he represented mature, responsible love, unlike the frivolous, ephemeral emotions generated by Eros. The statue soaring above the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain in London’s Piccadilly Circus portrays Anteros but is commonly mistaken for Eros or even “the angel of Christian charity.”

Anteros is petitioned for happy, reciprocal relationships. He also avenges unrequited love and may be petitioned by the bitter, disappointed, and vengeful.

**Manifestation:** He looks very much like his brother, Eros; they are easily confused. He is a handsome, winged, usually naked male spirit holding a bow and arrows. Anteros may be distinguished by butterfly wings.

**Iconography:** He may appear on his own or with his mother and brother: Aphrodite holds scales; Eros sits in one pan, while Anteros sits in the other.

**Attributes:** Lead arrows, golden club

**See also:** Aphrodite; Eros; Erotes

## Appearances in Modern Media

From Age of IshtariaFrom Kamihime Project
## 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
Baubo

**Origin:** Greece

Baubo personifies female fecundity. She is the goddess of the belly laugh, matron of women’s humour. Baubo is a trickster, sacred clown, and a goddess of healing. Baubo’s name may be interpreted as “belly,” “hole,” or “womb.” In her major appearance in classical Greek myth, Baubo is an old nursemaid who exposes her vulva to Demeter. She is the only one able to draw a laugh from the grieving goddess. Baubo sets Demeter on the road to recovery and empowerment.

Baubo’s gesture to Demeter, lifting her skirts to expose her vulva, was not random but had spiritual significance and a name: ana-suromai, literally “to lift one’s skirts.” This gesture turns up again in the rites of Bastet and also in a legend concerning Hathor, where it similarly evokes laughter, reconciliation, and healing. Ana-suromai is a defiant, protective charm against death, sterility, and despair. Significantly, when Baubo flashes her vagina, she is well beyond childbearing age.

Baubo belongs to that group of spirits called the Bona Dea who interact exclusively with women. Men were excluded from their rites and not privy to their mysteries. Unfortunately, whatever information survives about these spirits derives from male sources. Baubo is a guardian spirit of children and babies. Little else is known of her. Her part in the Demeter/Persephone saga is often excised from mythology books, now often considered the province of children.

With the coming of Christianity, Baubo, Goddess of Good Humor, was especially defamed, damned by her votive imagery, now considered obscene rather than sacred or funny. Medieval Demonologists classified her as a Demon.

Images of Baubo protect against the Evil Eye. She is petitioned for fertility and to protect women, children, and babies. She heals through humor. She is a powerful ally for those who are ambivalent about the form and functioning of the female body.

Artist and author Winifred Milius Lubell explores Baubo’s image and myth in her book, The Metamorphosis of Baubo: Myths of Woman’s Sexual Energy.

**Manifestation:** In myth, she is described as an ordinary elderly woman.

**Iconography:** Baubo is depicted as a walking vagina. Her vulva is her mouth, her nipples her eyes. These images were not intended as pornography but to inspire sacred laughter, demonstrating the formidable powers of female sexuality and fertility. Reproductions of ancient images are readily available, but Baubo’s traditional votive imagery is easily recreated even by someone with minimal artistic skill and talent.

**See Also:** Bastet; Bona Dea; Demeter; Demon; Hathor; Persephone; Uzume

## Information Source

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

*She Who Sends Messages of Desire*

**Also known as**: Kalili; Kilili

**Origin**: Sumerian

Abtagigi is the Sumerian spirit of sacred sexuality. She awakens and stimulates erotic impulses. Babylonians and Assyrians used the Semitic form of her name, *Kalili*, in the same manner that they called Inanna, Ishtar. Abtagigi-Kalili is among the spirits in Inanna-Ishtar's entourage. Ancient Sumerian rulers maintained their power by annually enacting the Great Rite, consummating (literally) their relationship with Inanna-Ishtar, who was temporarily in possession of her high priestess' body.

The resemblance of the name *Kalili* to *Lilith* cannot be ignored. Sister spirits, both are concerned with the power inherent in sexual desire as well as esoteric aspects of sexuality and sexual energy, but Abtagigi-Kalili works within the temple while Lilith, a spirit of wild nature, remains outside.

Abtagigi possesses the secrets of the Great Rite and may be petitioned by those who seek them. She protects sex workers. She may also be petitioned to awaken or reawaken sexual desires, especially for those for whom sex has become profaned by abusive, humiliating, or traumatic experiences. She is a powerful spirit and may be requested to punish those who profane the sexual act.

**Altar**: Place Abtagigi's altar in the boudoir or in a shrine dedicated to love.

**Offerings**: Aphrodisiacs; incense and fragrance that inspire desire

**See also**: Innana-Ishtar; Kadesh; Lilith

## Information Source

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

**Origin**: Russian

Alkonost is one of several magical Russian spirit birds. Her identity is complex and mysterious. She is the bird of paradise and a wind spirit: she raises storms. She originally lived in the Pagan Russian paradise on the Otherworld island of Buyan. Post-Christianity, she was transferred to the Garden of Eden where she serves as God’s personal messenger, travelling to Earth to sing marvellous songs to saints, foretelling their happy future in Paradise and endeavouring to bolster their spirits when they waver.

Alkonost has a sister spirit, Sirin, her alter ego, whom she resembles very closely. Once upon a time, they were considered sacred birds of fortune, venerated side by side as protective spirits:

* Alkonost guards good fortune by day.
* Sirin protects it at night.

Carved wooden images of Alkonost and Sirin traditionally graced entrances to Russian peasants’ cottages. In older visual depictions, especially those intended for peasants, it’s almost impossible to distinguish between the two spirits without reading captions identifying them. Over time, however, Alkonost was classified as entirely “good,” an angelic figure, while more ambiguous, seductive, Sirenlike qualities were assigned to Sirin:

* Alkonost promises saints eternal life in Paradise.
* Sirin is a gloomy harbinger of death.

Their names derive from Greek myth: Sirin means Siren; Alkonost may derive from Alcyone. Older Russian names, if they existed, are forgotten.

When Viktor Vasnetsov (1848–1926), a Russian artist specializing in mythic themes, painted their portraits in 1896 as Birds of Joy and Sorrow, it was easy to tell which sister was which. Alkonost sits on the right side of the canvas with white eagle wings and a fair complexion. Swarthy, black-haired Sirin perches on the left, gazing downward, sporting black vulture wings.

Alkonost is the name of the legendary private publisher active in Petrograd from 1918 to 1923, specializing in Symbolist authors like Anna Akhmatova and Alexander Blok.

**Manifestations:** Bird with a woman’s face or head; sometimes as a winged woman

**Attribute:** Crown

**See also:** Alcyone; Gamayun; Harpies; Lilith; Sirens; Sirin

## Information Source

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

*The Brilliant One*

**Origin:** Celtic

**Feast**: 1 May

Belenus is the Latinized name of the Celtic deity called Bel or Belen. That Bel in his name derives from a Celtic word interpreted as meaning “brilliant,” “bright,” “shining,” “luminous,” or “effulgent.” Very little is known about Belenus for sure. The Celts did not entrust sacred knowledge to paper. The Romans identified him with Apollo.

Based on surviving inscriptions and archaeological remains, Belenus was among the most widely venerated and beloved deities of the Celtic world. The centre of his venerations seems to have been in France, where the most artefacts have been uncovered, but inscriptions dedicated to him have been found from the British Isles to Slovenia.

Belenus’ shrines often incorporated therapeutic springs. He may have dominion over the healing power of the sun. An erotic spirit, he may be a spirit of reproductive fertility for people and livestock. He is sometimes called the Lord of Flocks.

Belenus may be the same spirit as Beli, Arianrhod’s father. Others theorize that Belenus is Ba’al who, carried to France by Phoenician traders, adapted to Celtic life and spirituality. Yet another theory suggests that Belenus arose in what is now Slovenia and travelled west through Europe. Many places in France still evoke his name:

* Beaune in Burgundy
* Tombelen, now better known as Mont Saint-Michel; the name may mean “tomb of Belenus.”
* Bollène in southern France
* Ballon near Lemans and neighboring Saint-Mars-sous-Ballon and Souligné-sous-Ballon

Belenus was assimilated to Saint Bonnet. Places named in honour of that saint may once have been sacred to Belenus.

**Planet:** Sun

**Elements**: Fire, water

**Animal**: Horse

**Sacred day**: Belenus is feted at Beltane or May Eve; beginning the night of 30 April with festivities continuing on 1 May; also 15 January, the feast of Saint Bonnet

**Offerings:** Votive offerings found at his shrine at Sainte-Sabine include terra-cotta horses and stone carvings of swaddled infants.

**See Also:** Apollo; Arianrhod; Ba’al; Michael

## Appearances in Modern Media

From Rage of BahamutFrom Kamihime Project
## Information Source

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