recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Indra

**Origin:** India

Indra is the Vedic lord of thunderstorms, rain, and fertility. He is a guardian of humanity, a spirit of justice, killer of Ashuras and Demons.

Indra was the favourite deity of the Vedic Indians. His role was diminished in later Hinduism with the rise of the Trimurtri (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva), but he was once India’s preeminent deity. About two hundred fifty hymns are dedicated to him in the Rig Veda.

Indra is the lord of intoxicants. He guzzles soma, the divine drink of the devas, which exhilarates and even further empowers him. Indra lives atop Mount Meru, the mythic world axis of Southern Asian cosmology, where he presides over a court attended by other deities, heroes, and sages. His hall also serves as an afterlife realm for brave, deceased warriors who, blessed with an eternity lacking fear, pain, and sadness, spend their time gambling, gaming, and watching the Apsaras dance to the sublime music of the Gandharvas.

**Manifestation:** Indra is described as red-bearded (although he is usually portrayed as beardless in iconography).

**Attribute:** Thunderbolt (vajra) with which he blesses and fertilizes Earth and smites Demons and enemies

**Consort:** Indrani

**Bird:** Owl

**Animal:** Elephants: Indra vows to send abundant but appropriate amounts of rain to regions and countries that treat elephants with kindness and respect.

**Mount:** Airavata, the sacred white elephant

**Plant:** Cannabis sativa, also known as Indrasana: “the food of Indra”

**Offerings:** Indra will not object to a drink; also incense and images of elephants.

**See Also:** Apsaras; Gandharvas; Shiva; Thagya Min; Thor; Vajra

## Appearance in Modern Media

From Tower of SaviorsFrom Monster StrikeFrom Record of Ragnarok/Shuumatsu no ValkyrieFrom Puzzle & DragonFrom Shin Megami TenseiFrom Kamihime Project
## Information Source

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

The Dancer

**Also Known As:** Mahlat; Mahalath; Makh lat

According to Jewish legend, Hagar arranged a marriage for her son Ishmael with the Egyptian daughter of the sorcerer Khasdiel. Abraham disapproved and later made Ishmael divorce and banish his pregnant bride, who went to live in the desert where she gave birth to Mahalat. When Mahalat grew up, the Demon Agratiel (also known as Igratiel), Ruler of the Desert, fell in love with her. Agrat is their daughter.

Khasdiel, Mahalat’s grandfather, is described as a sorcerer, but his name appears among lists of angels on protective amulets and talismans. Khasdiel’s name is invoked on amulets intended to ward off Lilith.

Mahalat has also been romantically linked with her cousin Esau and with Samael the Poison Angel, but her primary relationship seems to be her rivalry with Lilith. The two rendezvous annually on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement to war with each other. Mahalat leads four hundred seventy-eight hosts of dangerous spirits as opposed to Lilith’s four hundred eighty. (The numbers derive from numerological calculations of their names.) The two Demon-goddesses meet in the middle of the battlefield and shriek at each other. Nothing indicates that they don’t enjoy this war. To some extent they’re shirking other responsibilities. Both are Accusing Angels as well as Demons; they really should be accusing people of sins and violations, not fighting with each other. (Another version says the two Demons are shrieking at the top of their lungs to drown out the sound of human prayer, which offends their ears.)

**Manifestation:** Consistently described as very beautiful, Mahalat is a compulsive, nonstop dancer. She dances while leading a band of evil angels.

**Spirit allies:** Her daughter, Agrat bat Mahalat

**See Also:** Agrat bat Mahalat; Lilith

## Information Source

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

**Origin:** Wales

Although recognizably the same spirit as Manannan, Manawydan’s mythology is different. It is possible myths are lost, but in Wales his associations with the sea are de-emphasized. Instead emphasis is placed on his relations with other spirits. Manawydan is the son of Llyr, the brother of Bran and Branwen, and the husband of Rhiannon. However, he remains a potent magician and master craftsman just as he is in Ireland and the Isle of Man.

**See Also:** Bran; Branwen; Llyr; Manannan; Rhiannon

## Information Source

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

Dark Blue

**Also Known As:** Cyane

**Origin:** Greek; Sicilian

**Classification:** Nymph; naiad

Persephone wasn’t the only victim of Hades. Her childhood friend, the water Nymph Kyane was also utterly transformed by Persephone’s abduction. Abbreviated versions of Persephone’s myth usually indicate that no one came to her aid but that’s not exactly true. In some variations, the kidnapping of Persephone was witnessed by her friend Kyane who loudly protested but to no avail. Hades opened a path to his realm right at the freshwater spring over which Kyane presided and disappeared with Persephone. (Alternatively, the gateway to Hades may have already existed; Kyane may be a threshold spirit, a dweller between realms, hence her proper placement to witness the crime.)

Kyane was either so grief-stricken that she literally dissolved into tears becoming one with the water or Hades struck her mute so that she was unable to reveal what she had seen. She may also have been rendered unable to leave her sacred Sicilian spring, ever after dedicated to Persephone as well as to its resident Nymph.

Kyane is closely associated with the color blue. Her hair may be blue. She may manifest as a mermaid and if so, her tail may be blue. Kyane is a melancholy spirit; she is the forgotten victim of Hades’ attack and has never entirely recovered. She is the goddess of the blues and bluemoods as well as the literal color. She may or may not be among the Sirens. (There is a Siren bearing her name but it’s not clear if they’re the same spirit. If so, then the loss of her voice is even more poignant.)

In Ovid’s version of the myth, Kyane, attempting to wrest Persephone from Hades’ arms, is only able to catch hold of her scarf, which she preserves. When Demeter comes seeking Persephone, Kyane, rendered mute by Hades, is unable to speak but she allows the scarf to float in the spring and Demeter instantly knew all.

**Manifestation:** As a beautiful girl; as a mermaid or as water. Kyane does not speak but can be very expressive.

**Spirit allies:** Kyane may be venerated alongside Demeter and/or Persephone.

**Colour:** Blue; cyan refers to the watery colors between blue and green

**Element:** Water

**Time:** L’heure bleu or “the blue hour”: the hour between daytime and darkness, just before nightfall and dawn, often characterized by vividly blue skies.

**Messengers:** Blue birds

**Offerings:** Spring water; blue flowers (delphiniums or hydrangeas, for example); Guerlain’s L’Heure Bleu perfume; Blue Curaçao liqueur or other blue drink.

**See Also:** Demeter; Hades; Naiad; Nymph; Persephone; Sirens

## Information Source

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

**Also Known As:** Li Tieguai; Iron Crutch Li; Tekkai; Tieh-Kuai

**Origin:** China

Li Tieh-Kuai is among the Taoist Eight Immortals, perhaps the most ancient of the eight. Once upon a time, centuries ago, he was a great shaman who spent much time soul journeying, until one day he experienced the shaman’s nightmare. Li Tieh-Kuai journeyed in the most traditional shamanic manner: by lying down in a trance state and sending his soul out of his body. To those unfamiliar with the process, he would look comatose, even dead, until his soul returned to reanimate his body. If the body is moved, disturbed or worse, then the soul cannot return but is forced to wander incorporeally. Li Tieh-Kuai had a disciple who routinely guarded his body while he soul-journeyed. However, during one fateful soul journey, the disciple was called home to his mother’s deathbed. The trance lasted seven days. Road-cleaners found his body, presumed him dead and had him cremated. When Li Tieh-Kuai’s soul flew home; there was no body to rejoin. Li Tieh-Kuai’s soul searched desperately for a recently deceased body to enter. Only one fresh cadaver was available and so Li Tieh-Kuai, once strong, powerful and handsome was forced to occupy the body of an old lame beggar.

Li Tieh-Kuai is among the most beloved of the Eight Immortals. He is invoked for healing, longevity and fertility (especially for sons).

**Manifestation:** He looks like a frail old beggar leaning on an iron staff or crutch but don’t be fooled: he is very sturdy and if annoyed wields his crutch as a weapon.

**Iconography:** He appears as beggar leaning on his crutch, often accompanied by a young boy carrying a gourd containing the elixir of life.

**Attributes:** His iron crutch and a pilgrim’s gourd, from which a scroll escapes indicating his power to leave the body

**Sacred animals:** Deer; crab; bat

**See Also:** Eight Immortals; Primal Woman of the Nine Heavens

## Information Source

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

**Origin:** Rome

The Lemuria, oldest Roman commemoration of the dead, was held on three odd days in May—May 9th, 11th, and 13th. During these days, the dead walk the Earth and must be propitiated. The Romans called these walking revenants Lemures, hence the name of the festival in their honour. Lemures literally means ghosts or spirits of the night. They were understood as the angry, volatile, dangerous dead and so appeasement and protection was crucial. The Lemures and their festival are the reason why marrying in May is considered unlucky and dangerous: too much joy and celebration invites unwelcome attention from these resentful and powerful ghosts.

According to Roman poet Ovid (43 BCE–circa 18 CE), the holiday derives from the death of Remus, whose death at the hands of his brother Romulus is reminiscent of the biblical Cain and Abel. Remus’ blood-stained ghost appeared to Romulus and demanded a festival in his honour. Remuria eventually became Lemuria. (Some scholars suggest that the festival predates the arrival of the Romans in the region and has its origins in an Etruscan holy day.)

There is a description of the festival in Book 5 of Ovid’s Fasti. The paterfamilias, the male head of the household, arose at midnight. He made the life-affirming gesture of the fig-hand (thumb between first and second fingers mimicking the sexual act) and then cleansed his hands in pure water. He walked barefoot through his home, spitting beans while saying “ With these beans I redeem me and mine.” This ritual was repeated nine times. At the conclusion, the paterfamilias ritually bathed, then banged on metal pots and pans proclaiming “Begone, ancestral spirits!” nine times. Lemures who did not go away but haunted the living were exorcised via rituals including drumming and percussion.

Lemures are the souls of the dangerous dead: drowning and murder victims and executed criminals. The Romans believed that those who died childless were among those cursed to become Lemures. Alternatively, those whose families no longer survived to placate ancestors were also so doomed. They could be prevented from rising by burning black beans around the grave during funeral rituals.

Lemurs, the primate species and the lost continent of Lemuria take their inspiration from the Lemures.

**See Also:** Ancestors; Ghosts; Larva; Mania

## Information Source

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

**Origin:** Ireland

The stereotype of the leprechaun involves lucky charms and pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. True leprechauns are members of the Fairy folk, a type of sidhe. They are unusual because, in a realm dominated by females, leprechauns are virtually exclusively male spirits.

The name leprechaun derives from the Gaelic leith brog “one shoemaker.” He is a cobbler, the only professional sidhe. While the other sidhe are out dancing and reveling, the leprechaun is hard at work. He is, however, always seen working on only one shoe rather than a pair, which may be a shamanic reference. (References to shoes, especially only one shoe, are often oblique references to shamanism. Ancient shamanic dances were often performed with one shoe on and one shoe off or featured dance steps that mimicked limping.) He works on shoes continually, with time off only for an occasional spree. The leprechaun is fabulously wealthy: he buries his treasure in pots and is reputedly a skillful but not always nice practical joker. He may be invoked for financial aid.

Leprechauns may or may not be the same type of spirit as clurichauns. If not, they are closely related. Like leprechauns, clurichauns are virtually exclusively male. The clurichaun may be the nocturnal form of the leprechaun, out on a bender after a hard day’s work.

Alternatively, some perceive clurichauns to be leprechauns lacking a work ethic. Unlike hardworking, wealth-accumulating leprechauns, clurichauns spend all their time drinking. They are virtually always soused although they allegedly retain their good manners, unlike the reputedly sometimes surly leprechaun. Clurichauns come out at night to drink, party and play pranks on people. (In olden days, many were butter thieves. They still like to raid the pantry.)

The only occupation for which the clurichaun displays enthusiasm is as guardian of wine and liquor cellars. The clurichaun will protect your cellar from thieves and can allegedly prevent wine from spoiling and bottles from breaking or leaking. Simply request his presence and explicitly leave him a sample of whatever you have in stock. Leave him offerings on a regular basis lest he decide to begin serving himself. (He may, anyway.)

Leprechaunism is another name for Donohoe Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by delayed or diminished growth and facial features perceived as elfin.

**Manifestation:** Leprechauns are described as small, wizened men wearing a shoemaker’s leather apron.

**Iconography:** Leprechauns are highly commodified spirits; their image used to sell breakfast cereal, beer, and anything even remotely Irish. In recent years, leprechauns, reenvisioned as “evil Fairies” have evolved into villains of horror movies; however this distorted image has no relation whatsoever to true leprechauns who may be grouchy but are by no means vicious killers.

**See Also:** Sidhe

## Appearance in Modern Media

From Blood BrothersFrom Age of IshtariaFrom Shin Megami Tensei
## Information Source

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

*Giver of Life; Spirit of the Primordial Waters; Mother of the Spirits*

**Also Known As:** Heket

**Origin:** Egypt

No, not Hecate: despite the resemblance of their names, these two ancient goddesses are not identical, but they do have much in common. Both are associated with birth, death resurrection, and subterranean realms.

Some consider Heqet to be the eldest of all Egyptian spirits. She is a goddess of birth, death, resurrection, and all points in between. She helps place the child in the womb and is a guardian of the dead. Heqet prevents miscarriage and stillbirth. She has dominion over contraceptives.

Heqet and her husband, Khnum, belong to a band of celestial midwives who assist each dawn with the birthing of the sun. Heqet is among the spirits who help Isis temporarily revive Osiris in order to conceive Horus.

**Manifestations:** Heqet manifests as a frog or a woman with a frog’s head.

**Iconography:** Heqet’s hieroglyphic is a frog.

**Animal:** Heqet is as intensely associated with frogs as Hecate is with dogs.

**Elements:** Water, earth

**Sacred Sites:** Among the oldest centers of her veneration was near Elephantine Island where the caverns through which the Nile entered Egypt were situated. She was also venerated at Abydos and Hermopolis.

**Offerings:** She was traditionally offered faience or carved stone frog statuettes, however any sort of frog imagery may be appropriate.

**See Also:** Anuket; Hecate; Horus; Isis; Khnum; Osiris: Satis

## Information Source

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

**Also Known As:** Kangi

Two elephants locked in erotic embrace: that’s the magical image of Kangi Ten. Kangi Ten names a pair of elephant spirits and the specific iconographic image used to represent them. Kangi Ten is known elsewhere but is particularly popular in Japan. Veneration of the image unlock Kangi Ten’s many blessings:

* Kangi Ten bestows happiness, health and good fortune
* Kangi Ten bestows material wealth as well as supernatural and erotic prowess
* Kangi Ten is also petitioned to avert and eliminate crises and disasters

Kangi Ten’s identity is unclear and subject to debate. The male elephant may be an East Asian manifestation of Ganesha or a completely different elephant deity. The female may be a distinct, independent elephant deity or an emanation of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Earliest documented veneration of Kangi Ten dates from the early 17th century when Osaka merchants credited Kangi Ten for their wealth, success and good fortune. In response, the merchants offered lavish, generous gifts and Kangi Ten’s reputation spread.

A Japanese Buddhist legend describes Kangi as an obstreperous elephant king who caused obstructions for people. (Although he is not named, this likely refers to Ganesha, famed for removing obstructions for his own devotees but who has a long history of hostility towards Buddhism.) Avalokiteshvara heard peoples’ cries of despair and took pity. He assumed the form of a sexy female elephant with whom Kangi Ten immediately fell in love. However the lady elephant rejected his embrace until he vowed to stop causing obstructions and start protecting the Dharma.

**Favoured People:** Kangi Ten is especially venerated by those in food and alcohol service industries such as bars and restaurants as well as by Tantric practitioners

**Iconography:** The standard image of Kangi Ten depicts two figures, male and female, each with a human body and an elephant’s head. Their bodies face each other; tightly, closely entwined; heads resting on their partners’ right shoulders, so that they gaze in different directions. They may or may not be engaged in sexual union. The female elephant is usually crowned and bejeweled. She places her feet on those of her mate.

* An alternative pose depict the pair facing in the same direction, cheek-to-cheek, tails entwined

* A rare version depicting the female partner with the head of a wild sow (female boar) is traditionally kept hidden. When venerated in the context of secret Tantric rituals, Kangi Ten also provides marital bliss and lots of happy, healthy children.

**See Also:** Avalokiteshvara; Chinnamasta; Ganesha; Tanuki

## Information Source

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

**Pantheon**: Chinese

**Title**: Defender of the Earth

## Smite Lore

In a time long past, an unexpected calamity came to be. From whence none knew, ten suns rose above the horizon. Such incessant light and heat ravaged the earth, wilting fields of grain, drying rivers, even melting forged metal. Bent beneath the scorching rays, the people begged the Emperor-God Di Jun to aid them. In reply, he called the great archer, Hou Yi.

Armed with a mystical red bow and a quiver of white arrows, Hou Yi travelled to Earth. What he found was a barren land. Shielding his eyes, he peered to the sky where the ten suns cruelly flared.

Nocking arrow to bow, Hou Yi loosed a warning at the suns hoping to frighten them away, but they impassively remained. So Hou Yi drew again and fired a killing shot. Pierced, the sun exploded in colour and a giant red raven with three legs fell to the earth, slain by the white arrow.

Eight times more Hou Yi drew arrow to cheek. Eight shots more he let fly. Eight more bursts rent the sky, and eight more ravens fell dead. But one sun he left, and so fearful of Hou Yi's archery, this sun
behaved, dipping below the horizon.

Now armed with the power of the red ravens he smote, sending light and fire against those that threaten the world, be it monster or beast, dragon or sun, man or God, Hou Yi is the Defender of the Earth.
Lettuce

(Lactuca sativa)

Planet: Moon
Element: Water

Energies: Peace, money, celibacy

### Lore:

Lettuce was sacred to the god Min in ancient Egypt. Min, whose graphic depictions as a phallic god were deemed obscene a hundred years ago, also ruled over vegetation of all kinds.

Lettuce seems to have been his favourite due to its greenness and the fact that the core, when squeezed, exudes a milky sap that was probably associated with semen. Lettuce was naturally related to the act of procreation and to fertility. It was commonly stocked in tombs and offered to Min.

At least one Roman emperor was so enamoured with this vegetable’s restorative properties that he had an altar, complete with a statue, built to the plant.

Magical uses:

A Mexican woman once told me that when her young children were “crybabyish” or hyperactive, she’d simply put them in a bathtub with lettuce leaves. This calmed them. Wild lettuce contains opiates and the juice was once drunk to bring on natural sleep. Today, lettuce is eaten with visualization for peace and tranquillity, even though the common head lettuce found in grocery stores contains virtually no opiates. Like other salad greens, lettuce is added to money-attracting diets. Use in a salad with fresh dill weed for increased money. Lettuce is also eaten (in direct contrast to most other foods) to cool sexual desire and, curiously enough, to prevent seasickness
Lan Ts'ai Ho

**Also Known As:** Lan Caihe

**Origin:** China

Lan Ts’ai Ho is one of the Eight Immortals, the Taoist adepts who never died but attained immortality. Lan Ts’ai Ho is sometimes described as a “strolling singer” which makes her sound like a modern busker but once upon a time in East Asia, traveling female priestesses and shamans incorporated songs into their rituals. Lan Ts’ai Ho wandered the streets chanting until one day, allegedly after becoming intoxicated at an inn, she ascended to the sky on a cloud.

Some people feel very strongly that there can only be one woman amongst the Eight Immortals and since Ho Hsien-Ko is undeniably female, Lan Ts’ai Ho is sometimes described as a hermaphrodite or transvestite. (And that is the argument: there can only be one woman so she must be something else even though the earliest portrayals depict her as female. There were many female Taoist adepts; they were not a rare breed. It is not unreasonable for one-quarter of the Eight Immortals to be female.)

**Favoured People:** Lan Ts’ai Ho is the matron saint of florists.

**Manifestation:** Lan Ts’ai Ho wears a blue gown with one shoe on and one shoe off.

**Attribute:** Magic wand; basket of flowers

**See Also:** Amida Buddha; Bao Gu; Eight Immortals; Ho Hsien-Ko; Xi Wangmu

## Information Source

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

**Origin:** India

Kadru is the mother of the Nagas. She has over one-thousand powerful snake-spirit offspring. Her primary myth involves her competition with her co-wife, Garuda’s mother. Kadru may be venerated with her children or alone. She is invoked for fertility and wealth, as well as protection from snakes. Do not venerate together with Garuda.

**See Also:** Garuda; Manasa; Nagas

## Information Source

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

Victory in War; The Victorious One

**Also Known As:** Kuravai

**Origin:** Tamil

Korravai is an extremely ancient deity from southern India. She is the powerful and ravenous spirit of the battlefield. Korravai leads devotees to victory. When battle is complete, she feasts on the entrails of the dead. She must be appeased and propitiated before corpses can be removed for funerary rites. Korravai remains associated with tunankai dances, which are also called kuravai dances: war and victory ring dances. Korravai may be identified with Durga. In ancient Tamil lore, she is the mother of the war lord Murugan (apparently conceived independently; no father is mentioned). He joins her on the battlefield.

**Manifestation:** She has twelve arms with which she carries twelve blood-stained weapons. She bears burning coals on her head and wears bells around her ankles. She can make herself as small or as tall as she desires. (Legends have her growing so tall, her head touches the sky.) When she wishes, her voice is as loud as thunder.

**Creatures:** Carrion crows, dogs, vultures

**See Also:** Durga; Kartikkeya; Murugan

## Information Source

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

**Origin:** China

Huli Jing are Chinese fox Fairies. The term literally means “exquisite fox”: they transform into beautiful, seductive young women and engage in relationships with men. They are sexy spirits and may just be out for some fun, but once upon a time, Huli Jing engaged in sacred marriages with Taoist adepts. Sex and occult knowledge were inseparably intertwined. During China’s shamanic era and the earliest days of Taoism, this was understood as a path to esoteric wisdom; however, as society became more conservative, and especially in response to Confucianism, Fox Fairies received ever-worsening press.

Huli Jing are perceived as vampiric spirits. They’re not bloodsuckers; instead they sap a man’s life-force—his essence and aura—through sex and orgasm. The relationship begins ecstatically but the man eventually wastes away, his energy totally depleted while the energized Fox Fairy seeks more lovers to vampirize.This may be propaganda intended to discourage men from sacred spirit marriages. Alternatively, the Huli Jing resent their bad press and have decided to live up to it.

Fox Fairies are shape-shifting spirits, supreme transformation artists. They can take on the form of a dead person familiar to their target and thus ingratiate themselves or cause severe emotional trauma. They Demonstrate anger and displeasure by causing insanity, especially mental illness that manifests over generations in one family.

The Huli Jing are independent spirits, brilliant adepts. Sometimes they serve as karmic avengers. When not wandering Earth looking for fun or mischief, many make their home in Hsi Wang Mu’s Western Paradise. They do not become sorcerer’s servants like their Japanese compatriots. In modern Chinese, occult associations have been shed: Huli Jing may be translated as “gold-digger” or “slut.”

**See Also:** Hone-Onna; Xi Wangmu; Jade Maidens; Kitsune; Kumiho; Lady White; Neko Mata

## Information Source

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

Lady of Heaven; Queen of Earth; Mistress of the Underworld; Eye of Ra; Daughter of Ra; Lady of the Judgment Hall

**Origin:** Egypt

Ma’at is a word, a concept, and a goddess:

* Ma’at is a word meaning “true,” “genuine,” “the real thing.” Thus khesbet ma’at means “real lapis lazuli” as opposed to blue paste.
* Ma’at, the concept, is a state of sacred harmony linking the mundane world with the divine. Ma’at, consisting of truth, justice, and balance is a state of grace, which can be damaged by human actions and negative emotions like greed. An Egyptian network of temples and divine rituals existed to maintain and preserve the state of Ma’at.
* Ma’at is the ancient, predynastic goddess who rules this state of grace. She is a goddess of truth, order, and natural ethical and moral law, the spirit of what is right versus what is merely legal or lawful.

Ma’at is now most famous for the part she plays in ancient Egyptian after-life trials. At the final judgment, the dead individual’s heart is weighed against the feather of Ma’at. The heart must equal or weigh less than Ma’at’s feather. If the heart’s weight tips the scales, that person is denied eternal life.

Ma’at is not only a goddess of the afterlife; she has historically been venerated as a personal goddess and held up as an example of that righteous moral code, which ensures connection with the divine and the soul’s survival. Ma’at is very closely associated with Lord Thoth. They stand together in Ra’s barque and are sometimes envisioned as married.

**Manifestation:** Ma’at is a beautiful woman who may have wings. She may wear her signature feather on her head.

**Iconography:** She is sometimes portrayed as a woman with an ostrich feather for a head.

**Attribute:** Ostrich feather, scales of justice

**Consort:** Thoth

**Birds:** Ostrich, vulture

**Star:** Vega

**See Also:** Metis; Michael; Thoth

## Appearance in Modern Media

From Brave FrontierFrom Dawn of GodsFrom Force of WillFrom Kamihime Project
## Information Source

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

Kannon is the manifestation of Kwan Yin in Japan and Korea. Although technically considered the same spirit, they do not manifest in exactly the same way nor are they always petitioned in exactly the same manner.

* Kannon protects pregnant and labouring women, children and dead souls
* She bestows the gift of fertility
* She can heal incurable illnesses
* Appeal to her if you seek mercy or forgiveness
* Kannon wards off all forms of danger: appeal to her if you are afraid

In Japan, Kannon presides over dream incubation. Devotees journey to her shrines, vowing to spend a specified time there, sleeping in the spaces allotted for pilgrims. Kannon appears in dreams (typically not until the last night of the stay) to respond to petitions, reveal information or perform healings and miracles. She may manifest in any of her thirty-three forms, as one of her servants or as an old Buddhist priest.

**Manifestation:** There are thirty-three forms of Kannon including female, male, nun, horse, horse-headed woman, bird, snake, dragon and others.

**Number:** 33. Kannon has thirty-three paths or manifestations. A Japanese pilgrimage route dedicated to Kannon includes thirty-three shrines. The numbers three and eleven are also sacred to her. (Three times eleven is thirty-three.)

When Christianity was suppressed in Japan, secret Christians continued to venerate Mary by substituting images of Kannon. These images, now called Maria Kannon, often contained a hidden cross, but were otherwise indistinguishable from other images of Kannon.

**See Also:** Avalokiteshvara; Black Madonna; Kwan Yin

## Information Source

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

*The Gate Keeper*

**Origin:** Greece

Hydra was the daughter of Echidna and Typhon and Hera’s beloved foster child. She lived at the sevenfold source of the River Amymone and haunts the neighbouring swamps of Lerna. It was Hydra’s job to guard the gates to Hades accessed through the waters of Lerna.

Hydra has the torso of a canine with nine or more heads resembling snakes. One head is immortal. Her blood is poison. Heracles’ second labour was to kill Hydra. It’s unclear exactly why Hydra was a target, but Hera, perceiving her as vulnerable, had posted a crab to guard the gate guardian.

When Heracles knocked off one of Hydra’s heads with his club, two more appeared in its place. The crab attempted to save Hydra by attacking Heracles’ foot but Heracles stomped on it, crushing the crab. Heracles needed help to destroy Hydra: he had his assistant—his nephew, Iolaus—burn the necks of each head as Heracles lopped them off. The immortal head was buried far from her body. Heracles dipped his arrows in Hydra’s poison blood so that any wounds they caused would be fatal.

Hera placed the crab in the sky as the constellation Cancer. Hydra was placed in the sky as a constellation, too. With her body in the sky and her immortal head secretly hidden in Earth, she survives. Her guardian powers can still be accessed.

*The Whore of Babylon in the Book of Revelation is envisioned riding a seven-headed beast. Although the number of heads doesn’t exactly correspond, Hydra became associated with the Whore and hence the Anti-Christ and the Apocalypse.*

**Spirit ally:** Hydra may be venerated alongside Hera.

**Offerings:** Once upon a time, lambs intended for Hydra were cast into the waters of Lerna by those seeking to pass through the gates to Hades. Don’t bother replicating the sacrifice: the gates at Lerna were not considered metaphoric. There was an actual, literal opening to the Underworld. The sacred lake was drained and has vanished, as has the portal. However, images of lambs offered on an altar may suffice to contact, propitiate, and reward her.

**See Also:** Amymone; Echidna; Hades; Hera; Heracles

## Appearance in Modern Media

From Shin Megami TenseiFrom Rage of BahamutFrom Blood BrothersFrom Reign of DragonsFrom Force of WillFrom Monster StrikeFrom Kamihime ProjectFrom Age of Ishtaria
## Information Source

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

**Origin:** Greece

**Classification:** Nymphs; Chthonic spirits

The Lampades, infernal Nymphs, inhabit Hades. Their origins are murky: they may or may not be daughters of Nyx and/or the various river deities of Hades. The Lampades serve in Hecate’s entourage: they are her lamp-bearers, servants, and companions. Their torches serve to illuminate the night. The Lampades are spirits of prophesy and justice.

Whether or not it is safe for humans to encounter or witness them is up to the Lampades to decide or subject to their whim. If the Lampades so desire, then the sight of their lit torches will drive a viewer mad. Alternatively, their torch light can reveal lost, hidden or necessary information. They may be invoked for assistance.

Should one find oneself in trouble with the Lampades who, like many Nymphs, have a teasing nature, appeal to Hecate to make them behave. They will obey her and may be venerated alongside her. They may also be venerated alongside Nyx, Artemis, Demeter and/or Persephone.

**Attribute:** torch

**See Also:** Artemis; Chthonic Spirit; Demeter; Hades; Hecate; Nymph; Nyx; Persephone; Styx

## Information Source

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

This spell is ideal to get someone to pay attention to you, draw someone you already know closer to you, or make your lover a better lover.

Items needed:

A picture of the desired one and some of his or her hair and handwriting to use as tag-locks. You will also need a red cloth pouch, one red image (sexually aligned to the gender you wish to attract), a candle, rose petals, and rose oil.

Place the candle in front of you, along with the picture and all of the needed items. Dress the candle with the rose oil as you visualize your lover coming closer to you and being more attentive. When you feel the time is right, light the candle and chant the following to build power and energy.

Direct this energy into the candle.

Candle of power,

From this hour,

Bring unto me

The love that I see.

That he/she shall require

My attention this night,

Let him/her see only me.

As I will, So Mote It Be!

Allow the candle to burn completely out. Carry the pouch filled with the rose petals and your lover’s items with you whenever you are going to be together. It is also a good idea to wear some of the rose oil.
Herbal Protection Pouch

Use this spell to protect your property or a loved one you may feel is in danger.

Items needed: One black candle, one small stone from a cemetery, black cloth pouch filled with a pinch of each of the following herbs and plants: Vervain, Wormwood, Thyme, Oak bark, Spanish moss,

On the night of the dark moon go into the woods, and find a place where four paths cross (crossroads). Stand in the middle of the cross point of the path, visualize what it is you want to protect, and then chant the following nine times:
Power of herb, power of wood,
Power of stone, power of good,
Power of earth, power of tree,
From all this evil now be free.

When you have finished with the chant, dig a small hole and place the pouch in it, and cover with earth. Place the black candle on top of the spot where you buried the pouch. Light the candle and repeat the chant nine more times. Extinguish the candle. Leave the pouch where it is for three days. At the end of that time return and retrieve the pouch. Carry the pouch for protection or give it to someone in need
Komokwa

The Wealthy One

**Also Known As:** Komokoa

#### **Origin:** Kwakiutl

Komokwa is King of the Sea, Lord of all undersea creatures, master and special protector of seals. Komokwa distributes and guards wealth. Komokwa rules an underwater realm inhabited by fish and sea creatures but also by magical sea bears and sea eagles. He lives in an underwater palace formed entirely of copper and filled with blankets, copper, carvings: basically everything that the Kwakiutl people traditionally perceived as luxuries. Komokwa is a hospitable, generous host. If you can reach his palace, whether by literal or shamanic means, he will make sure that you leave carrying boxes filled with magical treasures.

**Manifestation:** He may appear as a man; a giant octopus or something in between

**Iconography:** The Kwakiutl, an indigenous people of Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland, are acclaimed for their carved, painted wooden masks. Traditionally carved for shamanic use, they are now also crafted for art collectors. Komokwa is a popular subject of masks.

**Consort:** Talio (Copper Maker Woman)

**Spirit ally:** Komokwa’s servant is an octopus, also a spirit of wealth and prosperity; if Komokwa wants to see you, he may send an octopus to pull you into the water and deliver you to his realm (and hopefully escort you safely back home, too).

**Sacred animals:** Seals; killer whales (Orcinus orca); sculpin fish; octopus

## Information Source

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

**Origin:** Japan

**Classification:** Kami

Hosogami are smallpox spirits. (Hoso is smallpox in Japanese.) For safe recovery to health, the Hosogami must be soothed, propitiated, and sent on their way. Hosogami are pleased to see the color red. Physicians were glad to see the color red, too:

* Purple smallpox rashes indicate the illness is in a dangerous stage.
* If and when rashes turn red, the patient is expected to recover.

The person suffering from smallpox and those caring for him dressed in red to appease the Hosogami. In addition, “red prints” or hoso-e prints, paper wall amulets were posted at the first hint of smallpox to propitiate, avoid, and/or banish the illness. They’re called “red” because that’s the primary color of these prints. If no print is available, red banners may suffice. Following the patient’s recovery, these prints were traditionally ritually burned or floated down rivers to signal the departure of the spirit. Extremely few survive and these are now extremely valuable collector’s items.

Daruma and Shoki possess the power to expel Hosogami and are among the spirits portrayed on red smallpox talismans.

**Colour:** Red

**Offerings:** Rice with red adzuki beans

**See Also:** Daruma; Kami; Shoki

## Information Source

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

*The Obsidian Butterfly; The Clawed Butterfly*

**Origin:** Chichimec; Aztec; Zapotec

Itzpapalotl is a fierce, powerful mother goddess of birth and death. She is a ferocious skeleton warrior who presides over the realm of Tamoanchan, the place where humans were created from blood, and bones stolen from Mictlan, realm of the dead. Itzpapalotl presides over the paradise realm inhabited by women who died in childbirth and stillborn infants. She is a shamanic goddess and a powerful sorceress.

* Itzpapalotl is among the Cihuateteo, mortal women who died in childbirth and transformed into fierce crossroads spirits.
* She is also classified as a Tzitzimime, a star Demon.

Although Itzpapalotl was incorporated into the Aztec pantheon, she was inherited from neighbouring Chichimeca and Zapotecs. The Zapotec path of Itzpapalotl is particularly closely associated with bats. (The term clawed butterfly may refer to bats, not moths or butterflies.) She may be the mother of Mixcoatl.

**Manifestation:** Itzpapalotl has butterfly or moth wings tipped with obsidian blades. Her hands have jaguar claws; her feet have eagle’s talons. She may take many forms including a bat, butterfly, moth, gorgeous woman, or skeleton with obsidian or flint-tipped butterfly wings. She has been witnessed dressing up as a lady of the old Aztec court with thickly caked white face powder. She may dress up in any form she desires. She also has an invisibility cloak so she may not be visible at all.

**Iconography:** Itzpapalotl is usually portrayed as a butterfly or moth. Dr. Carlos Beutelspacher, author of Butterflies of Ancient Mexico, identifies her with the species Rothschildia orizaba, a Saturnid silk moth.

**Attribute:** Obsidian blade; (obsidian is volcanic glass).

**Sacred Bird:** Royal or King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa); eagle

**Sacred Animal:** Bat, butterfly, moth, deer

**See Also:** Camazotz; Cihuateteo; Mixcoatl; Tzitzimime

## Information Source

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

A hermaphrodite is in Alchemy, the figure of a merged man and woman, symbolizing the conjunction or marriage of opposites. The hermaphrodite is also known by its Latin name, rebis, meaning “double thing.”

In Greek mythology, Hermaphrodite is an androgyne (man and woman) that was born to Hermes and Aphrodite. Alchemical emblems represent the hermaphrodite as the product of the union of the king and the queen, representing sulphur and mercury, who merge in a bath.

Sol and Luna (sun and moon) also are representations of alchemical opposites. The hermaphrodite is the culmination of the Great Work: the philosopher’s stone. The hermaphrodite combines all the characteristics of the opposites, spirit and matter, soul and body, masculine and feminine. It is whole and perfect, complete unto itself, and able to reproduce itself. It is the “one in all” and the “all in one.”

Carl G. Jung said the alchemical symbol of the crowned hermaphrodite represents the self, which transcends ego consciousness.
Llyr

**Origin:** Celtic; Welsh

Llyr is the Welsh counterpart of the Irish Lir, King of the Sea. Like Lir, he is now most famous as the father of prestigious, powerful children including Bran, Branwen and Manawydan. Both Welsh and Irish mythology were originally exclusively oral traditions. Both were eventually documented on paper by later Christian commentators who loved the tales but who were, at best, ambivalent towards the inherent Pagan aspects. (It’s impossible to entirely eliminate Pagan elements. Presumably myths that were truly objectionable were just not documented.)

The Irish monks who recorded Irish myth acknowledged that the characters they described were deities; their Welsh counterparts did not. Thus tales about what are clearly supernatural beings appear to be about heroes or just unusual people. Llyr’s identity as Lord of the Sea has been eliminated but he and his son, Manawydan are identifiably the same spirits as Lir and Manannan about whom so much more information survives. Vestiges of Llyr’s myths may survive in William Shakespeare’s tragedy, King Lear.

**See Also:** Bran; Branwen; Lir; Manannan Mac Lir; Manawydan

## Information Source

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

Mother of Dragons

**Origin:** China

It’s the stuff of fantasy: someone brings home a beautiful stone only to discover it’s really a dragon’s egg. Long Mu means “Mother of Dragons” and that’s what happened to her. Before she was a goddess, Long Mu was a young girl from a poor family in southern China, born circa 290 BCE. She went to the Xi River, a tributary of the Pearl River, daily to fish, bathe and do laundry. One day, she found an exquisite white stone, brought it home and life was never the same.

The stone turned out to be an egg: five little water snakes hatched from it. Long Mu treated them as if they were her own children. Although her family was poor, she saved the best food for the snakes and fed them by hand. They, in turn, became very devoted to her, too, traveling to the river with her and helping her fish.

The snakes kept growing and it soon became apparent that they were not snakes at all but dragons. Their devotion to their adopted mother did not diminish. When the area was hit by drought, the dragons summoned rain. Grateful villagers in awe of the familial relationship between woman and snakes began calling her Long Mu: Mother of Dragons. After death, she was deified. Long Mu remains a very popular goddess.

Long Mu is the goddess of mothers, children, family relations and loving devotion. She is invoked to instill feelings of loyalty and responsibility between those who love each other, whether related by blood or even of the same species.

**Sacred day:** Her festival is celebrated in the first week of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar.

**Sacred Sites:** Long Mu is enshrined in two temples in China: the Long Mu Ancestral Temple in Yuecheng, renovated as recently as 1985 and the Baisha Temple in Zhaoqing.

## Information Source

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

**Also Known As:** Madame Blue

**Origin:** China

Lady Blue is the companion and servant of snake goddess, Lady White. Her name may be Ching Ching or Siu Ching or at least that’s what she’s called when manifesting as a woman. Her title, Lady Blue, refers to her true form as a bluish-green snake. She’s often described as a small snake but that may be only in comparison with Lady White who is pretty substantial.

Green Snake, a 1993 Hong Kong film starring Maggie Cheung, retells the legend of Lady White from the perspective of Lady Blue.

**See Also:** Lady White

## Information Source

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

**Origin:** Lithuania

Lazdona is the guardian goddess of nuts, nut bearing trees and nut groves. Very little information about her survives but she is cut from the same cloth as Austeja, Baltic bee goddess. Bees and nuts have a sympathetic, symbiotic relationship. Lazdona may be venerated alongside Austeja about whom more information is preserved.

**Favoured People:** She extends her matronage to those who tend nut trees or those for whom nuts bear particular significance. She may be invoked to protect those who suffer from nut allergies.

**Sacred creatures:** Squirrels; birds who bury nuts and thus cause the trees to proliferate

**Offerings:** Nuts; products of nuts such as hazelnut liqueurs or nut bread; cultivate nut trees in her honor; those who suffer from nut allergies may honor her by making financial contributions toward the proliferation of nut trees from afar; images of nuts crafted from wood, crystal, metal or other materials may also be offered.

**See Also:** Austeja

## Information Source

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