Spirit

Permonik

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Tradition / Region: Czech Mythology, Slovak Mythology
Alternative names: Permoník, Permon, Perkmont, Perkajst, Berggeist
Category: Spirit, Dwarf

The Myth

The Permonik is a supernatural mine spirit said to dwell deep beneath the mountains and mining tunnels of the Czech and Slovak lands, especially in regions such as Kladno, Příbram, Kutná Hora, Moravia, and central Slovakia. Miners feared and respected these underground beings for centuries.

Permoniks are usually described as small dwarf-like figures with enormous heads, broad shoulders, and short legs. They wear the clothing of miners and often carry lamps, buckets, hammers, or mining tools. In some traditions they appear with long moustaches, pointed red caps, and blue clothing. Elsewhere they may take the form of mice, toads, or tiny angelic boys.

These spirits lived in large underground communities hidden within shafts and tunnels. They mined ore themselves, gathered precious metals, washed gold, and guarded hidden veins deep inside the earth. Miners believed that hearing the sounds of Permoniks working underground was a sign that rich deposits of ore were nearby.

The Permoniks could warn miners about cave-ins, accidents, or dangerous explosions, but they were easily angered by greed, disrespect, swearing, whistling, or loud noises inside the mine. Those who violated mining customs risked being punished or trapped forever underground.

When miners encountered a Permonik, tradition required them to greet it loudly with the words “Zdař Bůh” — “God help you.” If the creature blocked the passage and refused to move, the miner was expected to crawl between its legs to avoid offending it.

Offerings of food and proper respect earned the goodwill of the Permoniks. In return, they sometimes guided poor miners toward hidden gold or valuable ore and protected honest workers from danger beneath the mountains.

The name “Permonik” comes from medieval German mining traditions and is related to the word Bergmännchen, meaning “little miner.” Similar beings appear throughout Slavic and Germanic folklore, including kobolds, skarbniki, mine dwarves, and mountain spirits, but the Permonik became one of the best-known underground spirits of the Czech and Slovak mining world.

Sources

Bestiary.us. (n.d.). Permonik. Retrieved May 18, 2026, from https://www.bestiary.us/permonik/

Drymiais

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Tradition / Region: Macedonian Mythology
Alternative names: Drymiais (Δρύμιαις), Drymmata
Category: Spirit

The Myth

The Drymiais are mysterious supernatural beings connected with the dangerous days at the beginning and end of March and August in Macedonian folklore. They were feared throughout coastal Macedonia and the Aegean islands as invisible forces capable of damaging trees, clothing, crops, water, and even the human body.

The first three days of March and the first three days of August were considered especially dangerous and were called the Days of the Drymiais. In many places the final three days of these months, along with certain Wednesdays and Fridays, were also feared. During these periods people avoided cutting trees or vines because they believed the plants would immediately wither and die. Clothes were not washed because they were thought to decay or rot, and people avoided bathing in the sea because the Drymiais could cause the body to swell or become sick.

Some traditions imagined the Drymiais as a type of nature spirit related to ancient nymphs. The March Drymiais were associated with forests and trees, while the August Drymiais were linked to water and the sea. Folk sayings reflected this belief:

“August is bad for linen,
And March for trees.”

Another version stated directly:

“The Drymiais of August affect the linen,
And those of March affect the woods.”

Although vague and mysterious, the Drymiais were treated as living supernatural beings rather than simple unlucky dates. This appears in the custom of carrying rusty iron nails while bathing during August. People believed iron protected them from the Drymiais and prevented the spirits from approaching. Similar beliefs throughout European and Middle Eastern folklore held that iron repelled fairies, elves, demons, ghosts, and jinn.

The Drymiais were therefore understood as ancient hostile spirits tied to unstable seasonal transitions — beings of sea, forests, decay, storms, and sickness who became active during the dangerous turning points between seasons.

Sources

Abbott, G. F. (1903). Macedonian folklore. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Balborinho

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Tradition / Region: Portuguese Mythology
Alternative names: Borborinho, Barborinho, Belborinho
Category: Spirit

The Myth

The Balborinho is a supernatural whirlwind from Portuguese folklore that appears suddenly on roads, fields, and crossroads during hot open hours of the day. It looks like a spinning column of dust, straw, leaves, and wind moving violently across the land. People believed something alive moved inside it.

According to tradition, the Balborinho contains the tormented souls of peasants who committed crimes involving land, theft, or agriculture during life. These dead souls cannot enter heaven because they still owe a debt to the living. The whirlwind wanders endlessly, carrying straw and debris as it searches for rest.

In many regions of Portugal people believed witches, devils, or evil spirits hid inside the spinning wind. In Minho and Moncorvo, villagers threw knives or open razor blades into the center of the whirlwind to drive away the spirit inside it. Elsewhere people crossed themselves and shouted protective prayers or insults at the storm.

Some traditions claimed the straw carried by the Balborinho came from stolen fields and marked places where injustice or wrongdoing had happened. In Guimarães there was even a belief that every leaf spinning inside the whirlwind carried a tiny devil riding upon it.

The Balborinho was especially feared in isolated rural places where sudden whirlwinds could appear without warning. In Beira Alta it was described as a violent localized wind capable of lifting entire piles of straw into the air with loud cracking sounds. People connected these unnatural winds directly with demonic forces.

Although terrifying, the Balborinho was not always seen as purely evil. Some stories described it as a suffering spirit trapped between worlds, wandering because of sins committed in life and unable to find peace.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Balborinho. In Wikipédia. Retrieved May 16, 2026, from https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balborinho

Dawn-Maiden

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Tradition / Region: Croatian Mythology
Alternative names: Pale Dawn-Maiden, Dawn Fairy
Category: Spirit, Nymph

The Myth

The Dawn-Maiden was a radiant supernatural being from Croatian folklore associated with dawn, mercy, destiny, and the boundary between the human world and the magical realms beneath the sea. She appeared at sunrise rising directly from the ocean in a shining silver boat with golden oars.

According to the tale of Fisherman Plunk, the Dawn-Maiden emerged after the fisherman spent three days fasting upon the sea without catching fish. By sparing the lives of the fish during those days, he unknowingly earned the favor of the spirit of dawn itself. On the third morning, as daylight began to appear, the silver vessel rose from the water carrying the Dawn-Maiden “fair as a king’s daughter.”

The Dawn-Maiden was neither cruel nor deceptive. Unlike many dangerous fairy beings in Slavic folklore, she behaved with calm patience and kindness, offering humans opportunities rather than direct riches. When Plunk complained about his miserable life, she simply told him to return home, where fate would provide what he truly needed.

Throughout the story, the Dawn-Maiden acts almost like a supernatural force of wisdom or destiny. She repeatedly gives Plunk chances to choose love, gratitude, and family over greed and selfish ambition. Yet Plunk constantly misunderstands her gifts, believing that wealth and magical treasure are more important than the humble happiness already given to him.

The Dawn-Maiden later guides Plunk toward the hidden domain of the Sea King. She reveals the path to the mysterious Isle Bountiful, a magical island overflowing with fertility and abundance. At the center of the island stood the glowing white stone called Gold-a-Fire, which illuminated both the island and the sea beneath it with an eerie pale light. There the Dawn-Maiden waited beside the blazing stone to guide travelers deeper into the supernatural world.

She also warned Plunk about the dangers of the undersea kingdom. According to the tale, three terrible powers guarded the return to the human world: one that controlled the waves, another that commanded storms, and a third that wielded lightning itself. These warnings reveal the Dawn-Maiden as a being who understands cosmic forces beyond ordinary human comprehension.

The Dawn-Maiden is deeply connected to transitional spaces — dawn instead of full day, sea horizons instead of land, and fate instead of direct intervention. She never forces events. Instead, she reveals paths while humans choose how to walk them. In this sense she resembles many ancient fairy or dawn goddess figures associated with revelation, renewal, and spiritual testing.

Her appearance reflects this liminal nature. She arrives in silence at sunrise, surrounded by silver light and gold, emerging directly from the sea as though born from the meeting of darkness and morning. The imagery connects her to hope, awakening, and the mysterious beauty of first light.

Unlike darker water spirits or dangerous fairies, the Dawn-Maiden represents benevolent supernatural wisdom. Yet her gifts contain hidden lessons. Humans who fail to understand those lessons — like Plunk — often discover too late that love, family, and peace were greater treasures than the magical wealth they desired.

Sources

Brlić-Mažuranić, I. (1924). Croatian tales of long ago (F. S. Copeland, Trans.). New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company.

Zduhač

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Tradition / Region: Serbian Mythology, Montenegro Mythology, Bosnian Mythology
Alternative names: Zduha, Zduvac, Stuhać, Vjedogonja, Jedogonja
Category: Spirit

The Myth

The Zduhač was a supernatural being from South Slavic folklore believed to protect its homeland from storms, hail, and destructive weather. Unlike ordinary spirits or monsters, a Zduhač was usually an ordinary human by day, but during sleep its spirit left the body and traveled through the skies to battle enemy forces.

People believed every region, tribe, or village possessed its own Zduhači who defended the land against rival Zduhači from neighboring territories. Their battles took place high in the mountains, above the clouds, or across storm-filled skies during violent winds and dark nights.

While sleeping, the spirit of the Zduhač was said to leave the body and lead winds, chase storm clouds, and fight supernatural enemies trying to bring hail and destruction. These battles explained storms, whirlwinds, thunder, and violent weather.

The Zduhači fought using bizarre magical weapons. Some wielded giant uprooted trees, enormous stones, burning branches, or sharpened sticks and spindles. Burnt wood was especially feared as a powerful weapon. They also carried symbolic farming objects such as shovels, grain brooms, and milk pails because victory in battle was believed to determine fertility, prosperity, and the success of crops and livestock.

The fighting was dangerous even for the Zduhači themselves. A spirit wounded during battle would return to its sleeping body weakened, sick, or dying. Sudden unexplained deaths were sometimes believed to happen because a Zduhač had been killed in one of these supernatural wars.

A person destined to become a Zduhač was often believed to be born under unusual signs, especially inside a caul or “shirt” covering the body at birth. This birth-cloth was considered magical and had to be carefully hidden and preserved throughout life because the Zduhač supposedly used it during spiritual battles.

Zduhači were usually men, though women, children, and even animals could possess the same power. Certain dogs, oxen, goats, horses, and rams were believed capable of fighting as Zduhači to protect their herds.

In everyday life, a Zduhač looked mostly normal, though folklore described them as quiet, thoughtful, serious people who slept unusually deeply and were difficult to awaken. They were also considered lucky individuals who brought protection and prosperity to their household and community.

Some traditions described the Zduhač not only as a spirit-warrior but also as a strange mountain being similar to a vampire or wandering supernatural creature. In darker beliefs, a Zduhač who turned toward evil or served demonic powers could become a vampire after death.

Unlike many creatures in Slavic folklore, however, the Zduhač was generally viewed as a protective figure — a supernatural defender who fought for the safety of its people, land, crops, and animals against destructive forces carried by storms and enemy spirits.

Sources

Кулишић, Ш., Петровић, П. Ж., & Пантелић, Н. (1970). Српски митолошки речник. Београд: Нолит.

Woman in White of Ziarani

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Tradition / Region: Comoros Mythology
Alternative name: The Guardian of Ziarani’s Cave
Category: Spirit

The Myth

The Woman in White is a mysterious spirit figure said to dwell within the hidden cave of Ziarani, an ancient village remembered in Comorian legend for its destruction during a devastating tribal war. She is described as a calm and sorrowful woman clothed entirely in white, appearing deep inside a cavern guarded by jinn and sealed from the world of the living.

According to the legend, the prosperous village of Ziarani once hid its women, children, elders, and sacred treasures inside a secret cave concealed behind a waterfall. The men of the village left to fight invading enemies, promising they would return once the battle was won. But the warriors were overwhelmed and massacred, leaving only a few survivors scattered across the surrounding lands.

When survivors later returned to rescue their families, they found the cave mysteriously sealed. Strange whispers echoed through the forest, lights flickered among the trees, and unseen beings were said to guard the sanctuary. Elders claimed the cave had fallen under the protection of powerful jinn who forbade anyone from entering again.

Over the generations, many people searched for the hidden treasure of Ziarani. None succeeded. Some disappeared entirely, while others fled in terror after hearing voices calling their names from the darkness.

The most famous encounter came from a young man named Karim, whose grandmother had supposedly been hidden in the cave during the war. Determined to uncover the truth, he entered the forest alone after years of studying old traditions and consulting mystics.

After days of searching, Karim discovered the hidden cave. Inside he found vast chambers glowing with strange light, filled with untouched gold, jewels, and ancient objects frozen in silence. At the center stood the Woman in White.

She appeared neither young nor old, but timeless. Her expression was peaceful yet deeply mournful, as though she carried the memory of the village’s destruction within her. She spoke to Karim gently, asking why he had come.

When Karim begged to know what had happened to his people, the spirit woman told him that the dead were now at peace and that the jinn had fulfilled their promise to protect them forever. She warned him that the cave did not belong to the living and ordered him to leave the past undisturbed.

Moments later the cave shook violently, the supernatural light vanished, and Karim awoke outside the forest with the entrance nowhere to be found.

Since then, the Woman in White has remained a legendary guardian figure in the folklore of Sima District. She is associated with hidden treasure, mourning, sacred memory, and the boundary between the living world and the spirit world. Travelers still speak of ghostly lights in the forest and the feeling of unseen eyes watching from the darkness around Ziarani.

Sources

Hichamou, P. (n.d.). Prince tales of the Comoros: Legends, mysteries & enchantments from the Isles of the Moon.

Kinkirga

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Tradition / Region: Burkina Faso Mythology
Alternative name: Little Genie
Category: Spirit, Goblin

The Myth

The Kinkirga is a small supernatural being from Moose folklore in Burkina Faso. It is usually described as a genie-like spirit living in the wilderness, rocks, and remote areas of the bush.

In one famous tale, a village chief promised his daughter in marriage to whoever could bring him three impossible objects: milk from a wild she-buffalo, the tendon of a tortoise, and the brain of a kinkirga.

The clever hare decided to attempt the challenge. After tricking a buffalo and obtaining her milk, he searched the bush for a kinkirga. When he found the little spirit, the hare asked whether it could perform a somersault on top of a large rock.

The kinkirga admitted it could not.

Pretending to help, the hare climbed onto the rock first and demonstrated the trick safely. The kinkirga tried to imitate him, but struck its head against the stone and shattered its skull. The hare then took the spirit’s brain and continued on his journey.

The tale portrays the kinkirga as mysterious and supernatural, but also vulnerable to cunning and deception. In Moose folklore, spirits of the bush are often powerful in strange ways, yet they can still be outsmarted by clever tricksters like the hare.

Sources

Sissao, A.-J. (2010). Folktales from the Moose of Burkina Faso. African Books Collective.

Kianda

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Tradition / Region: Angolan Mythology
Also Known As: Quianda
Category: Mermaid, Spirit

The Myth

Kianda is a powerful water spirit from Angolan folklore, associated with rivers, lagoons, and the underwater world. In many stories, Kianda appears as a supernatural being connected to hidden wealth, mysterious underwater cities, and dangerous encounters with humans.

One Angolan tale tells of a woman with two daughters who encountered a strange skull-like being that wished to marry one of the girls. The mother refused to give either daughter away. The younger daughter then secretly took ashes and covered the skull’s holes with them before throwing it into a lagoon.

The next morning, the waters had transformed, and the being beneath the surface had become Kianda. The spirit returned and demanded the younger daughter as his bride. He dragged her beneath the water into his underwater realm, where she was dressed in fine ornaments and necklaces. Whenever she returned from beneath the waters, she brought wealth, cloth, wine, and valuable goods back with her.

The woman eventually married Kianda and lived between the human world and the spirit world beneath the water. In the story, Kianda is portrayed as both dangerous and supernatural, yet also capable of granting riches and prosperity to those connected to him.

Sources

Chatelain, H. (1894). Folk-tales of Angola; fifty tales with Kimbundu text, liberal English translation, introduction, and notes. Boston: American Folk-lore Society.

Aicha Kandicha

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Tradition / Region: Moroccan Mythology
Also Known As: Aisha Qandisha, Qandisa
Category: Succubus, Spirit

The Myth

Aicha Kandicha is a feared female spirit from Moroccan folklore, often described as a beautiful young woman with the legs or hooves of a goat or camel. She is strongly associated with rivers, lakes, marshes, canals, and the sea, and is believed to appear near water after dark.

Legends describe her wearing a dark cloak that hides her supernatural form. She uses her beauty and charm to lure men toward her, sometimes appearing as a lost woman or even disguising herself as the victim’s wife. Once alone with her target, she drives him mad, possesses him, or kills him.

Different regions of Morocco describe her differently, but nearly all traditions connect her to water and dangerous seduction. Some stories say she can manipulate water, freeze it, or disappear beneath it. Others claim she fears iron knives or needles.

In certain Moroccan spiritual traditions and possession rituals, Aicha Kandicha is treated as one of the powerful female spirits connected to trance ceremonies and spirit possession. People believed her presence could cause strange behavior, animal-like sounds, nightmares, illness, or madness.

Some later legends claim Aicha Kandicha may have originated from a real woman who fought Portuguese forces during the colonial period by seducing enemy soldiers before leading them into ambushes. Over time, stories about her blended with older supernatural beliefs until she became one of the most famous spirits in Moroccan folklore.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Aisha Qandicha. In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 10, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aisha_Qandicha

Taejagwi

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Tradition / Region: Korean Mythology
Alternative Name: –
Category: Ghost, Spirit

The Myth

Taejagwi is a spirit from ancient Korean shamanic tradition believed to be the ghost of a young girl who died from smallpox during an epidemic. In some rarer stories, the spirit may also be that of a deceased boy, though it is most commonly associated with girls.

The spirit was feared and respected because it was believed to possess knowledge of both the past and the future. Taejagwi would sometimes appear to humans in order to reveal hidden truths, predict future events, or expose secrets long forgotten.

Unlike many ghosts in Korean folklore, Taejagwi was usually not seen directly. Witnesses claimed its presence was recognized through strange cries or the sound of a child’s voice seemingly emerging from empty air. These eerie voices were believed to carry prophecies or supernatural knowledge.

Belief in Taejagwi became especially widespread in Korea after outbreaks of smallpox, and stories of the spirit often came from grieving mothers who had lost children during epidemics. Some accounts claimed the spirit appeared before groups of people, astonishing witnesses with accurate revelations about past events or warnings of things yet to come.

In Korean folk belief, Taejagwi became associated with sorrow, disease, death, and supernatural foresight.

Sources

Bestiary.us. (n.d.). Thjedzhagvi. Retrieved May 10, 2026, from https://www.bestiary.us/thjedzhagvi/