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Demons

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Kamakura, Japan

Hansobo Shrine

A mountaintop shrine-temple guarded by a horde of half-demon priests.
Each night during his journey across the netherworld, the sun god Ra's barque crosses the desert Rostau, realm of the falcon god Sokar, borne by snakes.
maps

In Ancient Egypt, the Duat Was a Netherworld of Gods and Monsters

A guide called the Amduat helped pharaohs navigate the complex afterlife.
Nicky Nielsen October 3, 2023
churches

Podcast: Demon Wall

The devil's in the details of this disturbing Norwegian church mural.
The Podcast Team August 17, 2023
A Hindu priest holds a lit coconut oil lamp in front of statues of Prince Vijaya (left) and Kuweni (right) at the Sri Subramaniam temple in the southern Sri Lankan town of Matara.
music

How This Demon Dance Banishes Illnesses in Sri Lanka's Remote Jungles

The kankariya dance all started with a legendary demon queen named Kuweni.
Zinara Rathnayake May 4, 2023
Tokyo, Japan

Eye-Eating Demon of Inari Kio

Only recently added to the shrine, this googly-eyed snail demon of unknown origin is said to have eye-healing powers.
A member of the Milwaukee Krampus Eigenheit was one of dozens of furry, horned menaces swatting onlookers with switches during the annual Milwaukee Krampusnacht.
santa claus

Krampus Is the Christmas Icon We Need—And Maybe the One We Deserve

At Milwaukee’s Krampusnacht, we go in search of the essence of Santa’s unholy enforcer.
Gemma Tarlach December 9, 2022
Armed with experts, psychics, and equipment, singer-songwriter Kesha went ghost hunting in one of America's most haunted places.
haunted

Why a Popstar Wanted to Go Ghost Hunting

Haunted places have a lot to tell us about ourselves.
Kesha October 27, 2022
Rampant demons
Gloucestershire, England

Stained Glass Demons of Fairford

A rampant horde of demons smirk and snarl at visitors to this church, home to a rare complete set of medieval-era stained glass windows.
In a small village in southern Norway, a church wall is filled with thousands of tiny demons—and that's not the oddest thing about the mural.
churches

The Curious Case of Norway’s Disturbing Demon Wall

A respected conservator restoring a centuries-old church mural saw the devil in the details—and created a wholly imagined, diabolical scene.
Gemma Tarlach October 13, 2021
Itinerary

5 Sites to Spot Satan in New Hampshire

50 States of Wonder
Anne Ewbank
Whether the Nain Rouge is friendly or fiendish, he's definitely red and demonic.
beer

The Spirited Afterlife of Detroit’s Little Red Demon

The Nain Rouge has been stirring up trouble—and maybe generating some goodwill—for more than 300 years.
Jessica Leigh Hester October 28, 2019
Louisville, Kentucky

The Witches' Tree

Locals place their offerings on this nightmarish gnarled tree so the witches won't summon another storm.
Permanently Closed
Le Stryge.
Paris, France

Le Stryge

This demon atop the Notre-Dame de Paris looks utterly bored.
Demons portrayed in the stained-glass windows of Strasbourg Cathedrals.
Strasbourg, France

Stained-Glass Demons

Explore this medieval cathedral by trying to spot all the malevolent monsters hiding in its beautifully colored windows.
Kyichu Lhakhang.
Bhutan

Kyichu Lhakhang Temple

One of Bhutan's oldest temples was purportedly built to halt a giant female ogre from preventing the spread of Buddhism across Tibet.
Walberla sunset
Wiesenthau, Germany

Walberla

An ancient pagan site swirling with legends in the foothills of Franconian Switzerland.
Mengwi, Indonesia

Ogoh-Ogoh Museum

A small museum full of giant effigies of Bali's demons and monsters.
The chapel at the castle.
Blatce, Czechia

Houska Castle

Folklore says this medieval fortress was plopped atop a portal to hell to trap the demons below.