Encyclopedia of the Paranormal

In the Platonic, Neopythagorean, Middle Platonic, and Neoplatonic schools of philosophy, the demiurge (/ˈdɛmi.ɜːrdʒ/) is an artisan-like figure responsible for fashioning and maintaining the physical universe. The Gnostics adopted the term “demiurge”. Although a…

Demogorgon is a deity or demon, associated with the underworld and envisaged as a powerful primordial being, whose very name had been taboo. Although often ascribed to Greek mythology, the name probably arises from…

Dev (or div) are monstrous creatures in Iranian, Armenian, Turkic and Albanian mythology, comparable to fiends or ogres. They consist of a body similar to a human, but giant, with two horns, relishing human…

A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in many and various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. It is difficult…

The Dewey Lake Monster is the name given to a legendary creature said to be approximately 10 feet (3.0 metres) tall and weighing about 500 pounds (230 kilograms), which first gained wide notoriety in…

In the Persian epic of Shahnameh Div-e Sepid, or Div-e Sefid (Persian: دیو سپید‎ or دیو سفید, lit. White Demon), is the chieftain of the Divs (demons) of Mazandaran. He is a huge being.…

In the Persian epic of Shahnameh Div-e Sepid (Persian: دیو سپید‎, lit. White Demon), is the chieftain of the Divs (demons) of Mazandaran. He is a huge being. He possesses great physical strength and…

The Dobhar-chú (Irish pronunciation: [ˈd̪ˠaɾˠxuː], lit. “water dog” or “water hound”) or King Otter is a creature of Irish folklore. It resembles both a dog and an otter though sometimes is described as a…

Drekavac, literally “the screamer” or “the screecher”), also called drekalo, krekavac, zdrekavac or zrikavac, is a mythical creature in South Slavic mythology. The name is derived from the verb “drečati” (to shrill). 10618

In German folklore, a drude (German: Drude, pl. Druden) is a kind of malevolent nocturnal spirit (an elf (Alp) or kobold or a hag) associated with nightmares, prevalent especially in Southern Germany. Druden were…

In Jewish mythology, a dybbuk (Yiddish: דיבוק‎, from the Hebrew verb דָּבַק dāḇaq meaning “adhere” or “cling”) is a malicious possessing spirit believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person. It supposedly…

Within ghost hunting and parapsychology, electronic voice phenomena (EVP) are sounds found on electronic recordings that are interpreted as spirit voices that have been either unintentionally recorded or intentionally requested and recorded. Parapsychologist Konstantīns…

Erlik, Erlig, or Erlik Khan, (in Hungarian mythology equivalent to Ördög ) is the god of death and Tamag (hell) in Turco-Mongol mythology. 9417

Erlik, Erlig, or Erlik Khan, (in Hungarian mythology equivalent to Ördög) is the god of death and Tamag (hell) in Turkic mythology. FeaturesAccording to Siberian mythology, Erlik was the first creation of Ülgen/Ulgan, the…

European dragons are legendary creatures in folklore and mythology among the overlapping cultures of Europe. In both the modern period and ancient period, the European dragon is typically depicted as a large, fire-breathing, scaly,…