She shrieked and a moment later I was running down the street with the two men chasing me and shouting curses, or what I assumed were curses, great hoarse expletives that echoed through the trees and set dogs barking in the dark houses.

NEWYORKER: Wakefield

Similarly, most villages have a witch or folk-healer who dispenses spells, removes curses and provides spiritual guidance.

BBC: Mystical tales from Transylvania