Mami Wata Mami Wata
West African Vodun, Vodun, Haitian Vodou, Vodou, Folk Catholicism,,Odinani Catholicism Odinani,, Y Yoruba oruba religion, religion,Louisiana Voodoo Feast:: Feast June ! "nakes, #earls, gold, diamonds Attributes:: Attributes Patronage:: Patronage Water, the sea, mermaids, markets, di$ination, healing, luck, mone%, music Mami Wata (Mammy Water) is $enerated in West West,, Central Central,, Venerated in:
and "outhern Africa, Africa, and in the African dias#ora in dias#ora in theAmericas theAmericas&& Mami Wata s#irits are usuall% female, but are sometimes male& '() Attributes of Mami Wata Appearance
*he a##earance of her hair ranges from from straight, curl% to kink% kink% black ')'+) '+) and combed straight back& ') Mami Wata -here Mami is the .idgin
/nglish s#elling of mamm% 0mother1 Wata is the .idgin /nglish s#elling of -ater is essentiall% a mermaid or humanistic -ater entit%& entit%& Mami Wata Wata is often described as a mermaid2like 3gure, -ith a -oman4s u##er bod% 0often nude1 and the hind5uarters of a 3sh or '6)'!)' '!)'7) 7) ser#ent&'6) 8n other tales, Mami Wata Wata is full% human in a##earance
0though ne$er human1& *he e9istence and s#iritual im#ortance of Mami Wata is dee#l% rooted in the ancient tradition and m%tholog% of the coastal southeastern :igerians 0/3k 0 /3k,, 8bibio 8bibio and and Annang Annang #eo#le1& #eo#le1& Mami Wata often carries e9#ensi$e baubles such as combs, mirrors, and -atches& A large snake snake 0s%mbol 0s%mbol of di$ination di$ination and and di$init% di$init%11 fre5uentl% accom#anies her, -ra##ing itself around her and la%ing its head bet-een her breasts& Other times, she ma% tr% to #ass as com#letel% human,
-andering bus% markets or #atronising bars& ') "he ma% also manifest in a '+)';) ';)'<) '<)'=) '=) number of other forms, including as a man& '+) *raders *raders in the >th
centur% carried similar beliefs -ith them from "enegal "enegal to to as far as ?ambia ?ambia&& As the Mami Wata traditions continues to re2emerge, nati$e -ater deities -ere subsumed into it& '(>) Water
*raditions *raditions on both sides of the Atlantic Atlantic tell of the s#irit abducting her follo-ers or random #eo#le -hilst the% are s-imming or boating& "he brings them to her #aradisiacal realm, -hich ma% be under-ater, in the s#irit -orld, -orld, or both& ') "hould she allo- them to lea$e, the tra$ellers usuall% return in dr% clothing and -ith a ne- s#iritual understanding re@ected in their gae& *hese returnees often gro- -ealthier, more attracti$e, and more eas%going after the encounter& encounter& '+) Van "ti#riaan further re#orts that other tales describe ri$er tra$ellers 0usuall% men1 chancing u#on the s#irit& "he is ine$itabl% grooming herself, combing her hair, and #eering at herself in a mirror& mirror& B#on noticing the intruder, she @ees into the -ater and lea$es her #ossessions behind& *he tra$eller then takes the in$aluable items& Later, Mami Wata Wata a##ears to the thief in his dreams to demand the return of her things& "hould he agree, she further demands a #romise from him to be se9uall% faithful to her& her& Agreement grants the #erson riches ric hes refusal to return the #ossessions or to be faithful brings the man ill fortune& ') Her -orshi# is as di$erse as her initiates, #riesthood and -orshi##ers,'(>) although some #arallels ma% be dra-n& Drou#s of #eo#le ma% gather in her name, but the s#irit is much more #rone to interacting
-ith follo-ers on a one2on2one basis& "he thus has man% #riests #riests and and mediums mediums in in both Africa, America and in the Caribbean -ho are s#eci3call% born and initiated to them& 8n :igeria, de$otees t%#icall% -ear red and -hite clothing, as these colors re#resent that #articular MamiEs dual nature& 8gbo 8gbo iconogra#h%, iconogra#h%, red re#resents such 5ualities as death, destruction, heat, maleness, #h%sicalit%, and #o-er& #o-er& 8n contrast, -hite s%mbolises death, but also can s%mbolie beaut%, creation, femaleness, ne- life, s#iritualit%, translucence, -ater, and -ealth& '+) *his regalia ma% also include a cloth snake -ra##ed about the -aist& '(>) *he Mami Wata shrines shrines ma% ma% also be decorated in these colors, and items such as bells, car$ings, Christian or 8ndian #rints, dolls, incense, s#irits, and remnants of #re$ious sacri3ces '+)'(>) (>) often adorn such #laces& '+)'
8ntense dancing accom#anied b% musical instruments such s uch as African guitars or harmonicas often forms the core of Mami Wata -orshi#& Follo-ers dance to the #oint of entering a trance trance&& At this #oint, Mami Wata #ossesses #ossesses the the #erson and s#eaks to him or her& her& ') Oerings to the s#irit are also im#ortant, and Mami Wata #refers gifts of delicious food and drink, alcohol, fragrant obGects 0such as #omade, #o-der, incense, and soa#1, and e9#ensi$e goods like Ge-elr%& '(>) Modern -orshi##ers usuall% lea$e her gifts of manufactured goods, such as Coca2Cola Coca2Cola or or designer Ge-elr%& Ge-elr%&') :e$ertheless, she largel% -ants her follo-ers to be health% and -ell o&'+) More broadl%, #eo#le blame the s#irit for all sorts of misfortune&
8n Cameroon, for e9am#le, Mami Wata is ascribed -ith causing the strong underto- that kills man% s-immers each %ear along the coast& Sex
According to astian, Mami Wata4s association -ith se9 and lust is some-hat #arado9icall% linked to one -ith 3delit%& According to a :igerian tradition, male follo-ers ma% encounter the s#irit in the guise of a beautiful, se9uall% #romiscuous -oman, such as a #rostitute& 8n :igerian #o#ular stories, Mami Wata ma% seduce a fa$oured male de$otee and then sho- herself to him follo-ing coitus& "he then demands his com#lete se9ual faithfulness and secrec% about the matter& Acce#tance means -ealth and fortune reGection s#ells the ruin of his famil%, 3nances, and Gob&'+)
Healing and fertility
Another #rominent as#ect of the Mami Wata deities is their connection to healing& 8f someone comes do-n -ith an incurable, languorous illness, Mami Wata often takes the blame& *he illness is e$idence that Mami Wata has taken an interest in the aIicted #erson and that onl% she can cure him or her& "imilarl%, se$eral other ailments ma% be attributed to the -ater s#irit& 8n :igeria, for e9am#le, she takes the blame for e$er%thing from headaches to sterilit%& '+) 8n fact, barren mothers often call u#on the s#irit to cure their aIiction& Man% traditions hold that Mami Wata herself is barren, so if she gi$es a -oman a child, that -oman inherentl% becomes more distanced
from the s#irit4s true nature& *he -oman -ill thus be less likel% to become -ealth% or attracti$e through her de$otion to Mami Wata& 8mages of -omen -ith children often decorate shrines to the s#irit& '+) Other associations As other deities become absorbed into the 3gure of Mami Wata, the s#irit often takes on characteristics uni5ue to a #articular region or culture& 8n *rinidad and *obago, for e9am#le, Maman lo #la%s the role of guardian of nature, #unishing o$erealous hunters or -oodcutters& "he is the lo$er of .a#a ois, a nature s#irit& Origins and de$elo#ment 8t is belie$ed that all of ancient Africa #ossessed a multitude of -ater2s#irit traditions before the 3rst contact -ith /uro#eans& Most of these -ere regarded as female& ual natures of good and e$il -ere not uncommon, re@ecting the fact that -ater is an im#ortant means of #ro$iding communication, food, drink, trade, and trans#ortation, but it can dro-n #eo#le, @ood 3elds or $illages, and #ro$ide #assage to intruders& Van "ti#riaan suggests that she ma% be based on the West African manatee,'(() -hich is an idea that has been #ro#osed b% scientists of the Dhanaian Council for "cienti3c and 8ndustrial Kesearch 0C"8K1'() in fact, Mami Wata is a common name for this animal in the region& Jill "almons argues that the mermaid image ma% ha$e come into being after contact -ith /uro#eans& *he shi#s of traders and sla$ers often had car$ings of mermaid 3gures on their #ro-s, for e9am#le, and tales of mermaids -ere #o#ular among sailors of the time& '(+) On the other hand, -hite is traditionall% associated -ith the s#irit -orld in man% cultures of :igeria&
*he #eo#le of the Cross Ki$er area often -hiten their skin -ith talcum or other substances for rituals and for cosmetic reasons, for e9am#le& '+) Van "ti#riaan s#eculates that Liberian traders of the ru ethnic grou# mo$ed u# and do-n the -est coast of Africa from Liberia to Cameroon beginning in the (=th centur%& *he% ma% ha$e s#read their o-n -ater2s#irit beliefs -ith them and hel#ed to standardise conce#tions in West Africa& *heir #ercei$ed -ealth ma% ha$e hel#ed establish the s#irit as one of good fortune& '(6) According to the "u#reme Chief of Mami Wata, Hounnon ehumbea, the a##ointed high #riest of the Mami Wata *radition in West Africa0enin, *ogo, Dhana1, the Mami Wata tradition consists of a huge #antheon of deities s#irits, not Gust the often #ortra%ed mermaid deit%& ehumbea goes on to sa% that true kno-ledge and understanding of Mami Wata is shared -ith those initiated into the #riesthood of Mami and -ith those -ho hear the calling for initiation into Mami Wata& mage
Van "ti#riaan also belie$es that this #eriod introduced West Africa to -hat -ould become the de3niti$e image of Mami Wata& Circa (<<;, a chromolithogra#h of a female "amoan snake charmer a##eared in :igeria& According to the ritish art historian enneth C& Murra%, the #oster -as titled Der Schlangenbändiger 0*he "nake Charmer1 and -as originall% created sometime bet-een (<<> and (<<;& r& *obias Wendl, director of the 8-ale-a2Haus Africa Centre at the Bni$ersit% of a%reuth, -as unable to con3rm this after e9tensi$e searching 0as Der Schlangenbändiger is a masculine term, the title seems sus#ect1& He did
disco$er a $er% similar #hotogra#h titled Die samoanische Schlangenbändigerin Maladamatjaute 0the "amoan "nake Charmer
0fem&1 MaladamatGaute1 in the collection of the Wilhelm2?immermann Archi$e in Hamburg& '(!)'(7) Whiche$er the original image, it -as almost certainl% a #oster of a celebrated late (=th2centur% snake charmer -ho #erformed under the stage name :ala amaGanti, -hich a##eared in se$eral $ariations, #articularl% MaladamatGaute, at numerous $enues, including the Folies ergNre in (<<7& *his identi3cation -as also made b% re-al in a >( book cha#ter on Mami Wata& '(;) es#ite e9otic claims of her nationalit%, she -as later identi3ed as one milie .ou#on of :ante%, France&'(<) *his imagePan enticing -oman -ith long, black hair and a large snake slithering u# bet-een her breastsP a##arentl% caught the imaginations of the Africans -ho sa- it it -as the de3niti$e image of the s#irit& efore long, Mami Wata #osters a##eared in o$er a doen countries& .eo#le began creating Mami Wata art of their o-n, much of it in@uenced b% the lithogra#h& '(=) Keemergence in contem#orar% times .riestess of Mami Wata in *ogo, West Africa in >>! According to #hotogra#her Van "ti#riaan and some -estern anthro#ologists, the $arious West African religions came to resemble one another during the >th centur%, es#eciall% in urban areas& *he homogenisation -as largel% the result of greater communication and mobilit% of indi$iduals from to-n to to-n and countr% to countr%, though links bet-een the s#irit4s nature and the #erils of the urban en$ironment
ha$e also been #ro#osed& *his led to a ne- le$el of standarisation of #riests, initiations of ne- de$otees, healing rituals, and tem#les& ') *he >th centur% also led to Mami Wata4s reemergence in much of Central and "outhern Africa& 8n the mid2(=!>s, traders im#orted co#ies of The Snake Charmer from omba% and /ngland and sold them throughout Africa& West African traders mo$ed her toLubumbashi in the emocratic Ke#ublic of the Congo 0KC1 in that same decade& *here the s#irit became a #o#ular subGect of Congolese folk #ainters, -ho #laced her on the -alls of bars, stores, and market#lace stalls& "enegalese traders and Congolese immigrants #robabl% brought her -orshi# to ?ambia b% the (=;>s& Mean-hile, Congolese and ?ambian artists s#read Mami Wata images throughout #ublic #laces in ?ambia& Further diusion might ha$e occurred during the iafran secessionist :igerian Ci$il War, -hich began in (=7;& Kefugees @ed to all #arts of West and Central Africa, bringing -ith them their belief in the -ater s#irit& Modern KC, Lesotho, "outh Africa, and ?ambia toda% form the current boundar% of the Mami Wata cult, albeit a blurred one& *he #an2 African -ater s#irit is assimilating nati$e -ater s#irits in this region, man% of them ser#ent 3gures& "ome e9am#les are the Congolese2 ?ambian chitapo or nakamwale, the "outh African umamlambo, and the "otho mamolapo or mamogashoa& *he most $isible e$idence of this absor#tion is that man% of these creatures are toda% $ie-ed as mermaids rather than snakes, their traditional form& *hese ado#tions often lead to confusion -hen as#ects of more than one being become amalgamated
under the name Mami Wata& 8n "outhern Africa, for e9am#le, Mami Wata is sometimes said to be able to @% around in the form of a tornado, an ado#ted as#ect from the khanyapa -ater s#irit& Across the Atlantic *he ne- en$ironment onl% ser$ed to em#hasie the ensla$ed4s connection to -ater& 8n Duiana, for e9am#le, sla$es had to 3ght back s-am# -aters on the #lantations the% -orked& '(() "he -as 3rst mentioned in utch Duiana in the (;6>s in the Gournal of an anon%mous colonistQ !8t sometimes ha##ens that one or the other of the black sla$es
either imagines truthfull%, or out of rascalit% #retends to ha$e seen and heard an a##arition or ghost -hich the% call -ater mama, -hich ghost -ould ha$e ordered them not to -ork on such or such a da%, but to s#end it as a hol% da% for oering -ith the blood of a -hite hen, to s#rinkle this or that at the -ater2side and more of that monke%2business, adding in such cases that if the% do not obe% this order, shortl% Watermama -ill make their child or husband etc& die or harm them other-ise&'>)" "la$es -orshi##ed the s#irit b% dancing and then falling into a trancelike state& 8n the (;;>s, the utch rulers outla-ed the ritual dances associated -ith the s#irit& *he go$ernor, J& :e#$eu, -rote thatQ !the .a#a, :ago, Arada and other sla$es -ho commonl% are
brought here under the name Fida 'Ouidah) sla$es, ha$e introduced certain de$ilish #ractices into their dancing, which they have transposed to all other slaves -hen a certain rh%thm is #la%ed&&&
the% are #ossessed b% their god, -hich is generall% called Watermama& '()" :ati$e Americans of the colon% ado#ted Watermama from the sla$es and merged her -ith their o-n -ater s#irits& % the (=th centur%, an in@u9 of ensla$ed Africans from other regions had relegated Watermama to a #osition in the #antheon of the deities of the "urinamese Wintireligion& When Winti -as outla-ed in the (=;>s, her religious #ractices lost some of their im#ortance in "uriname& Furthermore, a relati$e lack of freedom com#ared to their African brethren #re$ented the homogenisation that occurred -ith the Mami Wata cult across the Atlantic& ') 8n #o#ular culture Mami Wata is a #o#ular subGect in the art, 3ction, #oetr%, music, and 3lm of the Caribbean and West and Central Africa& Visual artists es#eciall% seem dra-n to her image, and both -ealthier Africans and tourists bu% #aintings and -ooden scul#tures of the s#irit& "he also 3gures #rominentl% in the folk art of Africa, -ith her image adorning -alls of bars and li$ing rooms, album co$ers, and other items& '+) Mami Wata has also #ro$ed to be a #o#ular theme in African and Caribbean literature& Authors -ho ha$e featured her in their 3ction include Wa%ne Derard *rotmanas Mama lo in his no$el Kaya Abaniah and the ather o! the orest , .atrick Chamoiseau, Ale9
Dodard, Kose Marie Duiraud 0CRte d48$oire1, Flora :-a#a, andVSroni5ue *adGo 0CRte d48$oire1& Mamy"#ata is also the title of a satirical Cameroonian ne-s#a#er&
*he character Mami Watanabe from the comic book actionalists is the #h%sical manifestation of the s#irit entit% Mami Wata& *he author utilied a number of features to con$e% this& Her name Mami Watanabe is a #la% on Mami Wata& es#ite being Ja#anese her skin is darkened in Ja#anese ganguro st%le& "he also has a tattoo of a snake on her bod% and recei$es a -atch and a mirror as gifts in the series, t-o items generall% associated -ith Mami Wata& "inger2song-riter "&J& *ucker recorded a song named La "irene in honor of Mami Watanabe& *rum#eter Hugh Masekela recorded a song titled Mami Wata, -hich a##ears on the C $ersion of his album The $oy%s Doin% &t &'6)
Mami Wata a##eared in the second season of the Canadian tele$ision sho- 'ost (irl on "ho-case *ele$ision& and is referred to in the tele$ision sho- )iver Monsters b% Jerem% Wade4s 3shing in the Congo Ki$er in e#isode Congo Killer as -ell as the od% "natcher e#isode set in Du%ana& :ames of Mami Wata'edit) State# $erritory# %egion
&ame used
enin
Ma-u2Lisu 0sometimes seen as an as#ect of Mami Wata1
rail
YemonGT 0or YemanGT becoming #o#ularl% identi3ed -ith the s#irit1
Ke#ublic of the Congo Colombia
uitikuiti, Mboe, Makanga, uni, ambii Mohana, Madre de agua 0Mother of Water1
Cuba emocratic Ke#ublic of the Congo
Yeman%a 0or Yema%a becoming #o#ularl% identi3ed -ith the s#irit1 'a Sir*ne 0*he Mermaid1, Madame +oisson 0Mistress
Fish1, Mamba Muntu
ominica
Maman de l4/au 0Mother of the Water1, Maman lo, Mama Dlo
Duinea
Mam% Wata
French Duiana
Mamadilo
Dhana
Maame Water
Drenada
MamadGo
Duadelou#e
Maman de l%,au, Maman lo
Du%ana
Watramama
"outh Africa
mamlambo ulu and :oMlambo :debele
Haiti
'a Sir*ne, 'a $aleine 0*he Whale a Kada loa that is a cross bet-een 'a Sir*ne and ,r-ulie $alianne1 0/rulie and "imbi are also identi3ed -ith 'a Sir*ne1
Jamaica Martini5ue :etherlands Antilles
Ki$er Mama, Ki$er Maiden 'amant. 0A #un on her dual nature as gi$er and de$ourerQ '%Amant., *he Lo$er or 'a Mant., *he
Mantis1, Manman lo
Maman de l%,au, Maman lo
:igeria
Mmuommiri 08gboQ 'ady o! the waters 1,'!) Obanamen or Oba n4amen Uamong the enin of /do "tate, means ingueen of the -aters,X, YemoGaU%oruba $ersionX
"uriname
Watermama, Watramama
*rinidad and *obago
Maman de l%,au, Mama lo, Maman glo, Maman lo, '7)
Mama Dlo-';)
"ee also'edit) •
Jengu
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YemanGa :otes'edit)
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"hort "tories in :igerian .idgin /nglish& Antena Verlag & Derman% Keferences'edit) •
:icholson, .aul and 8an "ha-& $ritish Museum Dictionary o! Ancient ,gypt & LondonQ ritish Museum .ress, (==!& 8": >2;(6(2>=<2;&
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$an "ti#riaan, Ale9 0>>!1& WatramamaMami WataQ *hree centuries of creoliation of a -ater s#irit in West Africa, "uriname and /uro#e& Matatu9 1ournal !or A!rican Culture and Society , ;<, ++2+;&
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Mami WataQ Water Oering Videos in enin West AFrica 0c1 ehumbea& You*ube
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Water "#irits and MermaidsQ *he Co##erbelt Case "outheastern Kegional "eminar in African "tudies
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Mami WataQ YemanGa railian Festi$al 0c1 Henr% J& re-al& You*ube& "ourceQ htt#sQen&-iki#edia&org-ikiMami[Wata
Arts for Water "#irits in Africa and 8ts ias#oras Mami Wata 8ntruduction At once beautiful, #rotecti$e, seducti$e, and dangerous, the -ater s#irit Mami Wata 0Mother Water1 is celebrated throughout much of Africa and the African Atlantic& A rich arra% of arts surrounds her, as -ell as a host of other a5uatic s#irits22all honoring the essential, sacred nature of -ater& Mami Wata is often #ortra%ed as a mermaid, a snake charmer, or a combination of both& "he is -idel% belie$ed to ha$e o$erseas origins, and her de#ictions ha$e been #rofoundl% in@uenced b% re#resentations of ancient, indigenous African -ater s#irits, /uro#ean mermaids, Hindu gods and goddesses, and Christian and Muslim saints& "he is not onl% se9%, Gealous, and beguiling but also e9ists in the #lural, as the mami -atas and #a#i -atas -ho com#rise #art of the $ast and uncountable school of African -ater s#irits& Mami Wata4s #resence is #er$asi$e #artl% because she can bring good fortune in the form of mone%& As a ca#italist deit% #ar e9cellence, her #ersona de$elo#ed bet-een the 3fteenth and t-entieth centuries, the era of gro-ing trade bet-een Africa and the rest of the -orld& Her $er% name, -hich ma% be translated as Mother Water, is #idgin /nglish, a language de$elo#ed to facilitate trade& Countless ensla$ed Africans forcibl% brought to the Americas as #art of this trade carried -ith them their beliefs, #ractices, and arts honoring -ater s#irits such as Mami Wata& Keestablished, re$isualied, and re$italied in the African Atlantic, Mami Wata emerged in ne- communities and under dierent guises, among
them LasirNn, YemanGa, "anta Marta la ominadora, and O9um& African22 based faiths honoring these manifestations of Mami Wata continue to @ourish in communities throughout the Americas, including Haiti, rail, and the ominican Ke#ublic& *his e9hibition e9#lores the $isual cultures and histories of Mami Wata, e9amining the -orld of -ater deities and their seducti$e #o-ers& 8t demonstrates ho- art both re@ects and acti$el% contributes to beliefs and religious #ractices, globaliation, and ca#italism& Most of all, it re$eals the #otenc% of images and ideas to sha#e the li$es of #eo#le, communities, and societies& "ources and CurrentsQ Who is Mami Wata Mami Wata is a com#le9 s%mbol -ith so man% resonances that she feeds the imagination, generating, rather than limiting, meanings and signi3cances& "he is at once a nurturing mother se9% mama #ro$ider of riches healer of #h%sical and s#iritual ills and embodiment of dangers and desires, risks and challenges, dreams and as#irations, fears and forebodings& .eo#le are attracted to the seemingl% endless #ossibilities she re#resents and, at the same time, frightened b% her destructi$e #otential& "he ins#ires a $ast arra% of emotions, attitudes, and actions among those -ho -orshi# her, fear her, stud% her, and create -orks of art about her& Often a##earing -ith the head and torso of a -oman and the tail of a 3sh, Mami Wata straddles earth and -ater, culture and nature& "he ma% also take the form of a snake charmer, sometimes in combination -ith her mermaid attributes and sometimes se#arate from them& "he can e9ist in
the form of indigenous African -ater s#irits kno-n as mami -atas and #a#i -atas or assume as#ects of a Hindu deit% or a Christian saint -ithout sacri3cing her identit%& *his section of the e9hibition #resents a broad o$er$ie- of some of the mo$ements, images, and ideas that ha$e #la%ed maGor roles in the arts for Mami Wata& *hese include African images celebrating ancient and indigenous -ater s#irits, global e9am#les that demonstrate the transcultural nature of Mami Wata, and contem#orar% ideological and theological contro$ersies concerning good and e$il&
Mami Wata in Cultural Conte9t Mami Wata and the innumerable mami and #a#i -ata s#irits ha$e man% faces, and their identities rarel% remain constant& As conditions change, so do the attributes, #ersonalities, and actions of these fascinating and enigmatic -ater s#irits& When taken together, the case studies #resented in this section re$eal striking dierences, as -ell as remarkable similarities, in the beliefs and e9#ressi$e arts for Mami Wata and her cohorts in Africa& As -ith the arts dedicated to her, the -orshi# of Mami Wata as a s#eci3c s#iritual entit% is not a uni3ed, homogenous #henomenon& 8nstead, it re$eals an e9tremel% di$erse and @uid set of beliefs and #ractices that both re@ect and guide social and religious -orlds& *here are man% e9#ressions of Christianit%, 8slam, Judaism, Hinduism, uddhism, and other faiths, and this is #erha#s e$en more true of the -orshi# of Mami Wata and -ater s#irits in Africa&
Mami4s "isters in the African Atlantic "acred -aters bathe the histories of African #eo#les22-aters of life, de#arture, and return& "ometimes the% a##ear as tears of dee# sorro-, sometimes as soothing and cooling streams sustaining e9istence and ho#e& Water connects -orld -ith other-orld, life -ith afterlife& Among Africans dis#ersed across $ast oceans, these -aters are emblematic of the ultimate Gourne% back home to Africa and all those distant %et li$ing ancestors& 8n Haiti, it is the Gourne% home to Duinee across the ri##ling boundar% of e9istence, imagined as a $ast e9#anse of -ater that e9ists bet-een life and afterlife& *his is the abode of LasirNn, La aleine, Ag-e, "imbi, YemanGa, Watra Mama, and all the -ater di$inities of Africa and the African Atlantic& *heir names are regularl% in$oked to strengthen the determination needed to endure the hardshi#s and challenges of li$es scattered and torn asunder b% the a$arice, arrogance, and brutalit% of those -ho -ould ensla$e others for their o-n bene3t& *he arts for African Atlantic gods and goddesses e$oke com#le9 emotions, ho#es, and dreams as -ell as fears and nightmares& *he% ma% recall a sorro-ful, troubled #ast, %et the% oer ho#e and ins#iration for a better future and the #romise of an afterlife& Mami Wata as Artists4 Muse 8n addition to their continuall% transforming histories of in@uence in Africa and its dias#oras, Mami Wata and other African and African Atlantic -ater s#irits ha$e gained an e$en -ider audience, as -ell as nemeanings and im#ort, b% ca#turing the imaginations of a number of contem#orar% artists& *his section of the e9hibition features the -ork of
se$eral artists22men and -omen from Africa, /uro#e, :orth America, and the Caribbean22-ho ha$e found in Mami Wata and her cohorts a highl% intriguing subGect matter& /$en though the% ma% not -orshi# her, Mami Wata has entered the dreams and -aking hours of these artists, seducing them into creating e9traordinar% -orks that o#en our e%es, minds, and imaginations to -onderful #ossibilities& *he uni5ue understandings and in$ol$ements of contem#orar% artists -ith -ater s#irits also allo- them to em#lo% Mami Wata and other under-ater deniens to address issues of gender, race, moralit%, identit%, economics, en$ironment, and #olitics& "ourceQ htt#Qafrica&si&edue9hibitsmami-ataintro&html
Keal Mermaids M/KMA8 L/D/:" MY*H OF WA*/K ".8K8* MAM8 WA*A Mami Wata
M%th of mermaids is #o#ular all around the -orld, but the African -ater s#irit Mami Wata remained res#ected and celebrated from the time before the African nations came in contact -ith /uro#e, through the ages, and e$en u# to toda% -here she is $enerated in West, Central, "outhern Africa and the dias#ora in Americas& "he re#resented one of the most #o-erful goddesses in the African religion of Voudun 0not to be mistaken to the ne-er and more hea$il% #ublicied Voodoo1 and is toda% celebrated as a goddess that must be both lo$ed and feared& As -ith man% other old mermaid deities such as Ass%rian Astarte, ab%lonian 8shtar and Dreek A#hrodite, she is regarded as an immortal
s#irit that #ersoni3es #olar o##osites, such as of beaut% and danger, natural force and healing, -ealth and destruction, health and disease, and inabilit% to follo- ideas of good and e$il& As those old mermaid deities, she is incredibl% #o-erful, dangerous, #leasant, se9ual and able to destro% an%thing on her #ath& Her image in the minds of African follo-ers -ent through little changes o$er the millennia& "he is often #ortra%ed as a long haired beautiful mermaid, half human and half 3sh, but sometimes she can -alk the earth in more human bod% 0but she ne$er transforms com#letel% into human form, al-a%s sho-ing herself as a deit%1& Her clothes and Ge-elr% are al-a%s ne-, shining, im#ossible to re#licate, and she can be seen carr%ing small mirror, coiled snake that t-ist around her -aist, breasts and head& *his -ealth s%mbolies the -ealth and beaut% her follo-ers can achie$e, and interestingl% her skin is fair and light, -hich is uncommon in the African #antheon of deities& Colors of Mami Wata4s attire carr% great signi3cance in African #eo#le& Ked s%mbolies the color of blood, $iolence and death, and -hite s%mbolies s#iritualit%, beaut% and female bod%& 8n the mermaid form she is al-a%s re#resented naked, sometimes combing her long hair and looking at herself in the golden mirror& "tories of the encounters -ith the Mami Wata are -ides#read across entire Africa& 8n most common $ersion, she stalks the shores of the ocean and abducts men and -omen -hile the% are s-imming or tra$eling in a boat& 8f the goddess thinks that the ca#ti$e is -orth% of her attention, she -ill return them to the shore, com#letel% dr% and -ith changed attitude to-ard s#iritualit% and religion that can often make them rich, attracti$e
and famous& Other encounters tell the stor% of her lea$ing her comb and mirror in the #resence of sailors& After the% took the items she -ould haunt their dreams, re5uesting the return of the items in an e9change of eternal se9ual fa$ors& Her de$otees across Africa and dias#ora -ear her traditional colors of red and -hite, oer her items of -ealth, e9#ensi$e foods, and celebrate her in the rituals of dancing and music that induce trance like state& 8n such e$ents, it is belie$ed that Mami Wata can #ossess the dancers and s#eak to them, -hishing them the successful, health% and fertile life& Ho-e$er as all deities that are -ater based, she is blamed for man% of the misfortunes that ha##en in the sea& /$en toda%, #eo#le of Cameroon belie$e that her -rath is killing the s-immers -ho are s-e#t to the sea -ith the strong underto- -ater currents that @o- near their coast& "ourceQ htt#Q---&realmermaids&netmermaid2legendsmami2-ata
Africa on te *log
Mami Wata Januar% =, >( % "aran aba 6 Comments \Do to slee# or Mami Wata -ill come get %ou]^ *he%Ed sa%& \Whate$er]^ 8 -ould res#ond still shutting m% e%es reall% tight in bed and #ra%ing silentl% for Dod not to let her take me a-a%& *o me Mami Wata -as al-a%s this e$il s#irit -ho -ould come and snatch me u# if 8 did something -rong or sta%ed b% the -ater #ast dark& At least this -as -hat adults and e$en other children said to scare me& And 8 canEt lie, it -orked^ 8 -as mostl% afraid of the m%ster% surrounding this 3gure, the fear of the unkno-n 8 guess& 8n the #ast 8 -as too afraid to 3nd out -hat Mami Wata actuall% -as& :o- 8 3gured it -as time to #ut m% fears aside 0donEt Gudge me1 and del$e into the stor% of this m%sterious su#ernatural character once and for all& *his could result in one of thingsQ either it -ould alle$iate m% fears b% shedding light into -hat this thing reall% is OK 8 could continue s-itching o the lights in a hurr% before bedtime, s#rinting to m% bed and curling m% feet under the co$ers lea$ing nothing for an% un-elcome monster to desire_here it goes_
poto from cra+ysecondlife,blogspot,com
8t -as interesting to learn that this s#irit is not onl% kno-n in Africa but in other countries in the Caribbean and in "outh America as -ell& Just as her name and stor% changes in each count%, so does her image& For some she has straight long hair, and for others it is kink%& /ither -a%, most -ould agree that she is an African beaut%& For some she resembles a mermaid and to others, she sim#l% a##ears as a beautiful -oman& 8n some instances she ma% e$en a##ear as a man^ 0:o- that is something 8 did not kno-^1& One article( states thatQ Mami #ata is described as having long dark hair/ very !air skin and compelling eyes7 Although she may appear to her devotees 2in dreams and visions6 as a beauti!ul mermaid/ complete with tail/ she is also said to walk the streets o! modern A!rican cities in the guise o! a gorgeous but elusive woman7
portrayed as a mermaid/ a snake charmer/ or a combination o! both/ she and a schoolL o! related A!rican water spirits all honor the essential/ sacred nature o! waterL 0more here1&
An article shares the stor% of some of the tales #ertaining to this s#irit& *he 3rst tale has it that Mami Wata -ould abduct #eo#le -hile the% -ere on their boats or ha$ing a s-im& "heEd then take them to her -orld under the sea or to the s#irit -orld& 8f she chose to let them return to the real -orld, the% -ould come back -ith more -ealth, look more attracti$e and ha$e a better understanding of the -orld the% li$e in& Another stor% told is that -hen tra$elers -ould come b% the ri$er, Mami Wata -ould be staring at herself in the mirror, doing her hair and making herself look #rett%& When the tra$eler noticed her, she -ould @ee and return to the -ater lea$ing her #ossessions behind& :o- if the tra$eler took her belongings she -ould come to him in a dream and ask for them back& 8f he agreed, she -ould make him #romise to be faithful to her& 8f he agreed to that as -ell, he -as granted luck& 8n the o##osite case, ill fortune -as brought do-n u#on him& Another article 8 found states thatQ Mami #atas colors are red and white7 Those she aNicts with visions and temptations/ and who eOperience her as an obsession or an illness/ may wear the red o! sickness and dangerous heat7 Ithers who have a more positive orientation towards the spirit may show their blessings by wearing white7 Most devotees wear a combination o! red and white clothing7 Mami #ata is also said to have a number o! avatars on earthPmortal women who have the same look as the deity and who act as her daughters7L Mami
#ata may give wealth to her devotees/ her daughtersL or to her 2male6 spouses/ but she is never known to give !ertility7 Some &gbo stories suggest that the sh under the waters are her children/ and that she uses them as rewoodL7
Follo-ers normall% -orshi# this s#irit -ith dancing and music as the% go into a trance& Mami Wata then enters their bod% and s#eaks to them& 8tEs interesting to see ho- in some cultures she is seen as a #ositi$e 3gure and in others like for the Cameroonians, she is blamed for misfortunes such as her causing the strong underto- that kills man% s-immers each %ear along the coast& 8n :igeria, for e9am#le, she takes the blame for e$er%thing from headaches to sterilit%& 8n other countries like 8n *rinidad and *obago, \Maman lo] #la%s the role of guardian of nature, #unishing hunters or -oodcutters& As for her origins, some scholars state that her persona developed between the !teenth and twentieth centuries/ the era o! growing trade between A!rica and the rest o! the world7 Her name in #idgin /nglish
translates to \Mother Water] & The mermaid image may have come into being a!ter contact with ,uropeans7 The ships o! traders and slavers o!ten had carvings o! mermaid gures on their prows/ !or eOample/ and tales o! mermaids were popular among sailors o! the time7
*oda%, Mami Wata is a #o#ular subGect in not onl% the arts -orld, -eE$e also heard songs about her, read books and #oems about her, and a number of Africanist art historians ha$e -ritten about her as -ell& Here is one of the songs about Mami Wata that 8 used to hear around -hen 8 -as gro-ing u#&
"o no- that 8 ha$e learned more about this s#irit, 8 can safel% sa% that 8 W8LL be slee#ing -ith the lights on tonight 1& What is Mami Wata like in %our culture` 8s there an%thing similar to her` "ourceQ htt#Q---&africaontheblog&commami2-ata
( Mami Wata
$y Misty '7 $astian
Mami Wata is a -ater2s#irit, sometimes described as a mermaid 3gure, -ho can found throughout the -estern coastal regions and into central Africa& Mami Wata is described as ha$ing long dark hair, $er% fair skin and com#elling e%es& Although she ma% a##ear to her de$otees 0in dreams and $isions1 as a beautiful mermaid, com#lete -ith tail, she is also said to -alk the streets of modern African cities in the guise of a gorgeous but elusi$e -oman& "he is interested in all things contem#orar%Q some of her fa$orite oerings include s-eet, im#orted #erfumes, sunglasses and Coca2Cola& :onetheless, the s#irit a##ears to be related to other -ater s#irits 0kno-n in 8gbo, a language of southeastern :igeria, as ndi mmili1 -ho ha$e a much longer histor% on the continent& Mami Wata4s colors are red and -hite& *hose she aIicts -ith $isions and tem#tations, and -ho e9#erience her as an obsession or an illness, ma% -ear the red of sickness and dangerous heat& Others -ho ha$e a more #ositi$e orientation to-ards the s#irit ma% sho- their blessings b% -earing -hite& Most de$otees -ear a combination of red and -hite clothing& Mami Wata is also said to ha$e a number of a$atars on earth22mortal -omen -ho ha$e the same look as the deit% and -ho act as her daughters& Mami Wata ma% gi$e -ealth to her de$otees, her daughters or to her 0male1 s#ouses, but she is ne$er kno-n to gi$e fertilit%& "ome 8gbo stories suggest that the 3sh under the -aters are her children, and that she uses them as 3re-ood&
Mami Wata is sometimes seen as a meta#hor for modern African conditions 22 ha$ing the kno-ledge of global -ealth and the desire for large2scale consum#tion, but lacking the actual -ealth or access to the -orld4s -ealth that -ould enable Africans to #artici#ate in that s%stem& A number of Africanist art historians ha$e -ritten about Mami Wata, notabl% Henr% re-al, as ha$e anthro#ologists like m%self& "he is the subGect of local #oetr%, song, #aintings, car$ings and no- 3lm& "ourceQ htt#Q---&#antheon&orgarticlesmmami[-ata&html CitationQ Mami Wata& /nc%clo#edia M%thica& >(7& /nc%clo#edia M%thica Online& >; A#r& >(7 htt#Q---&#antheon&orgarticlesmmami[-ata&html &
/9hibition /9#lores Multi#le Cultures and !>> Years of Histor% -ith Art Honoring the /ssential, "acred :ature of Water Mami WataQ Arts for Water "#irits in Africa and 8ts ias#oras August - . 'anuary /0 /122
"tanford, California P Cantor Arts Center at "tanford Bni$ersit% #resents \Mami WataQ Arts for Water "#irits in Africa and 8ts ias#oras,] August 6, >(> through Januar% , >((& *his e9hibition e9#lores !>> %ears of $isual cultures and histories of the -ater deit% -idel% kno-n as Mami Wata 0\Mother Water]1 through the di$erse arra% of traditional and contem#orar% arts surrounding her P scul#ture, #aintings, masks, altars, and more from -est and central Africa, the Caribbean, rail, and the &Bnited "tates& Admission is free eautiful and seducti$e, #rotecti$e %et dangerous, Mami Wata is celebrated throughout much of Africa and the African Atlantic -orld& Often #ortra%ed as a mermaid, a snake charmer, or a combination of both, she and a \school] of related African -ater s#irits all honor the essential, sacred nature of -ater& With (>> -orks #ortra%ing Mami Wata, the e9hibition introduces the -ater s#iritEs iconic #ersona, then re$eals a -ides#read #resence and #o#ularit% of this -ater s#irit in religious and artistic #ractices around the -orld, and 3nall% concludes -ith Mami Wata &as artistsE muse toda%
*his e9hibition -as organied and #roduced b% the Fo-ler Museum at BCLA and guest curated b% Henr% re-al, .h&&, -ho is #rofessor of Art Histor% and Afro2American "tudies, Bni$ersit% of Wisconsin& re-al #resents a lecture about Mami Wata and the e9hibition on October < at 7Q>> #m& *he e9hibition debuted at the Fo-ler Museum, then tra$eled to the Chaen Museum of Art, Bni$ersit% of Wisconsin, Madison, and the :ational Museum of African Art, "mithsonian 8nstitution, Washington, &C& *he & Cantor Arts Center #resents the e9hibitionEs 3nal $ie-ing A book accom#anies the e9hibition& *he book is -ritten b% re-al -ith contributions b% Maril%n Houlberg, ogumil Je-sie-icki, Am% L& :oell, John W& :unle%, and Jill "almons, #ublished b% the Fo-ler Museum at BCLA, and is a$ailable in the Cantor Arts Center ooksho# 0; #ages, < &color images, soft co$er, !1 *he e9hibition -as made #ossible b% a maGor grant from the :ational /ndo-ment for the Humanities, #romoting e9cellence in the humanities& *he e9hibitionEs #resentation at "tanford is su##orted b% the &.h%llis Wattis .rogram Fund and the Clumeck Fund VS$3% &F3%MA$3&: Cantor Arts Center is o#en Wednesda%
"unda%, (( am 2 ! #m, *hursda% until < #m& Admission is free& *he Center is located on the "tanford cam#us, o .alm ri$e at Museum Wa%& .arking is free after 6 #m -eekda%s and all da% on -eekends& 8nformationQ 7!>2 &;+26(;;, museum&stanford&edu
