Classification: Divine & Demonic Forces

Temporal Range: Ancient

Geographic Range: Most prominent in West Africa but also known across Central and Southern Africa

Diet: Unknown

Horde: West African

The goddess of the waters, Mami Wata, is revered across the globe. But is most well-known in West African regions, where she is the goddess of health, wealth, and water, among many other things. She is a powerful figure and rightly revered  by many.

Mami Wata is an intensely beautiful woman with mesmerizing eyes, both figuratively and literally, as she can hypnotize people, and an abundance of black hair. In some reports, she is described as mermaid-like with a fish’s tail or a serpentine lower half, while in others, she appears entirely human. Sources conflict on her lower half, and we can only assume this is because she is mostly submerged when people see her or she has shapeshifting abilities. She is often carrying trinkets and treasure, particularly a mirror, which reflects the present and the future. Another key feature is a snake wrapped around her upper half, reinforcing her divine status.

Mami Wata promises great wealth and prosperity, but she demands loyalty in return. She can manipulate water, cause floods, create strong currents, and punish those who break their promises of loyalty. Ultimately, she is a goddess who wants the best for her subjects, but her kindness should never be taken for granted.