Post by anansi on Oct 25, 2024 6:49:45 GMT -5
They really don’t need to , I prefer if they make a story of Mami Wata , yes African and African descendant folks have our own water spirits and Mermaids to draw from.
Mermaids in African & Caribbean Mythology
By Michelle
The myth of the mermaid is a universal cultural staple. They feature in fairytales, fantasies, adventures, and the like. The concept of mysterious beings who live in the sea and other bodies of water has captivated the minds of those who live on land for milenia. The myth of the mermaid is layered, diverse, and dynamic. This can be attributed to the fact that the myth varies from culture to culture, and even by region on the same continent. Like other mainstream mythological creatures, mermaids have roots in many cultures around the world, from China to Russia to Senegal – several cultures across the world have legends of these aquatic beings. In this blog, we will be exploring the long-standing mermaid mythology of Africa and the Caribbean.
Although they may be referred to by different names, plenty of what we would call mermaids around the world have the same, or at least similar, physical traits. Many of them feature a being with the upper body of a woman and the elongated bottom half of a fish, with a tail and fins replacing legs. In West and Central-West Africa, mermaids are generally referred to as Mami Wata, a name which has unclear origins. This blanket name refers to mermaids, and the deity which resembles a mermaid.
Since the myth of the mermaid is one that features in so many cultures across the world, it is no surprise that the appearances of mermaids vary. Despite the popularised image of mermaids being white, Black people have always had their mermaid myths and legends albeit without the involvement of tridents, princes and ‘happily-ever-afters’. Black countries in Africa and the Caribbean in particular have a unique relationship with the myth of the mermaid. Generally, in these areas, those who live near bodies of water (rivers, lakes, seas) are aware of her existence. Reactions on mentioning Mami Wata could range from wariness to indifference, the sort of indifference that comes from talking about something that is a known fact or a part of life.
Interestingly, it is also generally agreed upon that mermaids are inherently supernatural, with equally supernatural abilities such as hypnosis. In West and Central West Africa, Mami Wata is not only the blanket name for mermaids – it is also a deity, meaning that there are people who worship her. She has a multitude of abilities, including healing the sick, increasing female fertility by ‘blessing’ women with baby girls, as well as providing wealth and other material rewards. As a goddess, she is described as jealous with a potentially fatal wrath when angered. She can also cause sickness, and bad luck which ranges from failure in important aspects of life, to the more drastic – death. There is a certain unpredictability associated with mermaids and Mami Wata, who is said to be hostile and dangerous at times and welcoming at other times. There are some aspects of her lore which involve luring men to their graves – similar to European mermaid myth. However, unlike the European mermaid myth, African and Caribbean mermaid mythology can be argued as being more complex as mermaids in these places are believed to have supernatural abilities, are worshipped, and are associated with curses and blessings.
blamuk.org/2022/10/21/mami-wata-la-sirene-mama-dlo/
Zoumana Sane (dates unknown, Senegal)
Mami Wata, circa 1987
Pigment, glass
Collection of Herbert M. and Shelley Cole
Photo by Don Cole
John Goba (b. 1944, Mattru Jong, Sierra Leone)
Headdress, 1980s (?)
Wood, pigment, fabric, netting, beads, metal fiber
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Cole
Dona Fish
Ovimbundu peoples, Angola
Circa 1950s-1960s
Wood, pigment, metal, mixed media
Private Collection
Photo by Don Cole
Yaure peoples, C�te d'Ivoire
Circa 1970s
Wood, paint, rubber
Photo by Don Cole
Abdal 22 (active 1980s-early 1990s, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Mami Wata, 1989
Acrylic on canvas
Private Collection
Roudy Azor (b. 1980, Port-au-Prince, Haiti)
Lasirene-marassas trois (Lasirèn-Twins [and the One Who Follows the Twins Making Three]), 2006
Satin, beads, sequins
Private Collection
Photo by Don Cole.
Moyo Ogundipe (b. 1948, Ijesha-Ishu, Nigeria; active Denver, Colorado)
Mami Wata, 1999
Acrylic on canvas
Collection of Chike Obianwu
africa.si.edu/exhibits/mamiwata/intro.html
From the Yoruba religion, Yemaya was brought over to the New World by enslaved Africans as early as the 16th century.
www.teenvogue.com/story/the-history-of-yemaya-goddess-mermaid
fineartamerica.com/featured/yemoja-orisa-ocean-water-marie-jean-baptiste.html?product=puzzle&puzzleType=puzzle-18-24
generationexorcist.tumblr.com/post/186142459655/mami-wata-the-most-celebrated-mermaid-like-deity
Mermaids in African & Caribbean Mythology
By Michelle
The myth of the mermaid is a universal cultural staple. They feature in fairytales, fantasies, adventures, and the like. The concept of mysterious beings who live in the sea and other bodies of water has captivated the minds of those who live on land for milenia. The myth of the mermaid is layered, diverse, and dynamic. This can be attributed to the fact that the myth varies from culture to culture, and even by region on the same continent. Like other mainstream mythological creatures, mermaids have roots in many cultures around the world, from China to Russia to Senegal – several cultures across the world have legends of these aquatic beings. In this blog, we will be exploring the long-standing mermaid mythology of Africa and the Caribbean.
Although they may be referred to by different names, plenty of what we would call mermaids around the world have the same, or at least similar, physical traits. Many of them feature a being with the upper body of a woman and the elongated bottom half of a fish, with a tail and fins replacing legs. In West and Central-West Africa, mermaids are generally referred to as Mami Wata, a name which has unclear origins. This blanket name refers to mermaids, and the deity which resembles a mermaid.
Since the myth of the mermaid is one that features in so many cultures across the world, it is no surprise that the appearances of mermaids vary. Despite the popularised image of mermaids being white, Black people have always had their mermaid myths and legends albeit without the involvement of tridents, princes and ‘happily-ever-afters’. Black countries in Africa and the Caribbean in particular have a unique relationship with the myth of the mermaid. Generally, in these areas, those who live near bodies of water (rivers, lakes, seas) are aware of her existence. Reactions on mentioning Mami Wata could range from wariness to indifference, the sort of indifference that comes from talking about something that is a known fact or a part of life.
Interestingly, it is also generally agreed upon that mermaids are inherently supernatural, with equally supernatural abilities such as hypnosis. In West and Central West Africa, Mami Wata is not only the blanket name for mermaids – it is also a deity, meaning that there are people who worship her. She has a multitude of abilities, including healing the sick, increasing female fertility by ‘blessing’ women with baby girls, as well as providing wealth and other material rewards. As a goddess, she is described as jealous with a potentially fatal wrath when angered. She can also cause sickness, and bad luck which ranges from failure in important aspects of life, to the more drastic – death. There is a certain unpredictability associated with mermaids and Mami Wata, who is said to be hostile and dangerous at times and welcoming at other times. There are some aspects of her lore which involve luring men to their graves – similar to European mermaid myth. However, unlike the European mermaid myth, African and Caribbean mermaid mythology can be argued as being more complex as mermaids in these places are believed to have supernatural abilities, are worshipped, and are associated with curses and blessings.
blamuk.org/2022/10/21/mami-wata-la-sirene-mama-dlo/
Zoumana Sane (dates unknown, Senegal)
Mami Wata, circa 1987
Pigment, glass
Collection of Herbert M. and Shelley Cole
Photo by Don Cole
John Goba (b. 1944, Mattru Jong, Sierra Leone)
Headdress, 1980s (?)
Wood, pigment, fabric, netting, beads, metal fiber
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Cole
Dona Fish
Ovimbundu peoples, Angola
Circa 1950s-1960s
Wood, pigment, metal, mixed media
Private Collection
Photo by Don Cole
Yaure peoples, C�te d'Ivoire
Circa 1970s
Wood, paint, rubber
Photo by Don Cole
Abdal 22 (active 1980s-early 1990s, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Mami Wata, 1989
Acrylic on canvas
Private Collection
Roudy Azor (b. 1980, Port-au-Prince, Haiti)
Lasirene-marassas trois (Lasirèn-Twins [and the One Who Follows the Twins Making Three]), 2006
Satin, beads, sequins
Private Collection
Photo by Don Cole.
Moyo Ogundipe (b. 1948, Ijesha-Ishu, Nigeria; active Denver, Colorado)
Mami Wata, 1999
Acrylic on canvas
Collection of Chike Obianwu
africa.si.edu/exhibits/mamiwata/intro.html
From the Yoruba religion, Yemaya was brought over to the New World by enslaved Africans as early as the 16th century.
www.teenvogue.com/story/the-history-of-yemaya-goddess-mermaid
fineartamerica.com/featured/yemoja-orisa-ocean-water-marie-jean-baptiste.html?product=puzzle&puzzleType=puzzle-18-24
generationexorcist.tumblr.com/post/186142459655/mami-wata-the-most-celebrated-mermaid-like-deity