Mami Wata
Country of Origin: Nigeria
Being Type: Water Spirit (Mermaid)
Being Type: Water Spirit (Mermaid)
Power Stats
Aggression
6/10
Magic Abilities
9/10
Physical Power
7/10
Origin Backstory
Mami Wata is a seductive water spirit venerated across Africa and the diaspora, often shown as a mermaid with a snake companion. Blending indigenous water deities with foreign influences, she offers wealth and beauty but demands loyalty. Crossing her leads to misfortune or drowning, embodying allure and danger of waters.
Key Features
- •Mermaid or serpent form
- •Mirror and comb symbols
- •Grants riches or curses
- •Beautiful and seductive
- •Associated with oceans/rivers
Lore
Mami Wata is a powerful water spirit venerated across West and Central Africa and the diaspora, often depicted as a beautiful mermaid with a snake companion, mirror, and comb. Blending indigenous water deities with colonial influences, she grants wealth, beauty, and success to devotees who show loyalty, but punishes betrayal with misfortune, illness, or drowning. Mami Wata embodies allure, danger, and the duality of water—life-giving yet treacherous. In rituals, she is honored with offerings and dances, symbolizing femininity, prosperity, and the spiritual power of rivers and seas in African traditions.