African Water Spirit ‘Mami Wati’: Exposing This Ancient Demon’s Witchcraft Agenda
In the tapestry of African and Afro-Caribbean folklore, few figures loom as large as Mami Wata.
She is a deity, a spirit, a force of nature, and a symbol of the complex interplay between tradition and modernity. Mami Wata’s influence extends across continents and cultures, boundaries, and, through some recent incidents here in the US, is resurgent as the force that empowered the Black Lives Matter movement. Scholars trace her roots to ancient African water spirits. These spirits also are known as a syncretic figure, blending indigenous beliefs with elements of Christianity and other religions brought by colonial powers. Her depictions have been profoundly influenced by representations of ancient, indigenous African water spirits, European mermaids, Hindu gods and goddesses, and Christian and Muslim saints. She is not only sexy, jealous, and beguiling, but also exists in the plural as the mami watas and papi watas who comprise part of the vast and uncountable “school” of African water spirits.
Mami Wata traces back to the earliest of African societies as recorded by the griots and keepers of history. The Dogon’s creation myth tells the stories of Mami Wata and traces records of its existence to more than 4,000 years ago. Mesopotamian myths also tell of the great water goddess in their story of creation, known as Mami Aruru, to be the creator of life.
The name is traced to the early languages of many modern African societies today. The first root of its name is considered to be from Ethiopian and Egyptian Coptic societies. In the Ethiopian Coptic language, the word mama was used as a description of truth and wisdom, and the term uat-ur meant ocean water. Another definition of the name traces to the early Sudanese society where the word wata referred to a woman. The name is often linked to a single entity but represents the strongest and most significant of all water spirits that exist.
Mami Wata, while predominantly known by this name, is known by many names, as she has been interwoven into the religions and the cultures of every people group where African slaves were sold. Some of the names she has taken on are indicative of the language and regions. Some of these alternative names and variations include:
Mami Wata Nyama
Maman de l’Eau
Maman Dlo (in Haiti and the French Caribbean)
Yemaya (associated with the Yoruba orisha in Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian religions)
La Sirene (in Haitian voodoo)
La Balenn (in Haitian voodoo)
Santa Marta la Dominadora (in syncretic traditions in Latin America)
Yemanjá (in Brazilian Candomblé)
Jengu (in Cameroonian traditions)
Nana Buluku (in some West African traditions)
Nana Densua (in Ghanaian Akan mythology)
In West Africa and some parts of Eastern Africa, the deity is called Mami Wata or Maame Wata. Modern African societies refer to her as Maame/Mami Wata. In some parts of Eastern Africa, among the Swahili speaking groups, she is called Mamba Munti.
These names and variations reflect the diverse cultural and regional interpretations of the water spirit, demonstrating her infiltration and significance across different spiritual practices and belief systems. In each one of these iterations of Mami Wata, she is known as the “Mother of All Water.”
The people who inhabit the coastal region from Benin, Ghana, and Togo worship a vast pantheon of water deities, of which Mami Wata is most prominent. An entire hierarchy of the Mami Wata priesthood exists in this region to officiate ceremonies, maintain the shrines, conduct healing rituals, and initiate new priests and priestesses into the service of various Mami Wata deities.
On February, 15, 2020 at 9:00 AM in the city of Cotonou, Benin, a high priest of Vodou and Mami Wata named Hounnon Behumbeza was officially appointed the Supreme Chief of Mami Wata. As an indication of how revered Mami Wata is in the region, Hounnon Behumbeza’s coronation as Supreme Chief of Mami Wata was broadcast live on various television news programs and featured in local newspapers. The coronation was attended by hundreds of priests from around the region and the highest dignitaries of Vodou and the Mami Wata tradition. Also in attendance were Benin Republic’s minister of culture and several local government officials.
Mami Wata is the bigger goddess with smaller followers, some of which were also men and had the same appearance as their goddess. Stories are told of her followers coming to shore every now and then to deceive seamen and capture them to be taken in the water kingdom. The captives were a source of entertainment until they were offered as sacrifices to her.
What Are Some Characteristics of Mami Wata?
Mami Wata is depicted with a variety of characteristics across different cultural and regional interpretations. However, some common characteristics and attributes associated with Mami Wata include:
Beauty: Mami Wata is often described as extraordinarily beautiful, with long flowing hair, captivating eyes, and an alluring presence that mesmerizes those who encounter her.
Serpentine Features: In many depictions, Mami Wata exhibits serpentine characteristics, such as a serpent’s tail, scales, or the ability to transform between human and serpentine forms. This association with serpents symbolizes her connection to water, fertility, and the mysteries of the deep. In art and pictures she is often seen with two pythons—one wrapped around her waist with its head between her breasts and one she holds over her head.
Association with Water: Mami Wata’s primary domain is water, including rivers, lakes, and oceans. She is often depicted emerging from or residing within bodies of water, symbolizing her control over its currents and inhabitants.
Fertility and Prosperity: Mami Wata is frequently associated with fertility, abundance, and prosperity. She is believed to bestow blessings upon her devotees, granting them wealth, success, and good fortune in various aspects of life.
Healing Powers: Mami Wata is also revered for her healing abilities. Followers may invoke her for assistance in curing illnesses, easing childbirth, or providing protection from harm.
Dual Nature: Mami Wata embodies both benevolent and capricious qualities, reflecting the dualities of life and nature. While she can be generous and nurturing toward her devotees, she is also capable of exacting punishment or causing misfortune to those who disrespect her or violate her taboos.
Association with Luxury and Material Wealth: Mami Wata is often depicted adorned with jewelry, pearls, and other symbols of luxury and material wealth. This association underscores her role as a patron of prosperity and abundance.
Cross-Cultural Appeal: Mami Wata’s worship and influence extend beyond specific ethnic or cultural boundaries even in modern-day culture. She is worshipped by diverse communities across Africa and the African diaspora, as well as in syncretic religious practices that blend indigenous beliefs with elements of Christianity and other traditions.
As stated in the last characteristic, Mami Wata has been woven into every aspect of culture and there has been a resurgence of the worship of Mami Wata even in the US. In 2020, when many of our cities were being destroyed and statues were being torn down, much of this was being incited by groups such as Occupy, Antifa, and BLM. Black Lives Matter was founded by three women from the LGBTQ community who also stated that they are trained Marxists. They organized chapters in 16 major cities of the US and started protests in many cities under the guise of social justice. They were backed by politicians, the media, the entertainment community, and many professional athletes. They would especially rally protesters after a police shooting. The protesters would arrive at the site where blood was shed. The BLM organizers would then build a memorial (which was an altar), pour out libations on behalf of the person whose blood was shed, and the protesters would be instructed to “Say his name” or “Say her name.” The crowd would begin chanting the name of the person who was killed.
Many people ignorantly thought that this was simply to honor the person killed, but in fact the three co-founders of BLM were not only Marxist, but priestesses of the African religion Odu Ifa, which believes in ancestral worship and conjuring the spirits of the dead. This is the exact ritual in which the ancestors, also known as the Igu, were conjured. One of the main deities worshipped in this religion is Mami Wata. This is the same deity that Haiti credits for allowing them to gain their independence. They claimed that they would summon Mami Wata so they could be filled with her rage. I believe this spirit of rage was released over our nation in 2020 as thousands of people chanted at altars erected at sites where blood was shed in order to conjure spirits to establish rage and chaos in this nation. In several places in our nation, Mami Wata statues have been built. For example, in New Orleans a statue of Robert E. Lee was taken down and in its place a statue of Mami Wata was erected.
I have discovered that so many people of African descent in this nation are still operating in the worship of this water spirit without being aware. There are so many things we have woven into our culture that we’ve seen as benign and harmless but continue to open doors to be imprisoned by a generational curse. I’ve begun personally asking the Lord to reveal things that I’ve integrated into my life that have their origin in the worship of other gods.
This is now the time to close all doors that give the enemy access to our destiny. I believe the overt reemergence of Mami Wata is actually the grace and love of the Father letting us know the things that have been hiding and lurking in our bloodline and keeping us from our Kingdom destiny. The erecting of these altars is intended to call out to those latent generational sins to pull us back into the things the blood of Jesus was shed to deliver us from.