# Water spirit

A water spirit is a kind of supernatural being found in the folklore of many cultures:

## African

Some water spirits in traditional African religion include:
* Mami Wata is a transcultural pantheon of water spirits and deities of the African diaspora. For the many names associated with Mami Wata spirits and goddess, see Names of Mami Wata.
* Owu Mmiri of some riverine people of Nigeria are often described as mermaid-like spirit of water.
* A jengu (plural miengu) is a water spirit in the traditional beliefs of the Sawa ethnic groups of Cameroon, particularly the Duala, Bakweri, and related Sawa peoples. Among the Bakweri, the name is liengu (plural: maengu).
* A simbi is a mermaid-like or reptilian spirits from Kongo tribe and related to Vaudou religion.

## Celtic

In Celtic mythology:
* An Each uisge is a particularly dangerous "water horse" supposed to be found in Scotland; its Irish counterpart is the Aughisky.
* The Gwragedd Annwn are female Welsh lake fairies of great beauty.
* A Kelpie is a less dangerous sort of water horse. There are many similar creatures by other names in the mythology including:
** the tangie (Orkney and Shetland)
** the Blue men of the Minch ("na fir ghorma": Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: [nə fiɾʲ ˈɣɔɾɔmə]) (The Minch)
** the nuggle also known as the shoopiltee or njogel (Shetland)
** the cabbyl-ushtey (Isle of Man)
** the Ceffyl Dŵr (Wales)
** the capaill uisce or the glashtin (Ireland)
* Morgens, Morgans or Mari-Morgans are Welsh and Breton water spirits that drown men.
* Selkie

## Germanic

In Germanic mythology:
* The Nixie (English) or the Nix/Nixe/Nyx (German) are shapeshifting water spirits who usually appear in human, or horse, form
* The Undine or Ondine is a female water elemental (first appearing the alchemical works of Paracelsus)
* Jenny Greenteeth in the folklore of Lancashire
* Peg Powler said to inhabit the River Tees in Yorkshire
* The grindylow in the folklore of both Lancashire and Yorkshire.

## Ancient Greek

In Greek mythology:
* Naiads were nymphs who presided over fountains, wells, springs, streams, and brooks
** Crinaeae (Κρηναῖαι) were a type of nymph associated with fountains
** Limnades or Leimenides (Λιμνάδες / Λειμενίδες) were a type of naiad living in freshwater lakes.
** Pegaeae (Πηγαῖαι) were a type of naiad that lived in springs.
* Nereids were sea nymphs.
* Sirens were bird-bodied women living in the sea near a rocky island coastline.

## Japanese

In Japanese folklore:
* Kappa (河童, "river-child"), alternately called Kawatarō (川太郎, "river-boy") or Kawako (川子, "river-child"), are a type of water sprite.
* A Hyōsube (ひょうすべ) is a hair-covered version of a Kappa.

## Turkic

In Turkic mythology:
* Su Iyesi is a water spirit. People should not make her angry. Turkic people do not pollute the water so as not to anger the Su Iyesi. Su Iyesi is mostly considered female.

## Mesoamerican

* Ahuizotl; a dog-like aquatic creature that drowned the unwary in Aztec mythology.

## South American

* Pincoys in Chilote mythology
* Yacuruna; water people of the Amazon river, said to abduct surface dwellers.

## Filipino

* Siyokoys, hostile aquatic humanoids

## Oceanic

In the mythology of Oceania:
* Adaro were malevolent merman-like sea spirits found in the mythology of the Solomon Islands.
* Bunyip were evil water spirits said to inhabit watering holes in Indigenous Australian folklore.
* Pania from Maori mythology
* Ponaturi, evil sea spirits in Maori mythology.

## Roman

In Roman mythology:
* Camenae were goddesses of springs, wells and fountains, or water nymphs of Venus (mythology).

## Slavic

In Slavic mythology:
* A Vodyanoy (also wodnik, vodník, vodnik, vodenjak) is a male water spirit akin to the Germanic Neck.
* A Rusalka (plural: rusalki) was a female ghost, water nymph, succubus or mermaid-like demon that dwelled in a waterway.
* А Berehynia in ancient Ukrainian folklore is a goddess spirit that guarded the edges of waterways, while today it is used as a symbol for Ukrainian nationalism.
* Moryana is a giant sea spirit from Russian folklore.
* For potoplenyk, vila/wila/wili/veela, and vodianyk, see also Slavic fairies.

## Thai

* Phi Phraya (ผีพราย, พรายน้ำ), a ghost living in the water.
* Phi Thale (ผีทะเล), a spirit of the sea. It manifests itself in different ways, one of them being St. Elmo's fire, among other uncanny phenomenons experienced by sailors and fishermen while on boats.

## Jain

Apakāya ekendriya is a name used in the traditions of Jainism for Jīvas that were reincarnated as rain, dew, fog, melted snow and melted hail.