Mami Wata

**Mami Wata** (a̱bu ngyei Mammy Water ma̱ Bantu: Mami Muntu, Mamba Muntu[1]) ku a̱ bu ngyei mermaid, water spirit wu di̱ nshong, mbeang/ku *goddess* mami folklore asi̱ a̱tak  Afirika, A̱ka̱wa̱tya̱ Afirika, A̱tyin Africa, ma̱ng A̱tyin  Afirika. Di̱ hyia̱ gbangbang, nyiạ a̱yagwak lyen fang ba khwi nnyia̱ na a̱ si̱ shyia̱ a̱tyin nggu ka neet di̱ ntsa sencuri 15 wu wa nang a̱ ku ntsa myim ma̱ng a̱ng nggu hu, Mami Wata mat nang a̱niet ba ni̱ swup **mami wata** nyia̱ A̱ yet a̱gwaza A̱shong wa. A̱wot **Mami Wata** shyia̱ a̱ mami a̱ba yaagwaza mbeang tswa nang a̱nyietbishyi a̱ghyiang dyep a̱ni diyong huni di̱ nkap a̱ghyiang ma̱ Afi̱rika.

Gbangbang, Á̱ ku lyen **Mami Wata** nang gu ngyet a̱gba̱ndang sha̱p kyang dyep ja ma̱ fam a̱byin Yurop ku da̱ a̱ka̱vwuo njyiang di̱ jen jhyiang a̱dyundyubg a̱byii̱k á̱ byia̱ fwuo di̱ kyang ku yet fai da̱ a̱vwuo A̱nietafi̱rika fam jenshyiung a̱ni ba̱ khwi nggu a̱wot ba̱ saai ghwughwu nggu ma̱ atutu bwok mba na. Ma̱ a̱ka̱wa̱tyia̱ sencuri-19th, ghwughwu Mami wata hu nang a lyen a̱ni nhu hwa ku yet ghwughwu nZwak snake charmer Nala Damajanti nang a̱ sat á̱ kai fam Yurop hu a̱ni. A̱gwugwu nani nia nang a̱ byet a̱ kaat Afi̱rika ka. 

Additionally, Hindu imagery from Indian merchants has influenced depictions of Mami Wata in some areas. **Papi Wata**, a male consort or reflection of Mami Wata sometimes depicted as modeled from the Hindu deity Hanuman, can be found in some Mami Wata traditions, sometimes under the influence of Hindu imagery.

Mami Wata is especially venerated in parts of Africa and in the Atlantic diaspora and has also been demonized in some African Christian and Islamic communities in the region. Mami Wata has appeared in a variety of media depictions and in literary works.

## A̱tyin A̱lyiat
A̱lyoot *Mami Wata*, *Mami Wota*, ku *Mammy Wata* á̱ shhyia̱ nka neet di̱  swang nshong ji *mother* mbeang *water* ma̱mi a̱ka̱vwuo a̱di̱di̱t nang a̱ ndyiat shong mi̱ afi̱rika, ba̱ mbeang Krio ma̱ng Naijá. Nggu *Mami* nang a̱ ti̱n neet di̱ nShong a̱ni *mother*. a̱mgba̱m ma̱ng a̱nia, Mami Wata byia̱ nggwown ku a̱tyin a̱li ku di̱ kan bah. konyan ngwuan gu nang a̱tyu nswat a̱nyin nggu wa a̱wot á̱ lak a̱tyu nta gu na swan hyia̱k nggu ani, a̱wot "any African ethnic group or ancestors ku tak kpasai nang sisak ji nang gu nshyia̱ a̱ hyia̱k a̱shong swak a̱niet a̱fi̱rika ba̱ ku a̱yaa̱tyia̱khwop mba ba a̱ni".

*Mamba Muntu* ku yet A̱fi̱rika a̱ka̱wa̱tyia̱ a̱sa̱khwot ma̱ a̱byin Democratic Republic of the Congo a̱wot mbeang  Republic of the Congo. A̱ wa ka̱ndyen nggu nang gu ngyey a̱yang-a̱sa̱khwot wa, zwo, mbeang zwak.

## Tai a̱ghyiang ntswá a̱ma̱nyi
Caribbean and A̱yaa̱gwak-lyen a̱gjyiang ta̱k nyia̱ Mami wata cat ba̱ yet kyang nyung hwa mi̱ng tswa-a̱sa̱khwot ji shyia̱  A̱tak Amerika a̱ni, mbeang Lasirèn, Mae d’Agua, Maman de l’Eau, saint Marta la Dominadora, and Watra-mama (Guyana and Suriname). A̱ ku ki nwuat a̱cucuk nyia̱ nggu Mami wata nang a̱niet A̱fi̱rika ba ba̱ ku fwan di̱ kwhuo mbeang a̱niet nang a̱ tyia̱vkhwuo a̱ si  kwak ma̱ng cet a̱bai ndyo mi̱ saa j̄i ni.

## Laai
A̱yaa̱gwak lyen ntyian ba̱ si̱ shyia̱ nang kyiak neet da̱ a̱tyin Mami Wata di̱ myim ma̱ng nkyang yet a̱kwonu nggu da̱ a̱kwa li nang nkut yurop nang a̱niet afi̱rka li neet a̱gbangbang ndyia̱ 1400s ma̱ng 1500s mami nkhang nang a̱ shim a̱ si̱ tung nang a̱gwaklyen Henry John Drewal lyuut a̱bi:

A̱kwa a̱feang A̱yang a̱sa̱khwot ka mami a̱ghwughwu Yurop ta̱k nang gu mbyia̱ ndi̱m a̱feang  ka̱nang a tsup a̱ghyi di̱ A̱byin badundung Bini. A̱yaa̱gwak-lyen tyian da̱ a̱di̱dam wuni a̱wot ba̱ si̱ ba̱ng gu si̱nat mami a̱didam nfwuo a̱nietpotugal da̱ A̱yang-a̱sa̱khwot.

Ma̱ a̱ka̱wa̱tyia̱-1800s, ghwughwu ku tai zwak si̱ Nala Damajanti mi̱ Yurop wa ghwughwu Mami Wata hu si̱ nshyia̱ bai kpa̱sai di̱ sisak ji nang a̱niet ba na nshyia̱ fi̱k kyang nhu ghwughwu Mami Wata hu yet a̱ni, likely originating in ku li nang a̱ shyia̱ nhu neet mi̱ Hamburg, Germany.

Mami ndyia̱ 1940s ba̱ng si̱nat 1950s Ghwughwu khwi Hindu neet mi̱ a̱niet kaswo Indiya ma̱ng a̱ghwughwu-a̱guguut began to strongly influence hwa a̱si̱ ntsa taat a̱ghyi a̱niet mbeang kwak mba nfwuo na gi̱ngi̱ng di̱ lyen nghwughwu Mami Wata da̱ a̱niet ma̱ng a̱cyiet Gana-Naijeriya. Lyuut-sak Drewal tak di̱ a̱sam  a̱ghwuangkpang a̱ dyep Mami Wata a̱wot a̱si̱ lyai nghwughwu nggu na nang a̱ lyui Hindu a̱ni ma̱ a̱keang Togo (notations are that of Drewal):

## A̱niet khwi
Tyian nwuan neet ma̱lyia̱ 1965 ba̱ng si̱nat 1966 mi̱ (Catherine Mills Rehabilitation Center) ma̱ a̱byin Laiberiya, di̱n jen nang a̱si̱bi̱ti a̱yaa̱bwuak-pyipyia̱ nang a̱ byia̱ ma̱byin Laiberiya a̱ni, a̱khukhwop dairecto nang a̱ ngyei Ronald Wintrob a̱ni si̱ shyia̱ tung a̱di̱dam a̱niet ma̱di̱di̱t ba̱ mum khwut Mami Wata ma̱ ka̱p a̱byin hu. Wintrob si̱ ma bu tung a̱fi̱dan nyia̱ "khwi Mami Wata hu shyia mami ̱lyiak a̱niet a̱byin Laiberia bya". Wintrob bu tung a̱di̱dam nyia̱ "a̱cucuk a̱lyiat wa yet a̱kpa swak a̱sam ba byia cet ma̱ a̱niet nzwan ba̱ cat coot di̱n zwan bwuaka̱pyia̱ a̱ni, tak kpa̱sai nang ba̱ ngyet a̱niet bya ba̱ tyia̱ mbwak di̱ Mammy Water a̱ni".

Wintrob tung a̱mgbam a̱lyiat da̱kānyiung di̱ fi̱k Mammy Water hu ma̱byin Laiberiya ka di̱n jen nang si̱ a̱ni a̱ni:

Wintrob tak hu nang a̱nietlaiberiya nkhwi Mammy Water, anyone who has contact with her will become wealthy and gained good luck. One of his informants, a man from the Vai people, provides the following account:

Mammy Water was typically believed to visit people in their sleep at night. According to another informant, a man from the Kissi people, she grants wealth in exchange for sexual celibacy:

Wintrob records that this was not always the case: in some instances folk belief dictated that Mammy Water's contact need not be celibate with her and could in fact have a large family.

According to the findings of Barbara Frank of LMU Munich, Mami Wata’s gifts, wealth and power comes at a cost: the man must never have any sexual contact with another women, thus being unable to have children of any kid. In addition, if they become unfaithful and have such interactions, it is said Mami Wata will strip the man of his wealth, as well as make them fall ill or become insane. 

Mammy Water may also gift extra-sensory perception, including foresight and the ability to see that which others cannot, or especially swift travels. Some groups believe that Mammy Water does not contact everyone but rather that the ability to contact her is inherited.

Mirrors are seen as a symbol for Mami Wata, primarily used within shrines dedicated to her as a way to get her attention towards her devotees. It is said her own vanity makes her fond of looking at herself in the mirror, making it a prime offering for her followers seeking her gaze.

## Women and symbolism

## Yafang