Arts for water spirits in africa and its diasporas by. Mami wata mammy water is a water spirit venerated in west, central, and southern africa, and in the african diaspora in the americas. Very very interesting history that goes back further then typical coverage of same culture, filling in a lot of questions i had for years. Its seems that in the african mythology they have even compared her to the the goddess aphrodite or. Myth of mermaids is popular all around the world, but the african water spirit mami wata remained respected and celebrated from the time before the african nations came in contact with europe, through the ages, and even up to today where she is venerated in west, central, southern africa and the diaspora in americas. It chronicles the historic origins of its queen mothers whom many were sibyl prophetesses mamaissiis. Mama zogbe books list of books by author mama zogbe. Over time, the diety mami wata has become a blend of cultures and religions, influenced by hinduism, islam and christianity. Aug 24, 2012 so there is a pretty amazing exhibition opening up in charleston, south carolina, in the next few days. Mami wata is often portrayed as a mermaid, a snake charmer, or a combination of both. Africas ancient goddess unveiled, reclaiming the ancient mami wata vodoun history and heritage of. This book traces the visual cultures and histories of mami wata and other african water divinities. Open me ouvrez moi you can get my deck, the wisdom of natural hair here.
Mesopotamian myths also tell of the great water goddess in their story of creation known as mami aruru, to be the creator of life. Arts for mami wata and other divinities in africa and the diaspora african expressive cultures by henry john drewal. See more ideas about mermaids and mermen, merfolk and mermaid art. We went in, laid hands on these women and rebuked the devil. The shortage of authors with black african heritage leads to an understatement of black african participation in cultural diffusion to the americas. Mami wata, often portrayed with the head and torso of a woman and the tail of a fish, is at once beautiful, jealous, generous, seductive, and potentially deadly. She is widely believed to have overseas origins, and 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. Hailed as the new bible on the history of african women, this comprehensive wellresearched body of work will benefit academics, students. We grew up hearing different tales of mami wata, a water spirit, found in many riverside and coastal communities in west africa. I am the first african american to be fully initiated into the pantheon of the african mami wata dan vodun in the united states and am married to the african priest behumbeza. The fact that the name mami wata is in pidgen english, the language used to facilitate this trade, shows the influence on foreign cultures on the spirits image and identity.
Make an offering to mami wata before time runs out at. Mami wata is a complex transcultural phenomenon composed of elements from widely disparate places and traditions that coalesced on the continent probably by the end of the nineteenth century. African goddess reawakens in the soul of the diaspora. Although the wellsprings of mami watas visual culture and history remain conjectural, evidence indicates that the concept of mami wata has its source in the first momentous euroafrican encounters in the fifteenth century. Reporting and interest in ancient history is rather ethnocentric. Mami wata mami wata water as mother is a pidgin designation for a class of african water divinities and spirits or, occasionally, for the primordial divinities collectively. Mami wata, often portrayed with the head and torso of a. This priceless treasure is a gift to black women world over on who we are, and the historical truths of our ancient mothers, the sibyls take you on a journey of the ancient black sibyls prophetess and the massive cover up by the church to hide who they truly were, these ancient women were african women descendants of their ancient mothers the sumerians and egyptians who were born with the gift. An indepth historical overview of the mami wata vodoun ancestral traditions now practiced in west africa and in the diaspora. She represented one of the most powerful goddesses in the african religion of voudun not to be mistaken to the newer and more heavily publicized voodoo and is today. Africas ancient goddess unveiled, reclaiming the ancient mami wata vodoun history and heritage of the due to covid19, orders may be delayed.
Oct 7, 2012 mami wata is venerated in west, central, southern africa,and in the african diaspora in the caribbean and parts of north and south america. The name mami wata is traced to the early languages of many modern african societies today. Read the rituals of mami wata online by benito torres books. Read the rituals of mami wata by benito torres for free with a 30 day free trial. Imasuens short story, theres also the works of flora nwapa, veronique tadjo. Halffish and halfhuman, mami wata straddles earth and water, culture and nature. Mami wata this article is about the goddess mami wata. She was also a goddess of fertility, sexuality, healing, wealth and beauty. The purpose of this writing is to provide the reader with some of the most important secret histories directly related to black people in america that pertain directly to the. The exhibition and the book that accompanies it aim to trace various streams of the. I first read eghosa imasuens beautiful short story, which gives a glimpse into mami wata, a few weeks ago, but this post was inspired by my sister who told me about a short nigeria film, nkiru, which delves deeper into the mystery of the legend of the mami wata. Mami wata is a complex symbol with so many resonances that she feeds the imagination, generating, rather than limiting, meanings and significances. This book traces the visual cultures and histories of mami wata and other. The dogons creation myth tells the stories of mami wata and traces records of its.
As such, a fifteenthcentury bronze medallion bearing a doubletailed mermaid appears here. She represented one of the most powerful goddesses in the african. This time they head back into history to venice, italy. Namely communication with the dead ancestors, the african deities, and the destine ori souls of the living. Tanehisi coates references mami wata in his 2019 novel the water dancer. We grew up hearing different tales of mami wata, a water spirit, found in.
At the museum, an altar glistens among the paintings and sculptures. Her spirits are usually female, but are sometimes male. Here is one of the songs about mami wata that i used to hear around when i was growing up. The evolution of mami wata in establishing, shaping and expanding the spiritual and sacerdotal foundation of world religion, reveals also the lost but glorious past of african womens spirituality. The sibyls were the original focal vatican of sacerdotal power of the entire ancient world. So there is a pretty amazing exhibition opening up in charleston, south carolina, in the next few days. The purpose of this writing is to provide the reader with some of the most important secret histories directly related to black people in america that pertain directly to the subject and. Book mami wata healers society appointments online visibook. The existence and spiritual importance of mami wata is deeply rooted in the ancient tradition and mythology of the coastal southeastern nigerians efik, ibibio and annang people. Mami wata made the women barren so that they could not have children. The deep and mysterious history of african sea goddess. There was a family in port harcourt, three sisters, and they were all barren. Mami wata, the most celebrated mermaidlike deity from.
Mami wata is often portrayed with the head and torso of a woman and the tail of a fish fig. Certain women highpriestesses known as mamissiis are called and appointed by the mami deities to initiate. Mami wata is the term most used to refer to mermaid entity in african culture. It is an ancient tradition in which the dead, the deities, and the souls of the living actually come in direct contact during consultation to speak. This first definitive work on the predomiance of this powerful african deity thr. A water spirit widely known across africa and the african diaspora, her origins are said to lie overseas. Africas ancient goddess unveiled 2004 mami wata healers society of north america, incorporated, 2004 merlin has asked jack and annie to help on another merlin mission. Jul 21, 2009 over time, the diety mami wata has become a blend of cultures and religions, influenced by hinduism, islam and christianity. Mami wata spirits are born of nana buluku, the great mother of the. The oldest body found in america is that of a negroid names lucy prophet is muhammad.
Mami wata traces back to the earliest of african societies as recorded by the griots and keepers of history. Mami wata also known by numerous other names, listed below is a goddess of the african diaspora whose immensely popular cult has grown in west, central, and southern africa, and in the caribbean and parts of south america since the 18th century. They could not have children because of the influence of this particular devil. Mami wata is widely believed to have overseas origins, and depictions of her have been profoundly influenced by representations of ancient, indigenous african water spirits, european mermaids and snake charmers, hindu gods and goddesses, and christian and muslim saints. Mami wata often carries expensive baubles such as combs, mirrors, and watches. Mami wata mammy water is a water spirit venerated in west, central, and southern africa.
Mami wata possesses an inhuman beauty, unnaturally long hair, and a lighterthannormal complexion. A fiber arts exhibition, and an astonishing array of opening events surrounding it, including talks by mami wata expert henry drewal with whom i did a very cool interview for mermaids magazine, just you wait, a premiere of a mermaidly film by poet. Mami wata is venerated in west, central and southern africa, and in the african diaspora in the caribbean and parts of north and south america. Historical evidence for such a deep antiquity of the goddesss tradition has never been offered. I read this book a while back, before i read mami wata by the same author and the knowledge and the attention to detail in both books is fascinating. Kopfe by ulli beier images of defiance by the south african history a. Sage reference mami wata sage knowledge sage publications. Augusta, ga prweb july 12, 2007 author, vivian hunterhindrew claims in her well researched, ground breaking new book, the sibyls. Arts, histories, and religious consciousnesses along coastal benin. The sibyls, the first prophetess of mami wata download. Jan 09, 2012 today, mami wata is a popular subject in not only the arts world, weve also heard songs about her, read books and poems about her, and a number of africanist art historians have written about her as well. Although the wellspring of the visual culture and history of mami wata will.
Chapters in this book have me thinking about africanblack mens role in the overthrowing of the worship of mami wata, im wondering if the apparent aggressiveness towards africanblack women, of todays so called black hebrew israelites is evidence of what has been and gone. Praise god, the women got pregnant one after the other. Apr 01, 2016 open me ouvrez moi you can get my deck, the wisdom of natural hair here. Initiated in africa, in 1999, i was initiated as hounon ayidohouedosi ahouegnon. A water spirit widely known across africa and the african diaspora, her origins are said to lie overseas, although she has been. The retelling of the wondrous stories depicting the sibyls impact on our world was an incredible eye opener and journey into history for me. The sibyls, the first prophetess of mami wata read online best.
Read unlimited books and audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android. Far from being a cult of women, in ewe mami wata cosmology and history, mami wata is an ancient deity, and is known to have been the sacred deity of most of the most powerful male diviners, healers, prophets and african kings. This first definitive work on the predomiance of this powerful african deity throughout the ancient world has quickly become a cult classic. I am very new to the study of african spirituality but this book show that mami wata may have begun in africa but her influence and impact was throughout the lands. The first prophetess of mami wata, that for 6,000 years, africa was ruled by a powerful order of matriarchs known throughout the ancient world as sibyls. I like to try and back up what i read and this is quite easy to do so, therefore, making for a spirit jolting read.
Mami wata valittaa iloisia ja varikkaita tunnelmia afrikkalaiseen tyyliin. Mami wata spirits are usually female, but are sometimes male. The appearance of her hair ranges from straight, curly to kinky, and either black or. Jul 01, 2004 an indepth historical overview of the mami wata vodoun ancestral traditions now practiced in west africa and in the diaspora.
Today, mami wata is a popular subject in not only the arts world, weve also heard songs about her, read books and poems about her, and a number of africanist art historians have written about her as well. In other tales, mami wata is fully human in appearance though never human. Oracle of the black doves of africa tayannah lee mcquillar, katelan v. For other uses of the name and its variants, see mami wata disambiguation. See all books authored by mama zogbe, including mami wata. Although, smaller than mami wata, it is still packed with valuable information. Arts for water spirits in africa and its diasporas. Apr 01, 2009 the fact that the name mami wata is in pidgen english, the language used to facilitate this trade, shows the influence on foreign cultures on the spirits image and identity.
I did not know the meaning till i was led to mami and bought this book several years ago. American traditions, an amengansie ahmahgahsee is defined as a highpriestess whose primary function is divination. The dogons creation myth tells the stories of mami wata and traces records of its existence to more than 4000 years ago. Both flora nwapa and veronique tadjo also published children books on the subject.
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