Mami Wata (Mammy Water) spirits are usually female. This is a deity venerated in West, Central, and Southern Africa. A tool that is being used to deal with adversity.
In Nigerian popular stories, Mami Wata may seduce a male and then show herself to him. Usually she demands his complete sexual faithfulness and secrecy about their affair. It is believed that acceptance means wealth and fortune; rejection spells the ruin of his family, finances, and job. A measure of personal well-being by the accumulation of material goods in certain African countries.
Names of Mami Wata of in different countries
| Republic of the Congo | Kuitikuiti, Mboze, Makanga, Bunzi, Kambizi |
| Benin | Mawu-Lisu (sometimes seen as an aspect of Mami Wata) |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | La Sirène (“The Mermaid”), Madame Poisson (“Mistress Fish”), Mamba Muntu |
| Guinea | Mamy Wata |
| South Africa | Zulu: Mamlambo; Ndebele: NoMlambo |
| Nigeria | Igbo: Mmuommiri (“Lady of the waters”), Edo: Obanamen/Oba n’amen (“King/Queen of the waters”), Yoruba: Yemoja, Ibibio/Efik: Ndém |
| Ghana | Maame Water |
