Mami Wata
Across West Africa, a water spirit with long hair and a snake around her shoulders brings wealth, and danger, to those she favours.
What was reported
Mami Wata, 'Mother Water', is a water spirit honoured across West and Central Africa and among the African diaspora in the Americas. She's often shown as a beautiful woman with long hair, sometimes with a fish's tail, and a large snake wrapped around her.
She's said to bring wealth, beauty and healing to her followers, but can be jealous and demanding. Shrines and festivals honour her in countries including Togo, Benin, Ghana and Nigeria.
Explanations offered
Scholars note that her familiar image was shaped by a 19th-century European poster of a snake charmer that circulated widely in West Africa, blended with much older beliefs in water spirits. She remains part of religious life for many people today, and a popular subject in art.
- When
- Honoured for centuries
- Where
- Coast of Togo, West Africa
- Witnesses
- Followers across West and Central Africa and beyond
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.