Mami Wata

Women of Myths & Legends

by Kath Lock, Frances Kelly, Mary Mayberry (Illustrator)

Mami Wata, goddess of water, is from the oral tradition of Ghana. Woman and children on the west coast of Africa often look to her for protection, and this is the story of one such girl, who was helped by Mami Wata.

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1995

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young Ghanaian girl listens to her mother's stories of the fine house where she once lived, at the mouth of the river running through their inland village. When sickness comes and kills her parents, the girl sets out for the coast, hoping to find a home with her mother's family. What she finds instead are aunts who take her in, but only as an overworked and abused house servant, rather than as a niece. Late one night, as the girl wanders along the shore, hoping to collect the shells necessary to recreate her mother's necklace, stolen from her along with all of her other possessions, she meets Mami Wata - the Water Mother. Moved by the girl's suffering, this goddess has come to offer her a different life under the sea...

Although the edition of Mami Wata that I read was published in Ontario, Canada, the book is originally from Australia, and belongs to the five-volume Women of Myths & Legends series, along with such titles as Deirdre of the Sorrows and Xochiquetzal . The narrative from co-authors Kath Lock and Frances Kelly is engaging, and the accompanying artwork from Mary Mayberry colorful and expressive. I've been looking for folktale retellings featuring Mami Wata, ever since encountering her as a character, in Tracey Baptiste's children's fantasy novel, Rise of the Jumbies . My understanding is that she is a water goddess figure revered in many West African cultures. This title offers a (possible) retelling of a Ghanaian story, whereas Virginia Castleman's Mommi Watta: Spirit of the River presents a retelling of a Liberian tale. Unfortunately, there is no additional information here, about the source material that the co-authors used, nor any discussion of the figure, and her appearance in Ghanaian or any other culture. Even the description of this as a Ghanaian tale is vague, as no mention is made of specific ethnic or tribal group. I am glad to have read this one, given the dearth of stories available in print, about this important West African deity, but I was disappointed in the absence of any additional information about the tale. With the caveat that readers be aware of this flaw, this is one I would recommend to young folklore enthusiasts.