Mermaids in Brazil: The (ongoing) creolisation of the water goddesses Oxum and Iemanjá

Mermaids symbolise the ultimate ‘other’ (Kramer 1987: 213), like humans but not human, like fish but not fish, living in rivers, lakes, waterfalls, springs and in particular the sea. They are usually described as beautiful women who bewitch men into following them into the water and to death. With their beauty and wealth they attract envy and lead people into ruin. Eternalised in many fairytales there is, however, another side to the story of mermaids. During the colonial period in Africa mermaids became associated with Europeans due to their light skin, long straight hair, their wealth and their Otherness (Kramer 1987: 221). Shortly after, in West Africa, they were used to represent local water goddesses who developed into one pan-African deity named Mami Wata (also written Mammywater or MamiWata).1