Bestiary

With the upper half of a beautiful woman and the lower half of a fish, Yemaja would be commonly called a “mermaid” in the West; she has two tails instead of one, though, and is no mere mermaid, but is instead one of the most awesome and revered of gods. The Goddess of Seas, she can be found wherever water flows. Many gods and goddesses, of course, hold dominion over water. For Yemaja, however, all forms of water are her dominion.

Like the tide attracted to the full moon, Mami Wata (“Mommy Water”) is a mysterious figure seen only by a select few people. Because night is often used to cover the deepest of secrets, Yemaja is also the keeper of secrets. She watches over fishers and sailors at night, making sure that their vessels journey safely even on the darkest and roughest of seas. When La Sirène cannot prevent the people aboard a vessel from coming to harm, she also protects of victims of shipwrecks, and does all she can do to get them back to shore. Finally, she is also a protector of women, especially with regards to love, sex, and child­ birth. As life begins in water, so too does the influence of Yemaja.

Like all gods, she can be terrible, too. La Sirène may summon her rage as a hurricane, sweeping the lands and drawing all things

back into her seas. In order to appease such fury, her devotees give her offerings of fish and jewelry, as well as fruits like water­ melon, cantaloupe, berries, and coconut. White wine, coffee, and silver are acceptable gifts as well; she prefers high-quality things, though, so only the best wines and jewels will suffice. When she’s calm and the seas have eased their tempests, a brave mortal can ask Yemaja to grant them a blessing of her powers. Respectfully approached and properly appeased, she might grant a devotee the power to raise typhoons, the strength of some vast ocean creature, or the stunning appeal of the eternal, depthless sea.

Yemaja is beauty personified. Moonglow shimmers from her cool brown skin, which is typically draped in blue clothing if she wears clothing at all. Upon her head rests a crown of shells. Strands of pearls hang loosely around her neck, contrasting with the rich darkness of her long, wet hair. Like the sea, Yemaja is calm and comforting. When angered, though, she rages like a storm.