Water spirit
A water spirit is a kind of supernatural being found in the folklore of many cultures:
African
Some water spirits in traditional African religion include:- Mami Wata is a transcultural pantheon of water spirits and deities of the African diaspora. For the many names associated with Mami Wata spirits and goddess, see Names of Mami Wata.Owu Mmiri of some riverine people of Nigeria are often described as mermaid-like spirit of water.
- A jengu is a water spirit in the traditional beliefs of the Sawa ethnic groups of Cameroon, particularly the Duala, Bakweri, and related Sawa peoples. Among the Bakweri, the name is liengu.
- A simbi is a mermaid-like or reptilian spirits from Kongo tribe and related to Vaudou religion.
- El Naddaha is an Egyptian female spirit who calls men to the Nile, leading to their death or disappearance.
- In Ndau witchcraft and sorcery, traditional healers pray to Zvipunha or nzuzu to manipulate the weather during floods or drought.
Celtic
In Celtic mythology:- An each uisge is a particularly dangerous "water horse" supposed to be found in Scotland; its Irish counterpart is the Aughisky.
- The Gwragedd Annwn are female Welsh lake fairies of great beauty.
- A kelpie is a less dangerous sort of water horse. There are many similar creatures by other names in the mythology including:
- * the tangie
- * the Blue men of the Minch ''
- * the nuggle also known as the shoopiltee or njogel
- * the cabbyl-ushtey
- * the Ceffyl Dŵr
- * the capaill uisce or the glashtin Morgens, Morgans or Mari-Morgans are Welsh and Breton water spirits that drown men.
- Selkie
Germanic
In Germanic mythology:- The Nixie or the Nix/Nixe/Nyx are shapeshifting water spirits who usually appear in human, or horse, form
- The Undine or Ondine is a female water elemental
- Jenny Greenteeth in the folklore of Lancashire
- Peg Powler said to inhabit the River Tees in Yorkshire
- The grindylow in the folklore of both Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Ancient Greek
In Greek mythology:- Naiads were nymphs who presided over fountains, wells, springs, streams, and brooks
- * Crinaeae were a type of nymph associated with fountains
- * Limnades or Leimenides were a type of naiad living in freshwater lakes.
- * Pegaeae were a type of naiad that lived in springs.
- Nereids were sea nymphs.
- Sirens were bird-bodied women living in the sea near a rocky island coastline.
Japanese
In Japanese folklore:Kappa, alternately called Kawatarō or Kawako, are a type of water sprite.- A
Turkic
In Turkic mythology:- Su Iyesi is a water spirit. People should not make her angry. Turkic people do not pollute the water so as not to anger the Su Iyesi. Su Iyesi is mostly considered female.
Mesoamerican
- Ahuizotl; a dog-like aquatic creature that drowned the unwary in Aztec mythology.
South American
- Pincoys in Chilote mythology
- Yacuruna; water people of the Amazon River, said to abduct surface dwellers.
Filipino
Oceanic
In the mythology of Oceania:- Adaro were malevolent merman-like sea spirits found in the mythology of the Solomon Islands.
- Bunyip were evil water spirits said to inhabit watering holes in Indigenous Australian folklore.
- Pania from Maori mythology
- Ponaturi, evil sea spirits in Maori mythology.
Roman
In Roman mythology:- Camenae were goddesses of springs, wells and fountains, or water nymphs of Venus (mythology).
Slavic
In Slavic mythology:- A Vodyanoy is a male water spirit akin to the Germanic Neck.
- A Rusalka was a female ghost, water nymph, succubus or mermaid-like demon that dwelled in a waterway.
- А Berehynia in ancient Ukrainian folklore is a goddess spirit that guarded the edges of waterways, while today it is used as a symbol for Ukrainian nationalism.
- Moryana is a giant sea spirit from Russian folklore.
- For potoplenyk, vila/wila/wili/veela, and vodianyk, see also Slavic fairies.
Nordic
In Finnish mythology, the water folk are a group of creatures living under water and their magical power. According to the Kalevala, there are many spirits in the water, including water goblins, water elves, mermaids and small men rising from the sea, who sometimes appeared to help people with great power. Anyone who was afraid of water or behaved inappropriately near water could incur the wrath of the water folk and become ill. The water folk also included individualized and named water spirits, such as Ahti, Vellamo and Iku-Turso.Thai
- Phi Phraya, a ghost living in the water.
- Phi Thale, a spirit of the sea. It manifests itself in different ways, one of them being St. Elmo's fire, among other uncanny phenomenons experienced by sailors and fishermen while on boats.