Mammy Water in Igbo culture

Mammy Water in Igbo culture provides an ethnographic study of the water goddess Ogbuide among the Igbo people of Lake Oguta in southeastern Nigeria. The text explores the rituals, beliefs, and social organization associated with rituals of women's power. It details how the deity manifests aspects of womanhood in pre-colonial Igbo society, some of which persist despite colonial conquest and missionary influence. The research highlights that Ogbuide predates the Mami Wata figure, merging with it during the 20th century, and critiques how foreign icons influenced Ogbuide's role as a fertility goddess.

Sabine Jell-Bahlsen is an independent researcher specializing in Nigerian history, Igbo studies, and the African Diaspora. Her ethnographic work is grounded in long-term field research, participant observation, and oral literature translations conducted since 1978. Beyond her writing, she has produced several ethnographic films, including Mammy Water: In Search of the Water Spirits in Nigeria. Her broader research interests encompass cultural transformations, spirituality, and the impact of landscape and environment on social integration.