Article on African Art by Arcy Art Original Oil Paintings - Mami Wata in African Art

African art article by Arcy Art Original Oil Paintings - Modernity and Mystery: Mami Wata in African Art Page 2
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Modernity and mystery: Mami Wata in African art (Page 2)

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I am going to concentrate further on Mami Wata devotion as it occurs among the people of Benin and Igbo. In the African art of the Igbo the value lies in the process as much as the the final product. The Igbo view life as something that is never standing still. Even gods fall out of use and new gods often take the place of old gods. Similarly these news gods require new forms and portrayals in African art. The relatively new deity of Mami Wata has easily been taken up by the Igbo people. The image of Mami Wata as a snake charmer fits in comfortably with traditional roles that snakes play in Igbo cosmology. Snakes are believed to be messengers for the gods. The python is both revered and feared for its diamond-like patterning. Similarly Mami Wata is also a deity to be feared and revered for her capacity to do both good and evil. Mami Wata is also linked to the rainbow deity complex of the Igbo people. The rainbow is also referred to as the Royal Python by the Igbo. While Mami Wata dominates the water, the Royal python controls the waters of the sky and unites them with the waters of earth.

Mami Wata is believed to be especially useful for solving problems of a modern kind. In Mami Wata shrines prints of Indian gods are often found together with Christian imagery. Other objects usually found in these shrines include red and white cloth, incense, liquor, bells, wooden and plastic dolls, and various sacrificial remains. Mami Wata is believed to like things that smell good, taste good or shine and glitter. Priest and priestesses of the cult dress in red and white and often wear cloth snakes tied around their waists.

Benin city is the urban center of the Edo kingdom. The Oba (king) is the person at the apex of this kingdom. The Oba is often regarded as the counterpart on land of the deity Olukun, the ruler over the waters. Both Mami Wata and Olokun are believed to bring wealth and control infertility in Edo society. Both cults use mirrors and white garments in there devotions.

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African art article by Arcy Art Original Oil Paintings - Modernity and Mystery: Mami Wata in African Art Page 2
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