By now, I think most of my readers know more about my connection with water. Everything related to water attracts me spontaneously. I almost feel like I'm inside. Whether it is a sea, a lake, or a puddle at the farthest point of the world. The only thing that matters is that I know it.

I recently visited an ancient city. It has been the most impressive and fascinating place among all the places I have been to so far (I also plan to write an article about it). While I was there, I saw a group of black tourists visiting the temple; the guide was talking about the history and the sea under the road. We said hello to one of the middle-aged women and I asked where they were from. When the woman told me "South Africa", I felt that familiar ache somewhere in my heart, as always. I suddenly experienced an intensely emotional moment that lasted several seconds.

And after I left there, my heart and mind told me to write something about South Africa. After a few days, I knew what to write about: The Mythological Waters of South Africa.

Water is a vital resource in many African cultures, and it often holds symbolic meaning beyond its practical uses. The people of many water-scarce regions tell many water stories, even though they have no contact with the sea. Despite this absence of tangible water bodies, there was never a shortage of stories pertaining to water spirits believed to reside in different bodies of water like oceans, rivers, dams, and even swamps.

There are stories and legends that tell how many water spirits influence and possess people. Some spirits manifest themselves in good ways and some in bad ways. If there is a body of water or a dam around you, even if it is small, children are advised to stay away from it. If they get too close, evil water spirits can possess them and trap them deep under the water. Mami Wata is one of the most popular--and powerful--African water spirits. She is most often portrayed as a mermaid, though she has other forms. Mami Wata heals the sick and brings good luck to her followers. I’d never heard of Mami Wata, yet she is widely acknowledged in most of sub-Saharan Africa. Mami Wata is usually female, frequently taking the form of a mermaid, often with a serpent wrapped around her with its head between her breasts. She is often depicted as having a mirror, which symbolically is meant to represent this side and the other side, or the real world and the spiritual world. Not surprisingly, she takes on........

© Eurovizyon