Welcome to Faeries and Folklore by Ronel.
You can listen to this post in English or Afrikaans at the end of this post.
Jengu, miengu, liengu, maengu – depending on the region, the name and the plural changes. So let’s just stick with jengu. They are native to Cameroon, a Central African country on the Gulf of Guinea. The jengu are typically beautiful mermaids with long hair and gap-toothed smiles, resembling the humans living on the shore in ethnicity and in their choice of accessories. They reside in rivers and the sea, bringing good luck to their worshippers. Among their powers is the job of intermediary between humans and the spirit world (most likely other fae) and the power to cure disease. The jengu are linked to Mami Wata, an important African water spirit.
There’s even a jengu cult! We’ll not get into that, but these water fae are definitely thoroughly worshipped by mortals.
Singular: Jengu. Plural: Miengu.
Water Fae who are extremely loyal to Mami Wata.
They have a strong influence on African Folklore and are usually associated with Mami Wata.
They resemble mermaids, with yellow and green hair. Their fish tails are mostly silver, reflecting the colours found in the water they swim in.
They smile a lot. They have gaps between their front teeth. They also like to giggle.
Mostly they talk in their own language that involves a lot of clicking noises, like the noise made by crab claws or insects.
They have power over water. They can make it move in whatever way they wish.
They will ally themselves with anyone who protects Nature – and especially those who go up against the Obayifo.
You can read the full folklore post with references on my blog.
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