A Simbi (also Cymbee, Sim'bi, pl. Bisimbi) is a water spirit in traditional Kongo spirituality. In

Haitian Vodou Haitian Vodou is an African diasporic religion that developed in Haiti between the 16th and 19th centuries. It arose through a process of syncretism between several traditional religions of West and Central Africa and Roman Catholicism. There is ...

n context, they are a large and diverse family of serpents known as

loa ( ), also called loa or loi, are spirits in the African diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou. They have also been incorporated into some revivalist forms of Louisiana Voodoo. Many of the lwa derive their identities in part from deities venerate ...

Hoodoo

In Central Africa's

Kongo Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa: * Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...

region, "...bisimbi inhabit rocks, gullies, streams, and pools, and are able to influence the fertility and well being of those living in the area." "What are bisimbi? They have other names, too. Some are called python, lightning gourd or calabash, mortar or a sort of pot. The explanation of their names is that they are water spirits ( nkisi mia mamba). The names of some of these minkisi are: Na Kongo, Ma Nzanza,

Nkondi Nkondi (plural varies ''minkondi'', ''zinkondi'', or ''ninkondi'') are mystical statuettes made by the Kongo people of the Congo Basin, Congo region. Nkondi are a subclass of Nkisi, minkisi that are considered aggressive. The name nkondi derives f ...

and Londa. There is a significant amount of Kongo culture that continues today in the African American community, because 40 percentage of Africans taken during th
transatlantic slave trade
came from Central Africa's

Congo Basin The Congo Basin (french: Bassin du Congo) is the sedimentary basin of the Congo River. The Congo Basin is located in Central Africa, in a region known as west equatorial Africa. The Congo Basin region is sometimes known simply as the Congo. It con ...

. Simbi (Bisimbi, plural) spirits are also revered in the United States in the

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

community in the practice of Hoodoo in the

American South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

. Academic historians conducted research in the Gullah Geechee Nation and have found continued

Central Africa Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, ...

n spiritual practices. For example, some African American churches in the Southeast prayed to Kongo-derived simbi spirits during

Baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...

. "Baptism also had a distinctly African side to it. The nineteenth century Georgia practice of praying to Kongo-derived simbi spirits before immersion demonstrates this aspect of an other wise Christian rite." Academic research on th
Pooshee Plantation
and Woodboo Plantation in South Carolina, showed a continued belief of African water spirits among enslaved African Americans. Both plantations are "now under the waters of Lake Moultrie." The earliest known record of simbi spirits was recorded in the nineteenth century by Edmund Ruffin who was a wealthy slaveholder from Virginia, and traveled to South Carolina "to keep the slave economic system viable through agricultural reform." In Ruffin's records he spelled simbi, cymbee, because he did not know the original spelling of the word. "At Pooshee plantation on the

Santee Canal The Santee Canal was one of the earliest canals built in the United States. It was built to provide a direct water route between Charleston, South Carolina, Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina, Columbia, the new South Carolina state capital. It ...

not too far from Woodboo, Ruffin stated that a young slave boy went to a fountain for water late at night and was very frightened by a cymbee imbi water spiritwho was running around and around the fountain. Although few witnesses to the appearance of cymbees were found by Ruffin, he stated that they are generally believed by the slaves to be frequent and numerous. Part of the superstition was that it was bad luck for anyone who saw one to 'tell of the occurrence, or refer to it; and that his death would be the certain penalty, if he told of the meeting for some weeks afterwards." Another occurrence from an enslaved man said simbi spirits have long hair.

Sukey and The Mermaid

African-American folklore African-American folktales are the storytelling and oral history of enslaved African Americans during the 1700-1900s. These stories reveal life lessons, spiritual teachings, and cultural knowledge and wisdom for the African-American community ...

, the

Gullah Geechee The Gullah () are an African American ethnic group who predominantly live in the Lowcountry region of the U.S. states of Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina, within the coastal plain and the Sea Islands. Their language and cultu ...

people in the Carolina Lowcountry have a children's story called ''Sukey and the Mermaid'' about a girl named Sukey meeting a mermaid named Mama Jo. Mama Jo in the story helps and protects Sukey and financially supported her by giving her gold coins. This story comes from the belief in Simbi spirits in West-Central Africa that came to the United States during the

trans-atlantic slave trade The Atlantic slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, or Euro-American slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route and i ...

. In Africa, Simbi nature spirits protect and provide riches to their followers. In West-Central Africa, there are folk stories of people meeting mermaids.

Haitian Vodou

Vodou traditions were practiced by Haitians who came from Africa: the religious traditions were handed down. The Vodou religion believes in a creator who cannot be easily reached, so Vodou worshipers contact spirits which act as go-betweens between the creator and the worshiper. Some names for the Simbi loa include Simbi Dlo (also Simbi d'l'eau - Simbi of the water), Simbi Makaya, Simbi Andezo (Simbi of two waters), and Gran Simba. They have wide-ranging associations. For example, Simbi Makaya is a great sorcerer and served in particular in the Sanpwel

secret societies A secret society is a club or an organization whose activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence a ...

. Simbi Anpaka is a loa of plants, leaves, and poisons. Simbi is a loa which represents magic. Simbi is portrayed as a snake. This loa is used to contact the dead.

Palo

In this Afro-Cuban religion, Simbi are called Nkitas. They are gods of all aspects of nature : lakes, forests or mountains, for example.

In culture

Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

Michaëlle Jean of Canada, who was born in Haiti, bears two simbi serpents as supporters on her coat of arms.

Hoodoo

Sukey and The Mermaid

Haitian Vodou

Palo

In culture

See also

References

Further reading