Tradition / Region: Sawabantu Mythology, Cameroon Mythology
Alternate Names: Miengu (plural), Bisima; Liengu (Bakweri), Maengu (plural)
Category: Mermaid
The Myth
In the rivers, lakes, and along the shores of the sea in Cameroon dwell the jengu—water spirits of beauty and power.
They are said to appear as radiant beings, often like mermaids, with long flowing hair and shining gap-toothed smiles. Their presence is linked to clear waters and hidden depths. They live beneath the surface, in the currents and tidal places where the worlds of the living and the spirits meet.
The jengu are guardians of the waters and intermediaries between humanity and the ancestors. When illness strikes, when fate turns uncertain, or when guidance is needed, people call upon them. They are believed to heal disease, grant prosperity, and influence destiny. Those who honor them with devotion receive good fortune; those who neglect them may lose their favor.
Among the Duala and other Sawabantu peoples, the jengu are honored through sacred rites and festivals. When the ruling families of the Ngondo declare that the time has come, offerings are gathered from the villages. Trained spiritual specialists prepare themselves through ritual purification and ceremony.
On the night before the festival, these priests perform sacred rites on the islands of the Wouri River. At dawn, the tribute is displayed before the chiefs. Then a jengu specialist carries the offering into the water, swimming out beyond sight. There, beneath the surface, the gift is presented to the miengu.
When the priest returns, he brings back a message from the spirits—a prophecy concerning the year to come.
Among the Bakweri, the jengu also play a role in a young girl’s passage into womanhood, marking her transformation and linking her life to the power of the waters.
Thus the jengu remain: spirits of the deep, bringers of healing and fortune, moving unseen between the living and the ancestral world.
Gallery
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Jengu. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 14, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jengu
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive
Other
- How to Invite The Jengu