Coastal West African Creatures

The coastal West African zone centers on lagoons, estuaries, barrier islands, and Atlantic trade towns. Maritime life shapes rites for fishing, boat building, and market cycles tied to tides and moon phases. Processions, drumming, and spirit possession ceremonies are common features of urban and shoreline festivals. Names and terms are recorded in local languages and in trade languages such as Portuguese, English, and French, creating multiple spellings. Motifs include river mouths, crossroads by the sea, vows at shrines, and gifts poured into water. Browse tiles by habitat and function, then open cards for sources, variant names, and visual motifs.