This story felt so much like an alternative version of Adam and Eve, where Eve chooses of her own volition to leave the garden, or forest, to join man. Wherein Eve in her story is secondary to Adam, here he is almost absent, and is an intruder upon her home, her forest, and is a spark of her curiosity.

As a response to her worship, Maman Dlo offers her a gift, a comb for her hair “made of shell and silver(p.279).” Maman Dlo’s gift is like a telephone, which opens communication between the young women and the Oriye. Her comb reminded me of Gabrielle Tesfaye’s seashell headphones that she plugged into the sand, in “The Water Will Carry Us Home.” This gift, the ability to listen and understand, is not one given lightly; her follower, the young woman who receives the gift, shows a deep appreciation for the forest and the spirits of the water.

Through the song of the comb, she learns Maman Dlo’s name, her sister’s name, and they share with her “the sirens’ song of the sailors who had dashed to death upon the rocks at Saut d’Eau, and learned not to dread the deafening silence of the forest.” This connection teaches her about the history of the water and builds upon her respect for it.

Maman Dlo’s treatment of her young follower is like that of a mother, not just because she is a female spirit/deity, but because she communicates with her followers directly and, in a sense, does not abandon them. Although she can no longer hear Maman Dlo, Maman Dlo can hear her prayers through the comb and answers them

Maman Dlo offers women a view of religion and nature that speaks to them, about love, connection to nature, and separation from the rules and laws of men. Maman Dlo offered her follower the greatest gift of all, a history and a community among women. Her fall from grace with Maman Dlo comes from her defiance, and her punishment, by rejoining the world of men, is no longer being connected with the siren song. However, what was beautiful about this story is that despite having been separated from the siren song, Maman Dlo still came to her aid. This story’s focus on water as a form of connection is important because it offers a feminine perspective of bodies of water and humans being connected for the better, when humans endeavor to treat it with respect