A Simbi is a Central African guardian spirit associated with water and nature within the traditional Bakongo religion. These spirits are also significant components of various African diaspora spiritual traditions, including Hoodoo in the southern United States and Palo in Cuba.
Historically, Simbi have been identified as water people or mermaids, as well as being represented by snakes, gourds, pottery, and fire. The continued veneration of these spirits in countries such as Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, and the United States is primarily attributed to the Atlantic slave trade, which resulted in the forced migration of over 12.5 million Bantu people from Africa to the Americas.