Zangbeto
Encyclopedia
Zangbeto are the traditional voodoo guardians of the night in the Yoruba religion of Benin
and Togo
which are known as the "Nightwatchmen". Similar to Egungun
s, they are highly revered and act as an unofficial police force patrolling the streets and watching over people and tracking down criminals and presenting them to the community to punish. They were originally created to scare the enemy away, now the Zangbeto will wander around the street to detect thieves and witches, and dispensing justice.
They are men in a costume that resembles a haystack but are in a trance which enables their bodies to be inhabited by spririts who have special knowledge of the actions of people. However Yoruba legend tells that there are no humans under the costume, only spirits of the night.
Traditionally, the Zangbetos were the policemen of Benin and were the main guardians of law in the country before the official law establishment. They are said to form a secret society which can only be strictly attended by Zangbetos, and when in a trance are said to have magical abilities such as swallowing splinters of glass without coming to any harm and scaring away even witches.
In a trance, the Zangbeto are said to evoke a power that inhabited the earth long before the appearance of man and provide a source of wisdom and continuity for the people of Benin.
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
and Togo
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
which are known as the "Nightwatchmen". Similar to Egungun
Egungun
Egungun is a part of the Yoruba pantheon of divinities. In the indeginous religious system of the West African tribe of that name, the spirit is of central importance...
s, they are highly revered and act as an unofficial police force patrolling the streets and watching over people and tracking down criminals and presenting them to the community to punish. They were originally created to scare the enemy away, now the Zangbeto will wander around the street to detect thieves and witches, and dispensing justice.
They are men in a costume that resembles a haystack but are in a trance which enables their bodies to be inhabited by spririts who have special knowledge of the actions of people. However Yoruba legend tells that there are no humans under the costume, only spirits of the night.
Traditionally, the Zangbetos were the policemen of Benin and were the main guardians of law in the country before the official law establishment. They are said to form a secret society which can only be strictly attended by Zangbetos, and when in a trance are said to have magical abilities such as swallowing splinters of glass without coming to any harm and scaring away even witches.
In a trance, the Zangbeto are said to evoke a power that inhabited the earth long before the appearance of man and provide a source of wisdom and continuity for the people of Benin.