Story of African Zangbeto Dance: Unique Tradition or Witchcraft?

Whenever we hear the word “Voodoo”, we generally associate it with witchcraft, but it is a religion followed by almost 30 lakh people in West African countries especially in Ghana, Nigeria, and Benin. 

“Voodoo is one of the oldest religious practices. It got negative publicity because of the colonizers who were scared of their African slaves practicing Voodoo. Though some Voodoo practices can be harmful, it is generally practiced for the betterment of the community by worshipping the ancestors” – said a Voodoo practitioner.

Some of the Voodoo practices are also reflected in many popular movies like The Black Panther of Avengers and the Pirates of the Caribbean which have done great at the box office.

You must be confused, why am I talking about Voodoo, when this blog is actually about the African Zangbeto? Well, that is because without Voodoo there is no Zangbeto.

“Zangbeto” literally means “night watchman” or the “men of the night”. They are known to be the primary police force of the Voodoo community, who not only guard them at night but also maintain law and order. These Zangbetos may appear as mere conical structures made of colorful threads but can do wonders when possessed by the spirits of the ancestors.

Thus, the African Zangbetos are supernatural-possessed beings valued as gods by many and the African magic dance performed by these Zangbetos guarantees the protection of the village against evil spirits and malicious people. The African Zangbeta Dance mostly consists of spinning movements which symbolizes the cleansing of the village.

To know more about the African Zangbeto Dance, let’s first go back to the origins and know the story of the African Zangbeto Dance.

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Story of African Zangbeto Dance

The Story of African Zangbeto Dance suggests that it emerged out of necessity as a traditional military organization responsible for defending these coastal towns from all the external/ internal forces. Apart from acting as a protector, the African Zangbeto was also an arm of the traditional ruling institution that maintained law and order in the region. 

But, in today’s times, the African Zangbeto Dance can only be seen during major Zangbeto festivals across the country.

But, this story of African Zangbeto Dance does not specify what’s inside this structure. Well, these structures are empty! 

If it’s empty, how does it do all the police work and the dancing? According to the followers of Voodoo culture, this African Voodoo dance performed by the Zangbetos is actually done by the spirits of “night watchmen” who make them do all the work.

Does that mean that spirits exist? There are several forms of African Voodoo dance and the African Zangbeto dance is just one of them. This African Magic Dance is beyond human understanding and defies science.

Now that we have learned about the origins and the story of African Zangbeto Dance, let’s learn more about these unusual dancing structures.

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