The Zangbeto, Guardians of the Night
In southern Benin, tall spinning figures of raffia patrol the streets at night. People say there's no one inside them.
What was reported
Zangbeto are the night watchmen of Ogu tradition in Benin and Togo: tall, cone-shaped figures covered in layers of brightly dyed raffia. Their name means 'people of the night'. They patrol villages after dark, and people say they catch thieves and witches and keep order.
At festivals they spin and whirl across the ground. Followers say no human is inside: the Zangbeto are spirits from the dead, and when a costume is lifted to show the crowd, it's said to be empty.
Explanations offered
The Zangbeto are run by a secret society, whose members guard what happens inside the costumes. Anthropologists see them as an old form of community policing tied to a living Vodun tradition. Visitors are asked to respect that their secrets stay secret.
- When
- For centuries, and today
- Where
- Porto-Novo, Ouémé, Benin
- Witnesses
- Ogu and Yoruba communities of Benin and Togo
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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