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Zangbeto mask, (part 2) Agbanakin, Benin. Filmed / Edited by Tim Harrison, Benin, August 2017.
Zangbeto are able to fall into a trance which, according to tradition, enables their bodies to be inhabited by spirits who possess special knowledge of the actions of people. According to Yoruba culture there are no humans under the costume, only spirits of the night - hence the Zangbeto mask being turned on its side at the start of this video (0.14) to reveal the empty interior before spinning away. Zangbeto are the traditional voodoun guardians of the night in the Yoruba religion of Benin, which are known as the "Nightwatchmen". They are highly revered and act as an unofficial police force patrolling the streets, watching over people and tracking down criminals / wrongdoers, and presenting them to the community for justice / punishment.