Zangbeto Festival and Ritual Realities: A Study of the Efficacy in the Ritual Performances of Ogun West, Nigeria

Abstract

Festivities go with their peculiar rituals. Owing to this belief, this study explores the roles of ritual realities in the performance of Zangbeto Festival among the Ogu people of Ogun West, Nigeria. As one of the longest standing traditions in Nigeria, the festival brings communities together annually to honor ancestral spirits and deities. However, little research has comprehensively examined how rituals enhance the festival over the years. Through a qualitative research design, using secondary data sources from academic sources directly documenting Zangbeto rituals and related festivities through observational fieldwork and ethnographic inquiry, this research sought to address that gap. This design was also employed in order to provide context to the study, secondary data collection method was employed in the study. The objectives of the study were to; analyze the role of ritual realities in enhancing the cultural significance of the Zangbeto Festival, to assess the impacts of ritual realities on community engagement and participation during the festival, and to provide historical context to the Zangbeto Festival with coverage to Ogun West for preservation of the tradition. The findings highlighted that Zangbeto Festival rituals' role in preserving cosmology, reinforcing social hierarchies, and expressing cultural identity is huge. They also foster collective energy and intergenerational learning. The study concluded that, ritual practices are integral to perpetuating the Zangbeto Festival as a locus of social cohesion and heritage transmission across generations. The study therefore, recommends that further long-term, emic research could provide deeper insights into rituals' community functions amid changing contexts.