baba egungun

WELCOMING THE SPIRITS OF THE DEAD

Honoring the Spirit of the Ancestors: The Sacred Power of the Egungun

The Culto aos Egunguns is a secret and sacred ancient tradition honoring the spirits of the ancestors with deep reverence and mystical practice. Rooted in the teachings of Yorubaland, the Egungun tradition was carried across the Atlantic by enslaved Africans, finding its largest home in the Western Hemisphere in Itaparica, Bahia, Brazil. Through these preserved traditions, we connect with a lineage of strength, resilience, and ancestral power.

Egungun gatherings are unlike any other. The ancestors literally take on physical form. Although the male ancestor is venerated, it is the women of the Terreiro (Spiritual House), who play very sacred roles in bringing the Ancestor into Physical manifestation through song and dance
Very few outsiders know or are even invited to the celebrations. It took me 3 years to find them on the hill as if they were shrouded or cloaked from normal sight.

In this closed, sacred space, the spirit of the ancestors becomes visible through masked and robed forms that move in ways that transcend the physical realm. The Baba speaks in a tongue only known by the initiates. The space is electric with energy. It’s exciting and at the same time a bit scary as we are entertaining the physical presence of the dead. It is even believed that just touching the robes of the Egungun will bring about death to either you or a loved one.

For many, the entire experience is difficult to comprehend; they say it’s simply people behind the masks and robes. But for those who have been there, who have seen the inexplicable presence within these forms, there’s no question—it is pure spirit, pure energy. As a “Gringo Filho” of one of the houses, there are things I have seen that can’t be explained by Western Knowledge or physics, and I choose not to share in an open forum.

Entering these spaces is like stepping into another realm. Imagine a night where doors close at 8 PM, remaining shut through hours of transformation and transmission until dawn. In these 12 hours, we journey together through layers of consciousness, honoring the ancestors as they bless, cleanse, guide, heal, and even correct/discipline those who have strayed from the values of the community.

As the wise Malidoma Somé once said, “Ritual, healing, and community are interrelated.” And in these moments, we embody his words, finding collective healing and strength in the presence of our ancestors. The Egungun reminds us, especially those of us in the African diaspora, that our ancestors are always with us, their legacy unbroken by slavery or colonization. Through Egungun, we honor our heritage as a source of timeless strength, bound together by the indelible spirit of our ancestors
. - Brother KH

E ku ara Egungun. Modupe o, Baba”