Essani in the Beti culture

Essani originally was a funeral ritual dance commemorating heroes who died at the battle field. It begins at mid night with triumphant noise and drums of 15 minutes. The sound emanating from the drums symbolizes a call of the dead to receive he who just died.

This celebration pays homage to ancestral legacies in the center and south regions of Cameroon. These tribes include; the Ewondos, Fangs, Etons, Bulus, Mvae, Béné, Etengas, Manguissas….Rituals for purification(Ndziba),confession(Tsogo) and widowhood(Akus) are among multiple rituals practiced in the Beti culture to reinforce social collaboration and security.