The Concept of the Ancestral in Bantu Culture

In contemporary African-derived spiritual practices, the word “ancestral” is often used loosely. It is common to hear someone say, “my Exu is an ancestor,” yet this interpretation misses a deeper truth. The meaning of “the ancestral” in Bantu philosophy was distorted long ago, particularly when French colonial ethnographers attempted to categorise the spiritual systems of Central Africa. In doing so, they misinterpreted the sacred wisdom of the Ubundu tradition, confusing distinctions that define the relationship between the living, the dead, and the divine.

The French description merged two very different concepts found in Kikongo: Dikulo or Nkulu, meaning “ancestral,” and Dilulu or Nlulu, meaning “forebear” or “predecessor.” This subtle confusion created far-reaching misunderstandings about what it truly means to call a spirit ancestral.

To comprehend who or what an Ancestral is, one must first understand the Dikenga dia Kongo, the sacred cosmogram of the Bantu-Kongo people. The Dikenga illustrates the cyclical journey of existence: birth, life, death, and rebirth, mapped across the four directions of the spiritual world. It aligns the living with their ancestors, nature, and the divine order that animates all things. In Bantu cosmology, as in related traditions such as those of the Yoruba, hierarchy exists among spirits. Within Yoruba thought, the Egungun represent the revered dead, those who achieved great honour in society and now hold exalted spiritual status. The orisa, or divine forces, are often connected to the Egungun, though the relationship is complex. Every Egungun can be an orisa, but not every orisa is an Egungun. The same applies to the Irunmole, primordial beings from whom the orisa emanate.

Among the Bantu, the Nkulu may be understood in parallel to the Egungun, though not all Nkulu possess souls, whereas every Egungun does. A closer correspondence to the Egungun is found in the concept of Mvumbi, a divinised or “enchanted” soul that has transcended mortality and become a fully spiritual entity. The Nkulu function as spiritual guardians, protectors whose powers are guided by a Nganga, just as Egungun are governed through the ritual disciplines of the Oje societies in Yoruba tradition.

The modern word “ancestral” derives from “ancestre astral” or “astral ancestor,” a term once used in esoteric Europe to describe any spirit bound to a person through initiation, affinity, or covenant. This understanding merges intriguingly with African perspectives, yet it also introduces a key distinction: not every ancestral spirit is a blood ancestor. An Antepassado, or forebear, refers to one’s biological lineage: parents, grandparents, and those connected by kinship. An Ancestral, however, may be any spirit bonded to an individual by spiritual pact, shared purpose, or divine appointment. This bond can form through initiation, shared vibration of destiny, or sacred agreement between spirit and devotee. It is above all a spiritual relationship rather than a hereditary one.

The bond with an Ancestral spirit exists beyond flesh and blood. While some entities accompanying a person may indeed share genealogy, this is not required. The connection is spiritual, and like any spiritual bond, it can be weakened or even broken. Disagreement of purpose, neglect of rituals, or withdrawal from a sacred community such as a terreiro may cause disconnection. Just as humans have free will, so do ancestral intelligences. They possess their own laws and moral codes, acting according to the cosmic order that defines their essence. When their paths diverge from that of the living person they support, separation becomes inevitable. Such realignments are natural and often necessary in a soul’s evolution.

Ancestral links manifest through several pathways: direct inheritance from initiation, affinity through friendship or shared intention, and alignment through belief. When one consciously aligns with an entity through faith, devotion, or moral kinship, this resonance invites communication. The Ancestral responds to the vibration of thought, emotion, and purpose. Ancestral work, therefore, is an act of cooperation. Unlike the worship of divinities, which seeks harmony of virtues between divine and human, the relationship with Ancestrals is one of partnership, mutual effort, support, and reciprocity. The living offer intention, faith, and ritual dedication; the Ancestral offers guidance, strength, and intercession.

The key question in working with ancestral energies is not whether a spirit belongs to one’s bloodline, but what quality that spirit embodies. In the vocabulary of ancient Greece, a beneficial spirit could be likened to an Agathodaemon, a good spirit that leads its companion toward Eudaimonia, or human flourishing. Conversely, a malevolent or misguided spirit might resemble a Kakodaemon, one that sows confusion and suffering. This duality applies equally within Bantu and Afro-Atlantic spiritualities. A spirit’s moral polarity, its degree of harmony with universal order, determines whether it brings elevation or chaos. The responsibility falls upon the devotee, priest, or Nganga to discern this quality and ensure that all spirits within their orbit act from equilibrium, not coercion.

Understanding the Ancestral within Bantu culture requires rejecting simplistic or colonial readings. The Ancestral is not merely one’s dead relative, but an intelligent, spiritual ally, sometimes human in origin, sometimes more ancient or elemental, whose purpose is to collaborate with the living to maintain balance in the existential circle of life. Returning to the Dikenga dia Kongo, every point of its cosmogram mirrors a stage of existence, reminding humanity that the realms of the visible and invisible are intertwined. The Ancestral moves along this sacred circuit, guiding the living through initiation, protection, correction, and fulfilment.

Recognising this, spiritual seekers today can deepen their practice by approaching the ancestral not only as memory or heritage but as an active force participating in human destiny. The question is not “Who were my ancestors?” but “Which ancestral spirits walk with me now, and how can I walk well with them?”

Read more about this topic in Walking with the Dead: The Living Practice of Espiritismo Cruzado. This richly detailed and practical guide opens the doors to a tradition that blends prayer, ritual, and mediumship with heart and discipline. Written by a long-time practitioner, the book offers step-by-step instructions on how to build your bóveda, conduct misas, develop mediumship, and work with your cuadro espiritual, the team of spirits who walk beside you.