People / group
Nyau
Nyau is a secret society of the Chewa people of Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique, whose initiated men perform masked dances at funerals, initiations and memorial rites. The dancers represent ancestral spirits and animals, and the society historically balanced the power of chiefs. Its ritual dance, Gule Wamkulu, is recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
Mentioned in 2 state histories
See also
Cite this entry
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Nyau. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/nyau
- MLA
- “Nyau.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/nyau. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Nyau.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/nyau.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Nyau’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/nyau (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻