Anito and Diwata

Philippine mythology

Mythical beings Aswang Berbalang Diwata Duende Juan Tamad Mambabarang Manananggal Mangkukulam Maria Makiling Nuno sa punso

Mythical animals Bakunawa Ekek Kapre Limokon Manaul Sarimanok Sigbin Sirena Siyokoy Tikbalang Tigmamanukan Tiyanak

Mythical heroes Ama-ron Bernardo Carpio

Subjects Mythological figures Mythological creatures

Folk religions Tagalog beliefs Religion in pre-colonial Philippines Shrines and sacred grounds Anito

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Anito, also spelled anitu, refers to carved humanoid figures made of wood, stone, or ivory,^[1] that represent ancestral spirits^[2] worshiped as protective household deities.^[3][4] it also refers to ancestor spirits, evil spirits,^[1][5][6] and the nature spirits and deities called diwata in the Indigenous Philippine folk religions from the precolonial age to the present, although the term itself may have other meanings and associations depending on the Filipino ethnic group.Anito (a term predominantly used in Northern Luzon) is also sometimes known as diwata in certain ethnic groups (especially among Visayans).^[7]

Pag-anito is séance, a ritual where a shaman (called babaylan in Visayan or katalonan in Tagalog) serves as a medium to talk to dead ancestors and spirits of the dead. This ceremony is often part of a celebration or other rituals. If the ritual involves a nature spirit or deity, it is called Pag-diwata, which includes worship or offering sacrifices to deities and spirits.^[1][8][9]

The belief in anito are sometimes referred to as Anitism in scholarly literature (Spanish: anitismo or anitería)^[2] literally means veneration of the spirits of the dead.^[11][12][13]The word anitism or ancestor worship from the Hispano-Filipino form anitismo, though not in current usage, it was a precolonial Tagalog belief system, a continual invocation and adoration of the anitos, the souls or spirits of their ancestors. From its original meaning of "ancestral spirit".^[14]

The ancient Tagalogs believed in anitos, the spirits or souls of their ancestors. They honored and worshipped them in daily life especially the spirits of parents and grandparents who had passed away. These ancestor spirits were often represented by small idols kept in homes, sometimes made from gold and shaped like animals, such as crocodiles.^[15][16][17]Anitos weren’t only from the home. Some were believed to live in mountains, forests, and rice fields. These were often the souls of ancient warriors or previous inhabitants of the land. The Tagalogs believed that these spirits could protect or harm, so they treated them with respect.^{[15][16][18][19]}Unlike other nearby cultures that worshipped many gods and spirits without making idols, the Tagalogs made physical representations only for certain anitos mainly those connected to the household. Different regions and tribes had their own names for these spirits. While Tagalogs called them anito, others used names like nitu, aitu, or hantu. This shows how widespread and deeply rooted the belief in ancestor spirits was across Southeast Asia.^{[15][16][20][21]}