Since writing the post on building an anito house, we thought we needed to "introduce" anito!
Anito is the Tagalog term referring to ancestor spirits, nature spirits, and deities in the indigenous and precolonial societies of the Philippines. In the Visayas and Mindanao, they are known as diwata.
Precolonial Filipinos practiced similar belief systems as animism, which is the belief that spirits inhabit natural objects, places, and beings. These spirits, anito or diwata, were revered as guardians and intermediaries between the physical world and the spiritual realm. Anitism specifically refers to the worship of anito.
Possibly the most famous earth spirit is the dwende. These are small, dwarfish creatures that can bring luck to their favorite people or bring illness to those who trespass their home. Remember, when walking through the land, always say "tabi tabi, po!"
Similarly, there's the nuno sa punso or the old man on the mound. The more mischievous stories seem to be about these spirits. They are known for hiding things around the house and playing other games with nearby inhabitants.
Other earth spirits have other choices of homes. For the Ifugao, the Kalanget live in rice fields and farmland. The Gaddang call these creatures Karanget, and the Ibanag call them Karango.
The Ilocanos know of the ansisit, who live underground, in caves, or in anthills. They are angered by modern farming equipment because it may destroy their homes, and prefer the traditional method of farming using carabao.
These are just a handful of earth spirits. There are, of course, water spirits, forest spirits, and ancestor spirits. Then, there's the many deities throughout the Philippine archipelago - that deserves its own blog post or two!
Remember, anito can refer to ancestor spirits who we can call upon during a pag-anito (a ritual and offering), deities like Bathala (the supreme god and creator), and other nature spirits like the lampong protects wild animals.
People often offer prayers, food, and other tokens of respect to anito to ensure protection, prosperity, and harmony. The significance of anito highlights the spiritual heritage of the Philippines, where the natural and supernatural worlds are intimately connected.