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119-617: Anito , also spelled anitu , refers to ancestor spirits , nature spirits , and deities 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. It can also refer to carved humanoid figures, the taotao , made of wood, stone, or ivory, that represent these spirits. Anito (a term predominantly used in Luzon)

238-686: A cemetery with many companions and early caliphs. Many other mausoleums are major architectural, political, and cultural sites, including the National Mausoleum in Pakistan and the Taj Mahal in India. However, the religious movement of Wahhabism disputes the concept of saint veneration. Followers of this movement have destroyed many gravesite shrines, including in Saudi Arabia and in territory controlled by

357-563: A diwata , Filipinos perform a customary pasintabi sa nuno ("respectfully apologizing or asking permission from ancestors for passing"). This is done by saying the phrases " tao po " ("a human [is passing], elder), " tabi po " or " tabi apo " ("by your permission, elder") when passing by a place believed to be inhabited by a diwata . Diwata are also believed to be able to mate with humans. People born with congenital disorders (like albinism or syndactyly ) or display unusual beauty or behavior are commonly believed by local superstition to be

476-413: A spiritual cockfight . Ancestor veneration is one of the most unifying aspects of Vietnamese culture , as practically all Vietnamese have an ancestor altar in their home or business. In Vietnam, traditionally people did not celebrate birthdays (before Western influence), but the death anniversary of one's loved one was always an important occasion. Besides an essential gathering of family members for

595-425: A séance . Because of their special relationship with their companion spirits, shamans can act as mediums for other anito , allowing spirits to temporarily possess their bodies. This possession happens after the shaman goes into a trance-like state. This allows the spirit to communicate verbally with the participants as well as physically act out events in the spirit world. At the moment of possession, shamans display

714-402: A 'self'. In the animistic indigenous religions of the precolonial Philippines , ancestor spirits were one of the two major types of spirits ( anito ) with whom shamans communicate. Ancestor spirits were known as umalagad (lit. "guardian" or "caretaker"). They can be the spirits of actual ancestors or generalized guardian spirits of a family. Ancient Filipinos believed that upon death,

833-429: A banquet in memory of the deceased, incense sticks are burned along with hell notes , and great platters of food are made as offerings on the ancestor altar, which usually has pictures or plaques with the names of the deceased. In the case of missing persons, believed to be dead by their family, a Wind tomb is made. These offerings and practices are done frequently during important traditional or religious celebrations,

952-660: A better name, usually lasts seven or eight days; and when it is finished they take the idols and put them in the corners of the house, and keep them there without showing them any reverence. Regardless, very old taotao handed down through generations are prized as family heirlooms. Among the Igorot, pieces of taotao may also be chipped off and boiled into a medicinal tea. Taotao were commonly kept in corners or small shelves inside houses or granaries. Spanish missionaries recorded that taotao were present in every Filipino household, no matter how poor. When Spanish missionaries arrived in

1071-477: A change in behavior and voice. They can sometimes go into seizures and become violent enough that restraints are required. The ritual ends when the spirit leaves and the shaman is awakened. Spirits were invited into the ritual through offerings and sacrifices during and after the ceremonies. These depended on what spirit was being summoned, but offerings are usually a small portion of the harvests, cooked food, wine, gold ornaments, and betel nut . Blood from an animal

1190-435: A dead person is called a Pitr , which is venerated. When a person dies, the family observes a thirteen-day mourning period, generally called śrāddha . A year thence, they observe the ritual of tarpana , in which the family makes offerings to the deceased. During these rituals, the family prepares the food items that the deceased liked and offers food to the deceased. They offer this food to crows as well on certain days as it

1309-425: A divine being. In other cultures, the purpose of ancestor veneration is not to ask for favors but to do one's filial duty. Some cultures believe that their ancestors actually need to be provided for by their descendants, and their practices include offerings of food and other provisions. Others do not believe that the ancestors are even aware of what their descendants do for them, but that the expression of filial piety

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1428-487: A festive atmosphere. Residents of surrounding villages are often invited to attend the party, where food and rum are typically served and a hiragasy troupe or other musical entertainment is commonly present. Veneration of ancestors is also demonstrated through adherence to fady , taboos that are respected during and after the lifetime of the person who establishes them. It is widely believed that by showing respect for ancestors in these ways, they may intervene on behalf of

1547-579: A form of ancestor worship called kule aradhane. In Indonesia ancestor worship has been a tradition of some of the indigenous people. Podom of the Toba Batak , Waruga of the Minahasans and the coffins of the Karo people (Indonesia) are a few examples of the forms the veneration takes. Before the introduction of Buddhism to Japan, ancestor worship and funerary rites were not common, especially for non-elites. In

1666-633: A grave site is visited, a small pebble is placed on the headstone . While there is no clear answer as to why, this custom of leaving pebbles may date back to biblical days when individuals were buried under piles of stones. Today, they are left as tokens that people have been there to visit and to remember. Americans of various religions and cultures may build a shrine in their home dedicated to loved ones who have died, with pictures of their ancestors, flowers and mementos. Increasingly, many roadside shrines may be seen for deceased relatives who died in car accidents or were killed on that spot, sometimes financed by

1785-464: A particular inanimate object, plant, animal, or place, to deities who personify abstract concepts and natural phenomena, to deities who are part of an actual pantheon . They are also known as dewatu , divata , duwata , ruwata , dewa , dwata , diya , etc., in various Philippine languages (including Tagalog diwa , "spirit" or "essence"); all of which are derived from Sanskrit devata (देवता) or devá (देव), meaning "deity". These names are

1904-472: A person on special days such as death day of person, event anniversaries, festivals, auspicious days in Kartika, Shravana or Bhadrapada months of Hindu calendar . These memorials are washed with milk and water on these days. They are smeared with sindoor or kumkuma and flowers are scattered over it. The earthen lamp is lighted near it with sesame oil. Sometimes a flag is erected over it. Tuluvas practice

2023-493: A place". Among Tagalogs, non-human nature spirits are also euphemistically referred to as lamanglupa ("[dwellers of] the bowels of the earth") or lamangdagat ("[dwellers of] the depths of the sea"), depending on their domain. Diwata exist in both the material world and the spirit world. They can be formless or have a material body. They can also take over a body through spirit possession (Visayan: hola , hulak , tagdug , or saob ; Tagalog: sanib ), an ability essential for

2142-507: A religious sacrifice to a spirit is also sometimes simply referred to as anito . The belief in anito are sometimes referred to as Anitism in scholarly literature (Spanish: anitismo or anitería ). Pre-colonial Filipinos were animistic . They believed that everything has a spirit, from rocks and trees to animals and humans to natural phenomena . These spirits are collectively known as anito , derived from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qanitu and Proto-Austronesian *qaNiCu ("spirit of

2261-411: A rule, however, diwata are not usually depicted as taotao or by any man-made representations. Taotao were not intrinsically sacred. They were representations of the spirits, not the actual spirits themselves. They only became sacred during their use in a pag-anito ritual. Without the spirit they represent, they are treated as mundane carved pieces of wood or sculpted stone. The anonymous author of

2380-788: A small house (but with no walls), to shrines that look similar to pagodas , especially in the south where early mosques were also modeled in the same way. These shrines were known in various indigenous terms, which depend on the ethnic group association. They can also be used as places to store taotao and caskets of ancestors. Among Bicolanos, taotao were also kept inside sacred caves called moog . During certain ceremonies, anito are venerated through temporary altars near sacred places. These were called latangan or lantayan in Visayan and dambana or lambana in Tagalog. These bamboo or rattan altars are identical in basic construction throughout most of

2499-439: A soul. In other cultures, tattoos illuminate and guide the spirits during the journey to the afterlife. Souls in the spirit world still retain a degree of influence in the material world, and vice versa. Pag-anito may be used to invoke good ancestor spirits for protection, intercession ( kalara or kalda ), or advice. Ancestor spirits that become intercessors with deities are known as pintakasi or pitulon . Vengeful spirits of

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2618-499: A specific diwata who become their spirit guides . This was presumed to happen after they pass the initiation rites of an older shaman they were apprenticed to (usually a relative). In some cases, some shamans acquire their status after they recover from a serious illness or a bout of insanity. In most Filipino ethnic groups, shamans were almost always female. The few males who gain shaman status were usually asog or bayok , feminized men. Major pag-anito rituals are centered around

2737-531: A year by the royal family, during the Burmese New Year ( Thingyan ), at the beginning and at the end of Vassa . The images were stored in the treasury and worshiped at the Zetawunzaung ( ဇေတဝန်ဆောင် , "Hall of Ancestors"), along with a book of odes. Some scholars attribute the disappearance of ancestor worship to the influence of Buddhist doctrines of anicca and anatta , impermanence and rejection of

2856-517: Is a time when many Cambodians pay their respects to deceased relatives of up to seven generations. Monks chant the suttas in Pali language overnight (continuously, without sleeping) in prelude to the gates of hell opening, an event that is presumed to occur once a year, and is linked to the cosmology of King Yama originating in the Pali Canon . During this period, the gates of hell are opened and ghosts of

2975-560: Is also common practice among veterans to memorialize fallen service members on the dates of their death. This practice is also common in other countries when remembering Americans who died in battles to liberate their towns in the World Wars . One example of this is on 16 August (1944) Colonel Griffith , died of wounds from enemy action sustained in Lèves , the same day he is credited with saving Chartres Cathedral from destruction. In Judaism, when

3094-426: Is also sometimes known as diwata in certain ethnic groups (especially among Visayans ). Pag-anito refers to a séance , often accompanied by other rituals or celebrations, in which a shaman ( Visayan : babaylan , Tagalog : katalonan ) acts as a medium to communicate directly with the spirits. When a nature spirit or deity is specifically involved, the ritual is called pagdiwata . The act of worship or

3213-442: Is another form of psychopomp work. In Filipino culture , ancestral spirits ( anito ) function as psychopomps. When the dying call out to specific dead persons (e.g. parents, partners), the spirits of the latter are supposedly visible to the former. The spirits, who traditionally wait at the foot of the death-bed, retrieve ( Tagalog : sundô ) the soul soon after death and escort it into the after-life. In Akan religion , Amokye

3332-484: Is believed that the soul comes in the form of a bird to taste it. They are also obliged to offer śrāddha , a small feast of specific preparations, to eligible Brahmins . Only after these rituals are the family members allowed to eat. It is believed that this reminds the ancestors's spirits that they are not forgotten and are loved, so it brings them peace. On śrāddha days, people pray that the souls of ancestors be appeased, forget any animosity and find peace. Each year, on

3451-628: Is common for volunteers to place small American flags at each grave. Memorial Day is traditionally observed on the last Monday in May, allotting for a 3-day weekend in which many memorial services and parades take place not only across the country, but in 26 American cemeteries on foreign soil (in France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Panama, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, and Tunisia). It

3570-410: Is great respect or reverence caused by the dignity, wisdom, or dedication of a person. Although there is no generally accepted theory concerning the origins of ancestor veneration, this social phenomenon appears in some form in all human cultures documented so far. David-Barrett and Carney claim that ancestor veneration might have served a group coordination role during human evolution , and thus it

3689-616: Is illustrated vividly in the story of Ajamila . In many beliefs, a spirit being taken to the underworld is violently ripped from its body. In the Persian tradition, Daena , the Zoroastrian self-guide, appears as a beautiful young maiden to those who deserve to cross the Chinvat Bridge or a hideous old hag to those who do not. The polytheistic concept of a specific deity of death is rejected by Abrahamic monotheism, which regards God as

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3808-515: Is largely confined to some ethnic minority communities, but mainstream remnants of it still exist, such as worship of Bo Bo Gyi (literally "great grandfather"), as well as of other guardian spirits such as nats , all of which may be vestiges of historic ancestor worship. Ancestor worship was present in the royal court in pre-colonial Burma. During the Konbaung dynasty , solid gold images of deceased kings and their consorts were worshipped three times

3927-561: Is marked by the recounting of ghost stories , bonfires , wearing costumes , carving jack-o'-lanterns , and " trick-or-treating " (going door to door and begging for candy). In Cornwall and Wales , the autumn ancestor festivals occur around November 1. In Cornwall the festival is known as Kalan Gwav , and in Wales as Calan Gaeaf . Modern-day Halloween is derived from these festivals. During Samhain , November 1 in Ireland and Scotland,

4046-457: Is the woman who fishes souls out of the river and welcomes them to Asamando, the Akan realm of the dead. A deceased person is buried with amoasie (loincloths), jewelry and beads which they then pay to Amokye for admitting them to Asamando. Many mythologies and superstitions simply have a personification of death as psychopomp. Such personifications frequently present death as a reaper, even ascribing it

4165-541: Is thought to originate from the Sanskrit devata (deity). Similarly, the term Anito—widely understood today as referring to ancestor spirits or spirits of the dead—may have derived from the proto-Malayo-Polynesian qanitu and proto-Austronesian qanicu, both of which mean ancestral spirits. Ancestor spirit In European , Asian , Oceanian , African and Afro-diasporic cultures (which includes but should be distinguished from multiple cultures and Indigenous populations in

4284-632: Is what is important. Most cultures who practice ancestor veneration do not call it "ancestor worship". In English, the word worship usually but not always refers to the reverent love and devotion accorded a deity (god) or God . However, in other cultures, this act of worship does not confer any belief that the departed ancestors have become some kind of deity. Rather, the act is a way to express filial duty, devotion and respect and look after ancestors in their afterlives as well as seek their guidance for their living descendants. In this regard, many cultures and religions have similar practices. Some may visit

4403-700: The Anglican Church in England ), November 1 ( All Saints' Day ), became known and is still known as the day to specifically venerate those who have died, and who have been deemed official saints by the Church. November 2, ( All Souls Day ), or "The Day of the Dead", is the day when all of the faithful dead are remembered. On that day, families go to cemeteries to light candles for their dead relatives, leave them flowers, and often to picnic. They also celebrate Suffrage Masses to shorten

4522-514: The Catholic Church , one's local parish church often offers prayers for the dead on their death anniversary or All Souls' Day. In the United States, Memorial Day is a Federal holiday for remembering the deceased men and women who served in the nation's military, particularly those who died in war or during active service. In the 147 National Cemeteries , like Arlington and Gettysburg , it

4641-521: The Celtic nations and the diaspora . Lights in the window to guide the dead home are left burning all night. On the Isle of Man the festival is known as "old Sauin" or Hop-tu-Naa . In the United States and Canada, flowers, wreaths, grave decorations and sometimes candles, food, small pebbles, or items the dead valued in life are put on graves year-round as a way to honor the dead. These traditions originate in

4760-641: The Cordillerans ; tonong among the Maguindanao and Maranao ; umboh among the Sama-Bajau ; ninunò among Tagalogs ; and nono among Bicolanos . Ancestor spirits are usually represented by carved figures called taotao . These were carved by the community upon a person's death. Every household had a taotao stored in a shelf in the corner of the house. The predominantly Roman Catholic Filipino people still hold ancestors in particular esteem—though without

4879-549: The Igorot ; tonong among the Maguindanao and Maranao ; umboh among the Sama-Bajau ; nunò or umalagad among Tagalogs and Visayans; nonò among Bicolanos; umagad or umayad among the Manobo ; and tiladmanin among the Tagbanwa . Spirits that have never been human are differentiated in some ethnic groups as diwata . These spirits can range from simple spirits like the diwata of

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4998-729: The Islamic State . Psychopomp Psychopomps (from the Greek word ψυχοπομπός , psychopompós , literally meaning the 'guide of souls') are creatures, spirits , angels , demons , or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls from Earth to the afterlife. Their role is not to judge the deceased, but simply to guide them. Appearing frequently on funerary art , psychopomps have been depicted at different times and in different cultures as anthropomorphic entities , horses, deer, dogs, whip-poor-wills , ravens, crows, vultures, owls, sparrows, and cuckoos. In

5117-459: The anniversary of a family member's death is called charye (차례). It is still practised today. The majority of Catholics, Buddhists and nonbelievers practise ancestral rites, although Protestants do not. The Catholic ban on ancestral rituals was lifted in 1939, when the Catholic Church formally recognised ancestral rites as a civil practice. Ancestral rites are typically divided into three categories: Ancestor worship in modern-day Myanmar

5236-561: The family lineage . Ancestor veneration occurs in societies with every degree of social, political, and technological complexity, and it remains an important component of various religious practices in modern times. Ancestor reverence is not the same as the worship of a deity or deities. In some Afro-diasporic cultures, ancestors are seen as being able to intercede on behalf of the living, often as messengers between humans and God. As spirits who were once human themselves, they are seen as being better able to understand human needs than would

5355-446: The pag-anito ceremony is for a diwata , the ritual is known as pagdiwata (also magdiwata or diwatahan ). Minor pag-anito rituals like praying for better weather or banishing minor ill luck can be performed by any householder. However, major pag-anito rituals required the services of the community shaman (Visayan babaylan or baylan ; Tagalog katalonan or manganito ). These shamans were believed to have been "chosen" by

5474-507: The pupil of the eye (e.g. Tagalog ali kmata and Hiligaynon kali mutaw ), and so on. Anitism was not a religion about worship. Aside from good ancestor spirits and the few benevolent diwata , most anito were feared, not venerated. To an ordinary person, diwata were regarded as dangerous beings to be avoided or appeased. When interaction was necessary, they performed a ritual known as pag-anito (also mag-anito or anitohan ). These are usually directed at ancestor spirits. When

5593-428: The razana (ancestors). The veneration of ancestors has led to the widespread tradition of tomb building, as well as the highlands practice of the famadihana , whereby a deceased family member's remains may be exhumed to be periodically re-wrapped in fresh silk shrouds before being replaced in the tomb. The famadihana is an occasion to celebrate the beloved ancestor's memory, reunite with family and community, and enjoy

5712-697: The séances in pag-anito . They are believed to be capable of shapeshifting ( baliw or baylo ), becoming invisible, or creating visions or illusions ( anino or landung , lit. "shadow"). Their powers, however, are limited to their particular domain. A diwata of a forest, for instance, has no dominion over the sea. Most are generally benevolent or capriciously neutral, although they can cause misfortunes and illnesses if angered, disrespected, or mistakenly encountered. Other common characteristics of diwata are that they are perceived as an invisible "cold" presence (in contrast to "warm" human spirits); that they leave no footprints (unlike human spirits); and that they sense

5831-592: The "bound" spirits, these spirits can be invited into human households, and their rituals can take place both outdoors and indoors. The last is a class of malevolent spirits or demons, as well as supernatural beings, generally collectively known as aswang , yawa , or mangalos (also mangalok , mangangalek , or magalos ) among Tagalogs and Visayans. There are numerous kinds of aswang with specific abilities, behavior, or appearance. Examples include sigbin , wakwak , tiyanak , and manananggal . The first two categories of diwata can also be malevolent, what sets

5950-516: The "unbound" spirits which have independent existence. They appear in animal (usually as birds) or human-like forms, have gender differentiation, and have personal names. They are most similar to the fairies of European folklore. These are the most common types of spirits to become abyan ( spirit guides of babaylan ), as they are the most "sociable" and can take interest in human activities. These spirits are usually referred to as engkanto (from Spanish encanto ) in modern Filipino folklore. Unlike

6069-399: The 1572 Relación de la conquista de la isla de Luzón describes pag-anito rituals of the Tagalog people as such: When any chief is ill, he invites his kindred and orders a great meal to be prepared, consisting of fish, meat, and wine. When the guests are all assembled and the feast set forth in a few plates on the ground inside the house, they seat themselves also on the ground to eat. In

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6188-533: The All Souls' Day period. In Sri Lanka, making offerings to one's ancestors is conducted on the sixth day after death as a part of traditional Sri Lankan funeral rites. In rural northern Thailand , a religious ceremony honoring ancestral spirits known as Faun Phii ( Thai : ฟ้อนผี , lit. "spirit dance" or "ghost dance") takes place. It includes offerings for ancestors with spirit mediums sword fighting, spirit-possessed dancing, and spirit mediums cock fighting in

6307-510: The Americas who were never influenced by the African Diaspora), the goal of ancestor veneration is to ensure the ancestors' continued well-being and positive disposition towards the living, and sometimes to ask for special favours or assistance. The social or non-religious function of ancestor veneration is to cultivate kinship values, such as filial piety , family loyalty, and continuity of

6426-639: The Heian Period, abandonment was a common method of disposing of the dead. Following the advent of Buddhism, rituals were sometimes performed at the gravesite after burial or cremation. In Korea , ancestor veneration is referred to by the generic term jerye ( Korean :  제례 ; Hanja :  祭 禮 ) or jesa ( 제사 ; 祭 祀 ). Notable examples of jerye include Munmyo jerye and Jongmyo jerye , which are performed periodically each year for venerated Neo-Confucian scholars and kings of ancient times, respectively. The ceremony held on

6545-536: The Ilocano, Igorot, and Sambal ); and flowerpeckers ( pitpit , ichaw , ido , or labeg among the Igorot). Certain animals (in addition to omen birds) are also believed to be manifestations of spirits, and there were taboos when interacting with them or speaking about them as their connections to the spirit world make them innately dangerous. This belief was universal among early Austronesian animism, existing not only in

6664-536: The Philippines, but also among the Taiwanese indigenous peoples , other Islander Southeast Asians, and Pacific Islanders . When spoken of, these spirit creatures are marked with a prefix, reconstructed as proto-Austronesian *qali- or *kali-, which still survive fossilized in modern languages in Austronesian cultures, though the beliefs may have long been forgotten. Only very specific creatures were regarded in this way,

6783-568: The Philippines, the word " anito " came to be associated with these physical representations of spirits that featured prominently in pag-anito rituals. During the American rule of the Philippines (1898–1946) , the meaning of the Spanish word idolo ("a thing worshiped") was further conflated with the English word " idol ". Thus in the modern Filipino language , anito has come to refer almost exclusively to

6902-451: The Philippines, these nature spirits are usually called jinn or saitan , due to the influence of Islamic mythology . Ancestor spirits were usually represented by carved figures. These were known as taotao ("little human", also taotaohan , latawo , tinatao , or tatao ), bata-bata ("little child"), ladaw ("image" or "likeness"; also laraw , ladawang , lagdong , or larawan ), or likha ("creation"; also likhak ) in most of

7021-719: The Philippines. Other names include bulul (also bulol or bul-ul ) among the Ifugao ; tinagtaggu (also tinattaggu ) among the Kankanaey and Tuwali Ifugao; lablabbon among the Itneg ; manaug among the Lumad ; and tagno among Bicolanos . Among Tagalogs, taotao were also sometimes referred to as lambana ("altar" or "sacred place"), after the location in which they are usually kept. Taotao were usually austere roughly-carved figures made from wood, stone, or ivory. Some taoatao encountered by

7140-845: The Philippines. They were either small roof-less platforms or standing poles split at the tip (similar to a tiki torch ). They held halved coconut shells, metal plates, or martaban jars as receptacles for offerings. Taotao may sometimes also be placed on these platforms. Other types of sacred places or objects of worship of diwata include the material manifestation of their realms. The most widely venerated were balete trees (also called nonok , nunuk , nonoc , etc.) and anthills or termite mounds ( punso ). Other examples include mountains, waterfalls, tree groves, reefs, and caves. Some animals like crocodiles , snakes, monitor lizards , tokay geckos , and various birds were also venerated as servants or manifestations of diwata , or as powerful spirits themselves. These include legendary creatures like

7259-606: The Spanish were made from precious metals or ornamented with gold and jewelry, but these were very rare. Taotao were almost always depicted in the squatting position with the arms crossed over the knees, which is reminiscent of the fetal position , the everyday conversing posture, and the position bodies are arranged during death among Ancient Filipinos. Some figures, however, are depicted standing or doing everyday activities like dancing, pounding rice, or nursing infants. Most taotao represent an actual deceased person, usually carved by

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7378-420: The age at death, or the conduct of the person when they were alive. There was no concept of heaven or hell prior to the introduction of Christianity and Islam ; rather, the spirit world is usually depicted as an otherworld that exists alongside the material world. Souls reunite with deceased relatives in the spirit world and lead normal lives in the spirit world as they did in the material world. In some cases,

7497-430: The carved taotao figures, instead of the actual spirits themselves. Ancient Filipinos and Filipinos who continue to adhere to the Indigenous Philippine folk religions generally do not have so-called "temples" of worship under the context known to foreign cultures. However, they do have sacred shrines , which are also called as spirit houses . They can range in size from small roofed platforms, to structures similar to

7616-947: The case of birds, these are often seen in huge masses, waiting outside the home of the dying. Classical examples of a psychopomp are the ancient Egyptian god Anubis , the deity Pushan in Hinduism , the Greek ferryman Charon , the goddess Hecate , and god Hermes , the Roman god Mercury , the Norse Valkyries , the Aztec Xolotl , the Slavic goddess Morana and the Etruscan Vanth . Heibai Wuchang , literally "Black and White Impermanence", are two deities in Chinese folk religion in charge of escorting

7735-432: The ceremonies. In China , ancestor veneration (敬祖, pinyin : jìngzǔ ) and ancestor worship (拜祖, pinyin : bàizǔ ) seek to honour and recollect the actions of the deceased; they represent the ultimate homage to the dead. The importance of paying respect to parents (and elders) lies with the fact that all physical bodily aspects of one's being were created by one's parents, who continued to tend to one's well-being until one

7854-463: The children of diwata who seduced (or sometimes raped) their mothers. During the Spanish period, diwata were syncretized with elves and fairies in European mythology and folklore, and were given names like duende (goblin or dwarf), encantador or encanto (" spell [caster]"), hechicero ("sorcerer"), sirena (" mermaid "), or maligno ("evil [spirit]"). In Islamized ethnic groups of

7973-505: The community upon their funeral. As such, there can be hundreds of taotao in a single village, some of them centuries old. In very rare cases, diwata can be depicted as taotao in anthropomorphic form, as chimeras or legendary creatures , or as animals . These include a special class of figures called hipag among the Igorot which depict war deities, as well as kinabigat (carved houseposts) and hogang (carved tree fern posts used as boundary markers and as wards against harm). As

8092-418: The continent. Furthermore, the large Indian population in places such as Fiji and Guyana has resulted in these practices spreading beyond their Asian homeland. The Ahom religion is based on ancestor-worship. The Ahoms believe that a person after his death remains as ‘Dam’(ancestor) only for a few days and soon he becomes ‘Phi’ (God). They also believe that the soul of a person which is immortal unites with

8211-477: The dead and the loving duty toward one's ancestors ( pietas ) were fundamental aspects of ancient Roman culture. A clear manifestation of this is Roman Republican era portrait busts which may have originated in the practice of making death masks of ancestors which were displayed in the home and during funerary rites and on the anniversary of the ancestor’s death. In Catholic countries in Europe (continued later with

8330-442: The dead ( preta ) are presumed to be especially active. In order to combat this, food-offerings are made to benefit them, some of these ghosts having the opportunity to end their period of purgation, whereas others are imagined to leave hell temporarily, to then return to endure more suffering; without much explanation, relatives who are not in hell (who are in heaven or otherwise reincarnated) are also generally imagined to benefit from

8449-408: The dead are thought to return to the world of the living, and offerings of food and light are left for them. On the festival day, ancient people would extinguish the hearth fires in their homes, participate in a community bonfire festival, and then carry a flame home from the communal fire and use it to light their home fires anew. This custom has continued to some extent into modern times, in both

8568-402: The dead can manifest as apparitions or ghosts ( mantiw ) and cause harm to living people. Pag-anito can be used to appease or banish them. Ancestor spirits also figured prominently during illness or death, as they were believed to be the ones who call the soul to the spirit world, guide the soul (a psychopomp ), or meet the soul upon arrival. Ancestor spirits are also known as kalading among

8687-403: The dead can manifest as apparitions or ghosts ( mantiw ) and cause harm to living people. Paganito can be used to appease or banish them. Ancestor spirits also figured prominently during illness or death, as they were believed to be the ones who call the soul to the underworld, guide the soul (a psychopomp ), or meet the soul upon arrival. Ancestor spirits are also known as kalading among

8806-496: The dead finds its greatest expression in the Philippines is the Hallowmas season between 31 October and 2 November, variously called Undás (based on the word for "[the] first", the Spanish andas or possibly honra ), Todos los Santos (literally " All Saints "), and sometimes Áraw ng mga Patáy (lit. "Day of the Dead"), which refers to the following solemnity of All Souls' Day . Filipinos traditionally observe this day by visiting

8925-569: The dead"). Cognates in other Austronesian cultures include the Micronesian aniti , Malaysian and Indonesian hantu or antu , Nage nitu , and Polynesian atua and aitu . As well as Tao anito , Taivoan alid , Seediq and Atayal utux , Bunun hanitu or hanidu , and Tsou hicu among Taiwanese aborigines . Anito can be divided into two main categories: the ancestor spirits ( ninunò ), and deities and nature spirits ( diwata ). The ninunò (lit. "ancestor") can be

9044-726: The dead, is celebrated by the Ahom people on 31 January every year in memory of the departed. It is the manifestation of the concept of ancestor worship that the Ahoms share with other peoples originating from the Tai-Shan stock. It is a festival to show respect to the departed ancestors and remember their contribution to society. On the day of Me-Dam Me Phi worship is offered only to Chaufi and Dam Chaufi because they are regarded as gods of heaven. At Rakhigarhi , an Indus Valley civilization (IVC) site in Haryana ,

9163-478: The dead, or blessings. Different ethnic groups had different diwata pantheons and rituals associated with them, though sometimes deities are shared in neighboring ethnic groups. Moreover, different communities also each have their own local patron diwata. Historical accounts of anito in Spanish records include the following: The modern Filipino understanding of diwata encompasses meanings such as muse, fairy, nymph, dryad, or even deity (god or goddess). The word

9282-516: The dead, which one academic referred to as "ghost riders". A ghost who came to possess a person would be honored with a dedicated grave monument or sanctuary, where locals would make offerings and swear oaths. Those who swore false oaths may be punished by the ghost in residence. This ghost was considered both powerful and something for others to fear. These ghosts are not necessarily saints (in fact, those who hold these beliefs believe very holy persons never possess others in this way, as they are always in

9401-605: The deceased in the Spring , Autumn , and Ghost Festivals . Due to the hardships of the late 19th- and 20th-century China, when meat and poultry were difficult to come by, sumptuous feasts are still offered in some Asian countries as a practice to the spirits or ancestors. However, in the orthodox Taoist and Buddhist rituals, only vegetarian food would suffice. For those with deceased in the afterlife or hell , elaborate or even creative offerings, such as servants , refrigerators , houses , car , paper money and shoes are provided so that

9520-444: The deceased will be able to have these items after they have died. Often, paper versions of these objects are burned for the same purpose. Originally, real-life objects were buried with the dead. In time these goods were replaced by full size clay models which in turn were replaced by scale models, and in time today's paper offerings (including paper servants). Ancestors are widely revered, honoured, and venerated in India. The spirit of

9639-432: The diverse cultural backgrounds of the current populations of both countries. In the United States, many people honor deceased loved ones who were in the military on Memorial Day . Days with religious and spiritual significance like Easter , Christmas , Candlemas , and All Souls' Day , Day of the Dead , or Samhain are also times when relatives and friends of the deceased may gather at the graves of their loved ones. In

9758-617: The dragon or serpent Bakunawa , the giant bird Minokawa of the Bagobo, and the colorful Sarimanok of the Maranao. Omen birds were particularly important. The most common omen birds were doves with green or blue iridescent feathers called limokon (usually the common emerald dove , imperial pigeons , or brown doves ). Other omen birds include fairy-bluebirds ( tigmamanukan , balan tikis , balatiti , or bathala among Tagalogs; and batala among Kapampangans ); kingfishers ( salaksak among

9877-635: The environmental or nature spirits "bound" to a particular location or natural phenomenon (similar to genii loci ). They "own" places and concepts like agricultural fields, forests, cliffs, seas, winds, lightning, or realms in the spirit world. Some were also "keepers" or totems of various animals and plants. They have inhuman and abstract qualities, reflecting their particular dominions. They do not normally appear in human form and are usually gender-less or androgynous. They rarely concern themselves with human affairs. Rituals involving these spirits are almost always conducted outdoors. The second type of spirits are

9996-608: The family dead, cleaning and repairing their tombs. Common offerings are prayers, flowers, candles, and even food, while many also spend the remainder of the day and ensuing night holding reunions at the graveyard, playing games and music or singing. Chinese Filipinos , meanwhile, have the most apparent and distinct customs related to ancestor veneration, carried over from traditional Chinese religion and most often melded with their current Catholic faith. Many still burn incense and kim at family tombs and before photos at home, while they incorporate Chinese practises into Masses held during

10115-414: The form of poe divination , or to confirm whether the ancestors consent on the messages requested by the divinator. In traditional Chinese culture, sacrifices are sometimes made to altars as food for the deceased. This falls under the modes of communication with the Chinese spiritual world concepts . Some of the veneration includes visiting the deceased at their graves, and making or buying offerings for

10234-414: The formality common to their neighbours—despite having been Christianised since coming into contact with Spanish missionaries in 1521. In the present day, ancestor veneration is expressed in having photographs of the dead by the home altar, a common fixture in many Filipino Christian homes. Candles are often kept burning before the photographs, which are sometimes decorated with garlands of fresh sampaguita ,

10353-606: The grass or wind (e.g. Ilocano ari nggunay and Kankanaey ali kadong ), hair whorls (e.g. Cebuano ali mpulu and Hanunóo ari pudwan ), mountain summits (e.g. Bikol ali tuktok and Aklanon ali pungto ), dizziness or fainting (e.g. Cebuano ali pulung , Pangasinan ali moreng , and Kankanaey ali tengteng ), confusion or forgetting (e.g. Kapampangan kali ngwan and Bikol ali walas ), thick smoke or steam (e.g. Ilocano ali ngasaw and Tagalog ali muóm ), loud [annoying] noises (e.g. Cebuano ali ngasaw and Ifugao ali dogdog ),

10472-470: The graves of their parents or other ancestors, leave flowers and pray to them in order to honor and remember them, while also asking their ancestors to continue to look after them. However, this would not be considered as worshipping them since the term worship may not always convey such meaning in the exclusive and narrow context of certain Western European Christian traditions. In that sense

10591-651: The later adopted religions of Christianity (as in Nigeria among the Igbo people ), and Islam (among the different Mandé peoples and the Bamum and the Bakossi people) in much of the continent. In orthodox Serer religion , the pangool is venerated by the Serer people . The Seereer people of Senegal, The Gambia and Mauritania who adhere to the tenets of A ƭat Roog (Seereer religion) believe in

10710-442: The living. Conversely, misfortunes are often attributed to ancestors whose memory or wishes have been neglected. The sacrifice of zebu is a traditional method used to appease or honor the ancestors. Small, everyday gestures of respect include throwing the first capful of a newly opened bottle of rum into the northeast corner of the room to give the ancestors their due share. In Egypt, a form of adorcism entwined with veneration of

10829-413: The lover's skeletons of a man between 35 and 40 years old and women in early 20s were found who were likely married to each other and buried together, their grave contained pots which likely carried food and water as offering to the dead. The Paliya memorial stones are associated with ancestral worship in western India. These memorials are worshipped by people of associated community or descendants of

10948-489: The midst of the feast (called manganito or baylán in their tongue), they put the idol called Batala and certain aged women who are considered as priestesses, and some aged Indians—neither more nor less. They offer the idol some of the food which they are eating, and call upon him in their tongue, praying to him for the health of the sick man for whom the feast is held. The natives of these islands have no altars nor temples whatsoever. This manganito, or drunken revel, to give it

11067-1089: The most prominent being butterflies which are still widely associated with ghosts. The animals in this category include the following: The category also includes numerous plants, many of which are or were used in shamanic or medicinal applications, including Lepisanthes rubiginosa (Tagalog kali mayo ), Ticanto crista (Tagalog kalu mbibit ), Tabernaemontana pandacaqui (Aklanon ali butbut ), Excoecaria agallocha (Aklanon ali pata ), Musa acuminata (Tagalog ali nsanay ), Diospyros pilosanthera (Tagalog ali ntataw ), Basella rubra (Tagalog alu gbati ), and nettles (Hanunóo ali ngatngat and Isneg ala latang ), among many others. The prefix also extended to terms for actual spirits, like Tagalog kalu luwa ("soul"), Isneg Kala pataw (a totemic spirit of birds), Kankanaey ala dunáxan (a spirit who makes babies cry at night to disturb their parents' sleep), and Maranao ali mekat (a water spirit); as well as natural phenomena and other concepts believed to have direct ties to

11186-428: The national flower. Ancestors, particularly dead parents, are still regarded as psychopomps, as a dying person is said to be brought to the afterlife ( Tagalog : sundô , "fetch") by the spirits of dead relatives. It is said that when the dying call out the names of deceased loved ones, they can see the spirits of those particular people waiting at the foot of the deathbed. Filipino Catholic and Aglipayan veneration of

11305-607: The only master of death and life. However, archangel Samael can be regarded as the Jewish psychopomp, whose role in Talmudic and post-Talmudic theology is as the Angel of death. In Christianity, Saint Peter , Michael the Archangel and Jesus are thought of as psychopomps either as leading the dead to heaven or, as in the case of Peter, allowing them through the gates. In Islam , Azrael plays

11424-605: The particular date (as per the Hindu calendar ) when the person had died, the family members repeat this ritual. This period falls just before the Navaratri or Durga Puja falling in the month of Ashvin . Mahalaya marks the end of the fortnight-long tarpana to the ancestors. Indian and Chinese practices of ancestor-worship are prevalent throughout Asia as a result of the large Indian and Chinese populations in countries such as Singapore , Malaysia , Indonesia , and elsewhere across

11543-463: The phrase ancestor veneration may but from the limited perspective of certain Western European Christian traditions, convey a more accurate sense of what practitioners, such as the Chinese and other Buddhist-influenced and Confucian-influenced societies, as well as the African and European cultures see themselves as doing. This is consistent with the meaning of the word veneration in English, that

11662-527: The presence of God), but like saints, they function as intermediaries with God. In some cases these may be family shrines, which are not frequented by outsiders, but some (usually older shrines) are frequented by many. When asking for aid from one of these spirits, one may often pledge an animal sacrifice upon aid being rendered, which is also done with saints. During Pchum Ben and the Cambodian New Year people make offerings to their ancestors. Pchum Ben

11781-720: The result of syncretization with Hindu - Buddhist beliefs due to the indirect cultural exchange (via Srivijaya and Majapahit ) between the Philippines and South Asia . However, what entities are considered diwata varies by ethnic group. In some ethnic groups like the B'laan , Cuyonon Visayans , and the Tagalog , Diwata refers to the supreme being in their pantheon, in which case there are different terms for non-human spirits. Like in ancestor spirits, diwata are referred to in polite kinship titles when addressed directly, like apo ("elder") or nuno ("grandparent"). There are three general types of non-human spirits. The first are

11900-422: The role of the angel of death who carries the soul up to the heavens, acting by the permission of God. In many cultures, the shaman also fulfils the role of the psychopomp. This may include not only accompanying the soul of the dead, but also at birth to help introduce the newborn child's soul into the world. This also accounts for the contemporary title of "midwife to the dying" or " End of Life Doula ", which

12019-424: The soul of a person travels (usually by boat) to a spirit world . There can be multiple locations in the spirit world, varying in different ethnic groups. Which place souls end up in depends on how they died, the age at death, or conduct of the person when they were alive. Souls reunite with deceased relatives in the underworld and lead normal lives in the underworld as they did in the material world. In some cases,

12138-432: The souls of evil people undergo penance and cleansing before they are granted entrance into a particular spirit realm. Souls would eventually reincarnate after a period of time in the spirit world. Souls in the spirit world still retain a degree of influence in the material world, and vice versa. Paganito rituals may be used to invoke good ancestor spirits for protection, intercession, or advice. Vengeful spirits of

12257-454: The souls of evil people undergo penance and cleansing before they are granted entrance into a particular spirit realm. Souls would eventually reincarnate after a period of time in the spirit world. In some cultures (like among the Kalinga people ), the acceptance of a soul by ancestors into a certain realm in the spirit world requires tattoos ( batok ), by which they can gauge the worthiness of

12376-457: The spirit world, like echoes (e.g. Tagalog ali ngawngaw ), whirlpools or tornadoes (e.g. Tagalog ali mpuyó and Bikol ali púros ), storms (e.g. Kankanaey ali mbudádbud ), shadows (e.g. Kankanaey ala langaw ), [clouds of] dust (e.g. Tagalog ali kabok and Western Bukidnon Manobo eli yavuk ), sun or moon halos (e.g. Isneg ali bongbóng ), unease or restlessness (e.g. Tagalog ali suwag ), rustling of

12495-645: The spirit world. Certain places are believed to be owned by diwata or are borders to the spirit world. These are normally avoided or only entered with precautions, especially during twilight when diwata are believed to cross over from the spirit world into the material world. Harm or illness caused by diwata are known as buyag in Visayan and usog in Tagalog. People who were harmed by interactions with diwata are euphemistically described as having been "greeted" (Visayan: gibati , Tagalog: nabati ) or "played with" (Visayan gidulaan , Tagalog: napaglaruan or nakatuwaan ) by diwata . To avoid inadvertently angering

12614-463: The spirits of actual ancestors, cultural heroes, or generalized guardian spirits of a family. Pre-colonial Filipinos believed that upon death, the "free" soul (Visayan: kalag ; Tagalog: kaluluwa ) of a person travels to a spirit world , usually by voyaging across an ocean on a boat (a bangka or baloto ). There can be multiple locations in the spirit world, varying in different ethnic groups. Which place souls end up in depends on how they died,

12733-533: The spirits of the dead to the underworld. In Japanese mythology , the shinigami have been described as psychopomps. The form of Shiva as Tarakeshwara in Hinduism performs a similar role, although leading the soul to moksha rather than an after-life. Additionally, in the Bhagavata Purana , the Visnudutas and Yamadutas are also messengers for their respective masters, Vishnu and Yama . Their role

12852-498: The starting of a new business, or even when a family member needs guidance or counsel and is a hallmark of the emphasis Vietnamese culture places on filial duty. A significant distinguishing feature of Vietnamese ancestor veneration is that women have traditionally been allowed to participate and co-officiate ancestral rites, unlike in Chinese Confucian doctrine, which allows only male descendants to perform such rites. Care of

12971-635: The state or province as these markers serve as potent reminders to drive cautiously in hazardous areas. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is particularly known for the leaving of offerings to the deceased; items left are collected by the National Park Service and archived. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints perform posthumous baptisms and other rituals for their dead ancestors, along with those of other families. Native Americans were not heavily concerned with

13090-409: The supreme soul, possesses the qualities of a spiritual being and always blesses the family. So every Ahom family in order to worship the dead establish a pillar on the opposite side of the kitchen (Barghar) which is called ‘Damkhuta’ where they worship the dead with various offerings like homemade wine, mah-prasad, rice with various items of meat and fish. Me-Dam-Me-Phi, a ritual centred on commemorating

13209-527: The third category apart is that they can not be appealed to with offerings and they are utterly pitiless. Most practices associated with them is to ward them off, banish them, or destroy them. They are never addressed nor worshiped in religious rituals. Diwata are rarely spoken about openly for fear of attracting their attention. Instead they are referred to with euphemisms like "those unlike us" (Visayan: dili ingon nato ) or various names, like banwaanon or taga-banwa , that translate literally to "dweller of

13328-510: The time that souls need to leave Purgatory and the enter in Paradise . The evening before All Saints'—"All Hallows Eve" or "Hallowe'en"—is unofficially the Catholic day to remember the realities of Hell, to mourn the souls lost to evil, and to remember ways to avoid Hell . It is commonly celebrated in the United States and parts of the United Kingdom in a spirit of light-hearted horror and fear, which

13447-413: The veneration of the pangool (ancient Seereer saints and/or ancestral spirits). There are various types of pangool (singular: fangol ), each with its own means of veneration. Veneration of ancestors is prevalent throughout the island of Madagascar . Approximately half of the country's population of 20 million currently practice traditional religion, which tends to emphasize links between the living and

13566-446: The veneration of the dead, though they were known to bury the dead with clothes and tools as well as occasionally leave food and drink at the gravesite; Pueblo Indians supported a cult of the dead which worshipped or petitioned the dead through ritualistic dances. Islam has a complex and mixed view on the idea of grave shrines and ancestor worship. The graves of many early Islamic figures are holy sites for Muslims, including Ali , and

13685-422: The world and "eat" by means of smelling. Diwata who take human form are said to be pale-skinned and could be distinguished from humans by the absence of a philtrum on the upper lip. Diwata are often depicted as appearing to unsuspecting people in human or animal form, sometimes causing unintentional harm. They can also deliberately play tricks on mortals, like seducing or abducting beautiful men and women into

13804-494: Was also usually part of the offerings, poured directly on the taotao or in a bowl before them. These commonly come from chickens or pigs, but can also be from carabaos or dogs. Salt and spices are usually avoided, as they are believed to be distasteful to anito . There is no record of human sacrifices being offered to anito during the Spanish period of the Philippines, except among the Bagobo people in southern Mindanao where it

13923-447: Was on firm footing. The respect and homage to parents is to return this gracious deed to them in life and after. The shi (尸; "corpse, personator") was a Zhou dynasty (1045–256  BCE ) sacrificial representative of a dead relative. During a shi ceremony, the ancestral spirit supposedly would enter the personator, who would eat and drink sacrificial offerings and convey spiritual messages. Spiritual messages usually were conveyed in

14042-659: Was prevalent until the early 20th century. Another common pag-anito ritual throughout most of the Philippine ethnic groups involves the use of spirit boats. These were usually miniature boats laden with offerings set adrift from riverbanks and shorelines. Pag-anito can be conducted on its own or in conjunction with other rituals and celebrations. They can be personal or family rituals or seasonal community events. They can vary considerably between different ethnic groups. The most common pag-anito were entreaties for bountiful harvests, cures for illnesses, victory in battle, prayers for

14161-444: Was the mechanism that led to religious representation fostering group cohesion . Ancestor veneration is prevalent throughout Africa, and serves as the basis of many religions. It is often augmented by a belief in a supreme being, but prayers and/or sacrifices are usually offered to the ancestors who may ascend to becoming a kind of minor deities themselves. Ancestor veneration remains among many Africans, sometimes practiced alongside

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