Anito

Spirits

Pre-colonial Filipinos held animistic beliefs, seeing spirits in everything from rocks and trees to animals and natural phenomena. These spirits are collectively called anito, a term derived from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian qanitu and Proto-Austronesian qaNiCu, meaning "spirit of the dead." Cognates appear in other Austronesian cultures, including the Micronesian aniti, Malaysian and Indonesian hantu or antu, and Polynesian atua and aitu. Anito fall into two main categories: ancestor spirits (ninunò) and deities or nature spirits (diwata).

The ninunò may be actual ancestors, cultural heroes, or generalized guardian spirits of a family. Upon death, the "free" soul (kalag in Visayan, kaluluwa in Tagalog) travels to a spirit world, often by boat. The spirit world may have multiple locations, varying among ethnic groups; where a soul goes depends on how the person died, their age at death, or their conduct in life. There was no concept of heaven or hell before Christianity and Islam; the spirit world is an otherworld alongside the material world, where souls reunite with deceased relatives and lead normal lives.

Evil souls may undergo penance before entering a particular realm, and souls eventually reincarnate after a period. Among the Kalinga, tattoos (batok) help ancestors gauge a soul's worthiness for acceptance into a spirit realm.

Religious objects and places

Ancestor spirits were commonly represented by carved figures known as taotao ("little human"), also called bata-bata, ladaw, or likha in most of the Philippines. Other names include bulul among the Ifugao, tinagtaggu among the Kankanaey and Tuwali Ifugao, lablabbon among the Itneg, manaug among the Lumad, and tagno among Bicolanos. Among Tagalogs, taotao were sometimes referred to as lambana, after the altar or sacred place where they were kept. Taotao were usually austere, roughly carved from wood, stone, or ivory; some encountered by the Spanish were made from precious metals or ornamented with gold and jewelry, though these were very rare.

Figures were almost always depicted in a squatting position with arms crossed over the knees, reminiscent of the fetal position, everyday conversing posture, and the arrangement of bodies at death. Some figures show standing poses or activities like dancing, pounding rice, or nursing infants.

Most taotao represent a specific deceased person, carved by the community at their funeral; a single village could have hundreds, some centuries old. Diwata were rarely depicted as taotao, except in special classes like the hipag war deities among the Igorot, kinabigat carved houseposts, and hogang boundary markers. Taotao were not intrinsically sacred—they became sacred only during a pag-anito ritual.

Rituals and shamans

Anitism was not a religion centered on worship; most anito were feared rather than venerated, and diwata were regarded as dangerous beings to be avoided or appeased. When interaction was necessary, a ritual called pag-anito (or mag-anito, anitohan) was performed, usually directed at ancestor spirits. When the ceremony involved a diwata, it was known as pagdiwata (or magdiwata, diwatahan). Minor pag-anito rituals, such as praying for better weather or banishing minor ill luck, could be performed by any householder.

Major rituals required a community shaman (babaylan in Visayan, katalonan or manganito in Tagalog). Shamans were believed to be chosen by a specific diwata as a spirit guide, typically after passing initiation rites under an older shaman, often a relative. Some gained shaman status after recovering from a serious illness or insanity. In most Filipino ethnic groups, shamans were almost always female; the few males who became shamans were usually asog or bayok, feminized men.

Major pag-anito rituals centered on a séance where the shaman acted as a medium, allowing spirits to temporarily possess their body after entering a trance. Possession enabled the spirit to communicate verbally and act out events; shamans sometimes displayed changes in behavior and voice, and could go into seizures requiring restraints. The ritual ended when the spirit left and the shaman awakened. Offerings and sacrifices invited spirits, varying by the spirit summoned but typically including small portions of harvest, cooked food, wine, gold ornaments, and betel nut.

Animal blood from chickens, pigs, carabaos, or dogs was poured on the taotao or in a bowl before them. Salt and spices were usually avoided as distasteful to anito.

Historical accounts

Spanish records provide several accounts of anito. Francisco de Sande, in his 1576 Relacion de las Yslas Filipinas, noted that most natives were heathens who believed in their ancestors and commended themselves to them when embarking on any enterprise, asking for aid. Another account describes the religion of the Moros near Manila, who worshiped a deity called Batala, meaning "God," whom they believed created all things. They said Batala had many agents called anitos, each with a special office—some for the fields, some for sea journeys, some for war, and some for diseases.

People offered sacrifices to these anitos according to their office, summoning a catalonan (the same as the vaylan among the Pintados, a priest). The catalonan offered the sacrifice, requesting from the anito what the people desired, heaping up rice, meat, and fish. His invocations lasted until the demon entered his body, causing him to fall into a swoon, foaming at the mouth. The Indians sang, drank, and feasted until the catalonan came to himself and told them the anito's answer.

If the sacrifice was for a sick person, they offered golden chains and ornaments as a ransom for health. This invocation continued as long as the sickness lasted.

Did You Know?

• The term anito is cognate with the Polynesian atua and aitu, as well as the Taiwanese aboriginal utux, hanitu, and hicu.
• In the television series Encantadia and Mulawin, diwatas are depicted as a race of fairies living in a dimension beyond the human world.