Anito
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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 hav
Various Igorot bulul depicting ancestor spirits (c. 1900)
Taotao carvings sold in a souvenir shop in Siquijor Island
The Neolithic Manunggul burial jar from the Tabon Caves, Palawan, depicts a soul and a psychopomp journeying to the spirit world in a boat (c. 890–710 BCE)
Manang carved images of household guardian spirits from the Mandaya people
Indigenous Philippine folk religions, collectively referred to as Anitism, are the distinct native religions of various ethnic groups in the Philippines, where most follow belief systems in line with
The Agusan image (900–950) discovered in 1917 on the banks of the Wawa River, Agusan del Sur in Mindanao in the Philippines. Although it contains Hindu and Buddhist elements, locals regard it as a vessel for local deities. It is currently under the colonial possession of the Field Museum, despite countless requests by locals to return the Image back home.
15th century Ifugao bulul with a pamahan (ceremonial bowl). Adherents of the folk religions believe that gods presiding over crops reside within their bululs. This bulul is currently under the colonial possession of the Louvre.
One of the many Limestone tombs of Kamhantik (890–1030 AD), where ancestors were buried and sealed by sarcophagi. Locals believe that the tombs were also created by forest deities, as per tradition. In the early 20th century, the sacred site was looted and defiled by American colonizers. All of the sarcophagi seals were stolen in the process.
A Hiligaynon woman depicting a babaylan (Visayan shaman) during a festival. According to Spanish records, the majority of precolonial shamans were women, while the minority were bakla, effeminate men. Both were highly respected, on par with the datu or local ruler. Due to Spanish colonization, many of the islands' shamans were brutalized in the name of Christianity, misogyny, and racism.[failed verification]