Anito
Anito refers to ancestor spirits, nature spirits, and deities in the Indigenous Philippine folk religions from the precolonial age to the present. 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.
↻ synthesized from 7 sources
When
- First attested
- 1500 BCE
- Attested period
- -1500 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Precolonial Philippines to present.
Relationships
- co occurs with
- ninunò, Patupaiarehe, Leprechaun, Korpokkur, Paupueo, Sihirtia, Vazimba, Nuku-mai-tore, Yama-dutas, Grim Reaper, Magwayen, Heibai Wuchang, Shiva as Tarakeshwara, Visnudutas, Daena, Taotao Mona, Trow, Huldufólk, Menehune, Saint Peter, Jesus, Samael, Azrael, Michael the Archangel, Amokye
- allied with
- Engkanto
- manifests as
- taotao
Mentioned by
Sources
Source passages
“When Spanish missionaries arrived in 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”
#7127 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“They are often associated with the spirits of ancestors and spirits of the dead called anito in the Philippines. They are also characterized as spirit sorts like sirens, dark beings, elves, and more. Belief in their existence has likely existed for centuries, and continues to this day.”
#7129 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Anito, similar supernatural beings in the Philippines”
#8529 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Patupaiarehe Menehune Taotao Mona Anito”
#8583 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“In the Philippines, spirit houses are dedicated to ceremonies or offerings involving the anito spirits.”
#10472 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001