Ad
related to: filipino spiritual beliefs
Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
It resulted, however, in the formation of a folk religion: namely Filipino "Folk Catholicism," a syncretistic form of which still exists. Scott, in his seminal 1994 work Barangay: Sixteenth-century Philippine Culture and Society, notes that there are striking similarities between accounts from the 1500s vis a vis modern folk beliefs today.
Christianity is the predominant religion in the Philippines, [1] with the Catholic Church being its largest denomination. Sizeable minorities adhering to Islam, Dharmic religions (Buddhism and Hinduism), and indigenous Philippine folk religions (Anito or Anitism) are also present.
The various peoples of the Philippines spoke different languages and thus used different terms to describe their religious beliefs. While these beliefs can be treated as separate religions, scholars have noted that they follow a "common structural framework of ideas" which can be studied together. [3]
Anito is a collective name for the pre-Hispanic belief system in the Philippines. It is also used to refer to spirits, including the household deities, deceased ancestors, nature-spirits, nymphs and diwatas (minor gods and demi-gods). Ancient Filipinos kept statues to represent these spirits, ask guidance and protection.
Souls in Filipino cultures abound and differ per ethnic group in the Philippines. The concept of souls include both the souls of the living and the souls or ghosts of the dead. The concepts of souls in the Philippines is a notable traditional understanding that traces its origin from the sacred indigenous Philippine folk religions. [1]
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 diwa meaning spirit or essence [19] [2] [20] [21] The spirits of humans who died turns into an anito meaning spirit derived from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qanitu and Proto-Austronesian *qaNiCu ("spirit of the ...
Both involve important ideas about the supernatural or sacred for a community. Religion is broader, including beliefs, rituals, and moral rules, while mythology focuses on stories about gods and spirits. If a myth is separated from its religious context, it may lose its sacred meaning and become just a legend or folktale. [1] [2] [3]
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. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] However, they do have sacred shrines , which are also called as spirit houses . [ 2 ]