The Legend of Anito
Anito also called Engkantada
(female) or Engkanto (male) are fairies, nymphs, goddesses or enchanted persons
who are believed to guard natural creations such as forests, seas, mountains,
land and air. Anitos are said to reside in large trees, such as acacia and
balete and in anthills or termite mounds (punso) including mountains,
waterfalls, tree groves, reefs, and caves. They are the guardian spirits of
nature, bringing blessings or curses upon those who do good or harm to the
forests and mountains and the material manifestation of their realms.
One famous anito is Maria
Makiling, guardian of Mount Makiling in Laguna province. Engkanto (sometimes
spelled Encanto) is an umbrella term for most supernatural beings. The common
connotation is that they are fairies who reside primarily in the forests and
the sea. They can also be called encantado (male) or encantada (female). Maria
Makiling is a fairy who dwells atop Laguna's Mount Makiling, an inactive
volcano. Oral tradition described that Mount Makiling was once a castle and
Maria Makiling was a princess who fell in love with a mortal.
Local Practices
To avoid inadvertently angering a
anito, Filipinos perform a customary gesture when passing by or through their
domain by "respectfully apologizing or asking permission for
passing". This is done by saying the phrases "tao po", "tabi
po" or "tabi" ("by your permission") when passing by a place
believed to be inhabited by a anito.
Anito 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,
Tagalog: hindi kagaya natin) or various names, like banwaanon or taga-banwa,
that translate to "dweller of the lake forest". They are also euphemistically referred to as
lamanglupa "dwellers of the bowels of the earth" or lamangdagat
"dwellers of the depths of the sea", literally depending on their
domain.
Local Beliefs
Anito 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. They are believed to be
capable of shapeshifting, becoming invisible, or creating visions or illusions.
Their powers, however, are limited to their particular domain. A anito 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.
Anito 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 the children of anito who seduced (or sometimes raped)
their mothers.
Anito 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 the spirit world. Certain
places are believed to be owned by anito or are borders to the spirit world.
These are normally avoided or only entered with precautions, especially during
twilight when anito are believed to cross over from the spirit world into the
material world. Harm or illness caused by anito are known as "buyag" in Visayan
and "usog" in Tagalog. People who were harmed by interactions with anito are
euphemistically described as having been "greeted" (Visayan: gibati,
Tagalog: nabati) or "played with" (Visayan gidulaan, Tagalog:
napaglaruan or nakatuwaan) by anito.
Characteristics of Anito
Common characteristics of anito
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 the world and "eat" by
means of smelling "vital force" or "breath" (ginhawa) of
human beings. Anito 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 or
no vertical indentation in the middle area of the upper lip. They are also said
to be annoyed by perfume, as well as salt and spices.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anito
