Mar 11, 2020
Playa Conchal, Costa Rica
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Playa Conchal, Costa Rica
(Connected to Genius Loci ask) Well, I wanted to learn more about myths and stories they've appeared in and related myths from other cultures. And what they can and can't be the spirit of. Thank you!
Hello,
For anyone wondering, the previous ask this is in reference to can be found HERE.
The thing about genii in Roman culture was that they were so ubiquitous, their existence was almost taken for granted. Everything had a genii. Places, things, animals, people. Pointing it out as something noteworthy would almost be as strange as thinking it significant that a flashlight ran on batteries.
It’s actually a fairly universal concept. Shinto is centered on the worship of the spirit of certain places and things. It also includes the belief that after a certain period of time (usually 100 years) an animal or an object can gain sentience. For example, kasa-obake are old umbrellas that have one leg, one eye,a long tongue and hop around causing mischief. There are similar spirits for sandals, teapots, writing brushes, you name it.
Kitsune when referring to fox demons are foxes that have reached over 100 years of age and can use magic to do mischief with humans. Tanuki with similar powers are also common.
There is a similar idea in pre-Christian Slavic mythology. Leshiy inhabit and protect forests while Domovoi do the same for houses. They’re tricksters and displeasing them is dangerous; they may do something as harmless as hide your keys or one shoe or they may simply take you away never to be seen again. These aren’t the only two examples, there are spirits of fields and moors and even bathhouses.
Generally, all over the Philippines, indigenous people believed in ‘spirits’. These are not spirits in the sense that they possess only a soul and no body - they possess a body, sometimes wear clothes, can own property, do normal people stuff, albeit they are unseen and generally possess more power than human beings. Depending on where they are from, they can be called “anito” or sometimes “diwata” (however, sometimes the term diwata can extend to deity, or the gods of Philippine culture). For uniformity, I will call them anito in this section.
There are generally two kinds of anito: the first are nature spirits (innately part of the element), and spirits of dead Filipino ancestors. Parts of nature being controlled by these unseen beings might have entered the consciousness because parts of nature seem to be very “human”. The waves, for example, can look calm or sad and then in other times, full of anger like in a storm. The trees would moan when the wind passes at night. Fires devour. Things like that. Either way, the belief is that these “human like” anitos can be appeased with offerings.
The spirits of dead ancestors, on the other hand, are believed to linger in the nearby area after death. Those buried in caves will becomes spirits of the cave. Those whose bones are kept in homes live in those homes with their families (often times, they still retain a seat in the table as they are believed to possess a body, only an unseen one). After a while, the line between the two kinds of anito blur because the ancestors’ names are forgotten but the reverence for the spirit living in the area remains. Other times, the name is retained and they are not forgotten by the community even after generations and generations.
Sometimes, the reverence for these anito turns them into a something like a ‘pantheon of gods’. This is more common in more complex Filipino societies with a means to track down the names of these anitos. Their stories then become part of the Philippine mythology.
There are also huacas which can be conceivably anything but tend to be things such as mountains, waterfalls, or human-made shrines. They are spirits that inhabit these places or sometimes spirits which actually are that specific place. Huacas also had the power to call to people. This could lead to someone gaining superhuman powers or becoming a religious specialist/leader able to communicate with huacas in general. There was actually a hierarchy in powers and honor given to huacas, but this changed depending on region and time.
These are by no means the only mythologies this applies to, these are only the ones our members are knowledgeable about and a bit of searching would turn up many many more. So in answer to your last question, just about anything could have it’s own spirit, you’re only limited by your imagination as a writer.
-the Muses and the Chorus
El Taki Onqoy: Rebelión Espiritual y Resistencia Andina en el Virreinato del Perú
El Manuscrito de Huarochirí: Mitos y Creencias de la Cultura Quechua en los Andes Centrales
Explore the fascinating world of huacas, sacred spirits vital to the Incan culture, and their role in Andean religious practices.
Understanding Huacas: The Sacred Spirits of the Incas
These are spirits more than ghosts but I think that distinction gets lost in some of the definitions of huaca. It is Andean and Incan.
From the description:
Huacas, sacred spirits in the Incan world, are integral to Andean cultural and religious practices, influencing rituals and societal hierarchies. These entities, residing in various natural and manmade sites, require offerings to maintain cosmic balance. Despite colonial influences, huaca worship persists, adapting while continuing to shape contemporary Andean spiritual beliefs and cultural expressions.
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Parque de las Leyendas
Parque de las Leyendas
El Parque de las Leyendas situado en el Distrito de San Miguel en la ciudad de Lima, posee un jardín botánico, un museo del sitio y huacas que se encuentran al rededor del parque.
El nombre “Leyendas” viene de 10 leyendas incas y pre-incas que fueron ilustradas por Sabino Springett y colocadas en los muros en la entrada del parque.
El parque está dividido en 4 zonas: Costa, Selva, Sierra e…
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