Ancient religious philosophy. Animism is the belief that everything in nature – living and non-living – contains a spirit or soul. In ancient CHamoru society, the CHamorus held animism as a religious philosophy that supported the concept of the interconnectedness between people and nature.
Aniti is the ancient CHamoru word which meant spirit. In its contemporary use, it has evolved to mean evil spirit or demon though some people are using it again to mean spirit.
Taotaomo’na, the people of before, refers to ancestral spirits that inhabited the earth along with the living. Ancient Chamorros/CHamorus believed the world around them was full of spirits who provided both daily protection and assistance in their tasks, but also created dangers and problems.
Interpretive essay: Striving for harmony is the foundation to CHamoru culture. The phrase inafa’ maolek (pronounced e-na-fah mao-lek) describes the CHamoru concept of restoring harmony or order. The literal translation is ‘to make’ (inafa’) ‘good’ (maolek).
Inafa’maolek: Striving for Harmony Read Post »
