Hanitu
"Hanitu" or "hanidu" is derived from Proto-Austronesian " The land contained spirits before human habitation, and governed hunting, agriculture, and inhabitation. There were human spirit mediums who communicated with these formless "hanitu". Objects, such as guns, had formless "hanitu". The "hanitu" of such objects were 'invited' by ritual to take lives of animals and people. It was believed a person could not force a gun to take a life, that it was the work of the "hanitu" of the gun. If the killing was not intentional, the shooter was not seen as guilty, rather the gun itself was evil, and would be buried. Human hanitu came from the father. There was a formless hanitu on each shoulder, as well as an "isang" or soul in the middle of the chest. The "isang" was unrelated to the parents. The Bunun believed that each person had two spirits, one good/amicable/communal ("masial") one bad/irritable/self-serving (), but the ultimate arbiter was the "isang"/soul, which grew stronger with maturity and taboo observance. These would leave after death, could act independently of the person's will, and could cause conflict or indecisiveness. The hanitu left the body during dreams and could communicate with other hanitu during dreams (incl. objects). "Hanitu" of ancestors depended upon how descendants treated them during life. Violent death could cause wandering spirits. These "hanitu" were fed but not worshiped. "Hanitu" with no set abode were malevolent spirits that have specific forms, and could produce objects such as bamboo needles to stab people and cause disease, or scare out the soul (isang) from a person, who would then die if the soul was gone too long. Qanasilis were giant spirits, Mamantainga were big-eared spirits with giant torsos who like to eat children. Spirit mediators could negotiate "palinanutu hanitu" with agitators to heal disease. "Hanitu" were believed to dwell in a homeland to the west, named "Lamungan" or "Mai-asang", to which they returned upon the death of an animate being.
Types of hanitu
It may refer to the spirit of any living creature as well as forms animate or not, such as land, rocks, plants, animals, and humans. All objects contained "hanitu". They believed bad souls brought illness.