Preserving Asian Mythology and Decolonizing Religion: How Retaining Ancestral Beliefs can be a Direct Opposition to Colonial Religious Conversion

Abstract

Ancestral beliefs and creation myths about the way the world was formed, to the deities and spirits that live among us, have long existed prior to the colonization of Filipino cultures. Religious conversion has historically been used along with colonization to erase those stories and eliminate ancestral traditions in order to form a monotheistic narrative. In focusing on the Philippines, the research illustrates how mythologies within the culture accepted a broad range of polytheistic beliefs, sexual fluidity, and gender nonconformity. By acknowledging and preserving these mythologies and ideologies, one’s identity may be shifted to acceptance and inclusivity of their longstanding presence, justified by ancestral beliefs while connecting spiritually to ancestors. In doing so, traditions and practices of cultural ancestors are upheld while directly opposing the effects of religious conversion through colonization by keeping these stories alive.