erstitions_

In all the villages, or in other parts of the Filipinas Islands,
there are no temples consecrated to the performing of sacrifices,
the adoration of their idols, or the general practice of idolatry. It
is true that they have the name _simbahan_, which means a temple or
place of adoration; but this is because, formerly, when they wished to
celebrate a festival, which they called _pandot_, or "worship," they
celebrated it in the large house of a chief. There they constructed,
for the purpose of sheltering the assembled people, a temporary shed
on each side of the house, with a roof, called _sibi_, to protect the
people from the wet when it rained. They so constructed the house
that it might contain many people--dividing it, after the fashion
of ships, into three compartments. On the posts of the house they
set small lamps, called _sorihile_; in the center of the house they
placed one large lamp, adorned with leaves of the white palm, wrought
into many designs. They also brought together many drums, large and
small, which they beat successively while the feast lasted, which was
usually four days. During this time the whole barangay, or family,
united and joined in the worship which they call _nagaanitos_. The
house, for the above-mentioned period of time, was called a temple.

Among their many idols there was one called. Badhala, whom they
especially worshiped. The title seems to signify "all powerful,"
or "maker of all things." They also worshiped the sun, which, on
account of its beauty, is almost universally respected and honored by
heathens. They worshiped, too, the moon, especially when it was new,
at which time they held great rejoicings, adoring it and bidding it
welcome. Some of them also adored the stars, although they did not
know them by their names, as the Spaniards and other nations know the
planets--with the one exception of the morning star, which they called
Tala. They knew, too, the "seven little goats" [the Pleiades]--as
we call them--and, consequently, the change of seasons, which they
call Mapolon; and Balatic, which is our Greater Bear. They possessed
many idols called _lic-ha_, which were images with different shapes;
and at times they worshiped any little trifle, in which they adored,
as did the Romans, some particular dead man who was brave in war and
endowed with special faculties, to whom they commended themselves for
protection in their tribulations. They had another idol called Dian