noun
ancestral spirits
Refers to the spirits of one's ancestors, often in a religious or cultural context such as ancestor worship.
お盆には祖先の霊が帰ってくると言われている。
It is said that ancestral spirits return during Obon.
ご先祖様 is a polite, everyday term for ancestors, often used in family settings.
Compound of 祖先 (ancestor) + の (possessive particle) + 霊 (spirit).