ancestor spirit; ancestral soul
General term for the spirit of a deceased ancestor, often venerated in ancestor worship.
A festival to honor the ancestor spirits is held every year.
collective ancestral spirit
In Japanese folk belief, the merged spirits of ancestors who have lost individual identity over time. Often associated with Obon and household altars.
During Obon, it is believed that the collective ancestral spirits return home.
ancestral shrine; shrine for ancestor worship
Compound of 祖 (ancestor) and 霊 (spirit). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is conventionally associated with ancestor veneration in Japanese religious contexts.