5 November 2011

Spirit Houses

Cambodia is nominally and officially Buddhist, but there is a strong element of animism that still runs through the local culture.  Belief in various spirits is strong, and care is taken to appease and mollify the spirits so that they do not bring evil and suffering to people.  One instance where this is shown is in the custom of spirit houses, small shrines set up in front of any kind of building as a substitute home for the spirits of nature who were displaced when the humans put a building on that site.  Generally the spirit houses are made of concrete.  Some of them are tended by the families or shop owners.  Most suffer from benign neglect and inattention.

At a restaurant	At another restaurant
At a small shop	A shrine with an offering
At a construction materials shop	In a family's yard