Introduction
A libation is a prayer used in traditional Abraka society. Libations are done with eyes open to see what the ancestors have conveyed to the people. It is performed in significant event in Abraka kingdom, such as child birth, wedding, festival rituals; as a sacred communal custom, it helps to bind families and communities with everything that lives and everything that ever lived. It is also an act of remembrance to keep families linked to their hereditary legacy and to prevent them from going extinct in the society.
Libation and the Ovwuvwe festival
A libation is a prayer used in traditional Abraka society. Libations are done with eyes open to see what the ancestors have conveyed to the people. It is performed in significant event in Abraka kingdom, such as child birth, wedding, festival rituals; as a sacred communal custom, it helps to bind families and communities with everything that lives and everything that ever lived. It is also an act of remembrance to keep families linked to their hereditary legacy and to prevent them from going extinct in the society.
Libation and the Ovwuvwe festival
Like
the symbolic wine in Christian Holy Communion which signifies the blood of
Jesus, liquids are often used in Abraka libation prayers; some families may use water, as a symbol of the continuity of life, and some
may use palm wine. Other families may use gin, schnapps, or other alcoholic
beverages as a symbols of the
ancestral spirits.
There
is an order to follow when pouring libations that is strictly followed in
Abraka community. The libation closely follows the family ancestry and in many
cases, it is a narration of a couple’s links to each family member, living,
dead and unborn. Libations can be simple expressions of noble aspirations with
refrains of call and response. In Abraka society, every adult is expected to be
able to call up the appropriate words at appropriate moments. It may be
performed by the eldest family member or by a respected family member or
friend. Instruments such as bells (Agogo)
maybe used to accompany the officiant. Repetition helps to reinforce feelings
and the mood
A
libation is one of the most dramatic parts of Ovwuvwe festival celebration. It
is done at the ancestral shrines and at the kings (Ovie) palace. It is
meaningful and colourful, and offers a moment to reflect
on the importance of community. It is an important act of remembrance that
helps young people to reclaim their family tradition.
It invokes powerful emotions and feelings of
good wishes. It also offers a way to highlight both families’ ties to one
another. The libation can be a way of elevating the event and involving guests
and family members in a personal way. And for anyone who has lost a parent or
other family member, it can be a moment of emotional reconciliation and
celebration.
Like
prayer(s), libations begin with an invocation to invite everyone to participate. It is followed by an
introduction where ancestors, elders and family members are named. The prayer
asks God for good wishes. The conclusion ends the libation by thanking everyone
for participating. It also sends the spirits home. (Tonukare
Ochuko 2010).
