Libation
A libation is a ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a deity or spirit, or in memory of the dead. It was common in many religions of antiquity and continues to be offered in cultures today.
Various substances have been used for libations, most commonly wine or other alcoholic drinks, olive oil, honey, and in
In East Asia, pouring an offering of rice into a running stream symbolizes the detachment from
Etymology
The English word "libation" derives from the
Religious practice
Antiquity
Ancient Sumer
The
Ancient Egypt
Libation was part of
Milk libations for Osiris may have originated at Philae and spread southwards into Meroe.[9] It is also possible the reverse occurred; as milk libation was already known to Nubians, they may have introduced it to Philae.[10]
Ancient Greece
Libation (
The typical form of libation, spondȇ, is the ritualized pouring of wine from a jug or bowl held in the hand. The most common ritual was to pour the liquid from an
Libation generally accompanied prayer.[17] The Greeks stood when they prayed, either with their arms uplifted, or in the act of libation with the right arm extended to hold the phiale.[18] [19]
In conducting animal sacrifice, wine is poured onto the offering as part of its ritual slaughter and preparation, and then afterwards onto the ash and flames.[20] This scene is commonly depicted in Greek art, which also often shows sacrificers or the gods themselves holding the phiale.[21]
The Greek verb spéndō (σπένδω), "pour a libation", also "conclude a pact", derives from the
Libations poured onto the earth are meant for the dead and for the
The Libation Bearers is the English title of the center tragedy from the Orestes Trilogy of Aeschylus, in reference to the offerings Electra brings to the tomb of her dead father Agamemnon.[21] Sophocles gives one of the most detailed descriptions of libation in Greek literature in Oedipus at Colonus, performed as atonement in the grove of the Eumenides:
First, water is fetched from a freshly flowing spring; cauldrons which stand in the sanctuary are garlanded with wool and filled with water and honey; turning towards the east, the sacrificer tips the vessels towards the west; the olive branches which he has been holding in his hand he now strews on the ground at the place where the earth has drunk in the libation; and with a silent prayer he departs, not looking back.[25]
Hero of Alexandria described a mechanism for automating the process by using altar fires to force oil from the cups of two statues.[citation needed]
Ancient Rome
In
In Roman art, the libation is shown performed at a mensa (sacrificial meal table), or tripod. It was the simplest form of sacrifice, and could be a sufficient offering by itself.[29] The introductory rite (praefatio) to an animal sacrifice included an incense and wine libation onto a burning altar.[29][30] Both emperors and divinities are frequently depicted, especially on coins, pouring libations.[31] Scenes of libation commonly signify the quality of pietas, religious duty or reverence.[32]
The libation was part of
Milk was unusual as a libation at Rome, but was regularly offered to a few deities, particularly those of an archaic nature[35] or those for whom it was a natural complement, such as Rumina, a goddess of birth and childrearing who promoted the flow of breast milk, and Cunina, a tutelary of the cradle.[36] It was offered also to Mercurius Sobrius (the "sober" Mercury), whose cult is well attested in Roman Africa and may have been imported to the city of Rome by an African community.[37]
Ancient Judaism
Libations were part of ancient Judaism and are mentioned in the Bible:[38]
And Jacob set up a Pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a Pillar of Stone; and he poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it.
— Genesis 35:14
In
Libations of wine were offered at the Jersalem temple, and a double libation of wine and water was offered during Sukkot, possibly as a rain making ritual.[39]
Idolatrous libations were forbidden, along with the Torah's prohibitions on idolatrous sacrifice and worship generally.
Early Christianity
Libation is present and in Christianity appears in the New Testament and is the practice of Jesus and other biblical figures.[40]
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
— Luke 22:20
This phrasing in Luke refers to the act of libation as the new covenant, to the blood of Jesus to be poured out in death.
But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.
— Philippians 2:17
Libations were normally conducted in a spirit of peace, the Greek term for libation, σπονδή (spondȇ), became synonymous with "peace treaty".[41]
Africa
Libation was part of
In
Libation is also commonly recognized as the break within the famous performance of Agbekor, a ritual dance performed in West African cultures. It is also poured during traditional marriage ceremony, when a child is born and funeral ceremony. Traditional Festivals like Asafotu and Homowo of the Ga Adangbe people of Ghana and Togo. Also during installment of kings, queens, and chiefs, libation is poured.[citation needed]
As recently as the 1920s, it was a custom in Lower Nubia for women to go to the graves of relatives every Friday and pour a libation of water into a red bowl at the head of the grave.[42] For widows, it was also once a custom for them to pour a libation of milk on their husband's grave the second day after his death.[10]
Similarly, it has been Coptic tradition for women to visit graves and make water libations, both in intervals during the first 40 days after a death, and during a few annual occasions, such as Nayrouz.[43]
Americas
In the Quechua and Aymara cultures of the South American Andes, it is common to pour a small amount of one's beverage on the ground before drinking as an offering to the Pachamama, or Mother Earth. This especially holds true when drinking Chicha, an alcoholic beverage unique to this part of the world. The libation ritual is commonly called challa and is performed quite often, usually before meals and during celebrations. The sixteenth century writer Bernardino de Sahagún records the Aztec ceremony associated with drinking octli:
Libation was done in this manner: when octli was drunk, when they tasted the new octli, when someone had just made octli...he summoned people. He set it out in a vessel before the hearth, along with small cups for drinking. Before having anyone drink, he took up octli with a cup and then poured it before the hearth; he poured the octli in the four directions. And when he had poured the octli then everyone drank it.[44]
Asia
Hinduism
In
Burmese Buddhism
In
Then, the merit is distributed by the donors (called ahmya wei အမျှဝေ) by thrice saying the following:[47]
(To all those who can hear), we share our merits with all beings
(Kya kya thahmya), ahmya ahmya ahmya yu daw mu gya ba gon law''
((ကြားကြားသမျှ) အမျှ အမျှ အမျှ ယူတော်မူကြပါ ကုန်လော)
Afterward, in unison, the participants repeat thrice a declaration of affirmation: thadu (သာဓု, sadhu), Pali for "well done", akin to the Christian use of amen. Afterward, the libated water is poured on soil outside, to return the water to Vasudhara. The earth goddess Vasudhara is invoked to witness these meritorious deeds.[48]
Prior to colonial rule, the water libation ceremony was also performed during the crowning of Burmese kings, as part of procedures written in the Raza Thewaka Dipani Kyan, an 1849 text that outlines proper conduct of Burmese kings.[49][50]
Although the offering of water to Vasudhara may have pre-Buddhist roots, this ceremony is believed to have been started by King Bimbisara, who poured the libation of water, to share his merit with his ancestors who had become pretas.[51][52][53]
This ceremony is also practiced at the end of Thai and Laotian Buddhist rituals to transfer merit, where it is called kruat nam (กรวดน้ำ) and yaat nam respectively.[54]
-
Nepalese ewer for water oblations, 19th century
-
Bronze Chinese libation cup (Shang Dynasty, ca. 1210 BCE
-
Qing Dynasty, 1661–1722 CE
-
Sake offerings as omiki at Itsukushima Shrine, Japan, 2017
China
In Chinese customs, rice wine or tea is poured in front of an altar or tombstone horizontally from right to left with both hands as an offering to gods and in honour of deceased. The offering is usually placed on the altar for a while before being offered in libation. In more elaborate ceremonies honouring deities, the libation may be done over the burning paper offerings; whereas for the deceased, the wine is only poured onto the ground.
Japan
In Shinto, the practice of libation and the drink offered is called Miki (神酒), lit. "The Liquor of the Gods". At a ceremony at a Shinto shrine, it is usually done with sake, but at a household shrine, one may substitute fresh water which can be changed every morning. It is served in a white porcelain or metal cup without any decoration.
Among the Ainu, libations are offered by means of the ikupasuy, a carved wooden implement with a "tongue," the pointed end[55] from which millet beer or sake is dripped upon the venerated object.[56]
Siberian shamanism
Modern customs
In
In Russia and some parts of the Commonwealth of Independent States, there is a tradition of pouring vodka onto a grave, an act possibly connected with dziady custom. In Georgia, where wine plays a more culturally significant role, it is common to pour a glass of wine on graves, especially around Easter in commemoration of all deceased.
In the contemporary
In Rabbinic Judaism, drops of wine are taken from one's glass at the Passover Seder by pouring them out or dipping one's finger into the glass,[61] either 10 for each plague,[62] or 16; ten for the ten plagues, three for "Blood, Fire and Columns of Smoke", and three for "Detzach, Adash, B’achav".[63] Explanations vary, but the common one is regret that the freeing of the Jewish people came at the cost of many Egyptians suffering and dying, and out of respect to "not rejoice the downfall of an enemy". However, this is a more modern interpretation originally created by Rabbi Yirmiyahu Löw's grandfather, sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century, though with precedent from Sanhendrin 39b:5.[62]
See also
- Jingxiang – Ritual of offering incense accompanied by tea and/or fruits
- Oblation – Church offering
- Offering – Buddhist religious practice
- Ofrenda – Traditional home altar in Mexico
- Prasada – Religious food offered in Hinduism and Sikhism temples
- Religion and alcohol – Role of alcohol in several religions
- Religion and drugs – Attitude towards the use of drugs in several religions
- Sacred food as offering – Concept within anthropology
- Yajna – Ritual offering sacrifice in Hinduism
Notes
- ^ a b c d Adams & Mallory 1997, p. 351: From the same root derives the Latin verb spondeo, "promise, vow".
- ^ Choksi 2014; Barret 2007.
- ^ Choksi 2014; Black & Green 1992, p. 114; Nemet-Nejat 1998, p. 184.
- ^ a b Black & Green 1992, p. 58.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7618-6710-4.
- ^ a b Delia, 1992, pp. 181-190[full citation needed]
- ^ a b James, George G. M. (1954). Stolen Legacy. New York: Philosophical Library.
- ^ a b Armah, Ayi Kwei (2006). The Eloquence of the Scribes: a memoir on the sources and resources of African literature. Popenguine, Senegal: Per Ankh. p. 207.
- ^ Yellin, Janice W. "Abaton-style milk libation at Meroe" (PDF). Meroitic Studies.
- ^ doi:10.1086/705360.
- ^ Zaidman & Schmitt Pantel 1992, p. 28.
- ^ Burkert 1985, pp. 70, 73.
- ^ Hesiod, Works and Days 724–726.
- ^ Zaidman & Schmitt Pantel 1992, p. 39.
- ^ Zaidman & Schmitt Pantel 1992, p. 40; Burkert 1985, pp. 72–73.
- ^ Zaidman & Schmitt Pantel 1992, p. 40.
- ^ Burkert 1985, pp. 70–71.
- ^ Furley, William D. (2010). "Prayers and Hymns". A Companion to Greek Religion. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 127.
- ^ Bremmer, Jan N. (2010). "Greek Normative Animal Sacrifice". A Companion to Greek Religion. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 138.
- ^ Zaidman & Schmitt Pantel 1992, p. 36; Burkert 1985, p. 71.
- ^ a b c Burkert 1985, p. 71.
- ^ Burkert 1985, p. 70.
- ^ Gunnel Ekroth, "Heroes and Hero-Cult," in A Companion to Greek Religion, p. 107.
- ^ D. Felton, "The Dead," in A Companion to Greek Religion, p. 88.
- ^ Burkert 1985, p. 72.
- ^ Scheid 2007, p. 269.
- ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologies 6.19.32.
- ^ Robert Turcan, The Gods of Ancient Rome (Routledge, 2001; originally published in French 1998), p. 66.
- ^ a b Moede 2007, pp. 165, 168.
- ^ Nicole Belayche, "Religious Actors in Daily Life: Practices and Related Beliefs," in A Companion to Roman Religion, p. 280.
- ^ Jonathan Williams, "Religion and Roman Coins," in A Companion to Roman Religion, pp. 153–154.
- ^ Scheid 2007, p. 265.
- ^ Scheid 2007, pp. 270–271.
- ^ Nicola Denzey Lewis, entry on "Catacombs," The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome (Oxford University Press, 2010), vol. 1, p. 58; John R. Clarke, Art in the Lives of Ordinary Romans: Visual Representation and Non-elite Viewers in Italy, 100 B.C.–A.D. 315 (University of California Press, 2003), p. 197.
- ^ Such as Jupiter Latiaris and Pales.
- ^ Hendrik H.J. Brouwer, Bona Dea: The Sources and a Description of the Cult (Brill, 1989), pp. 328–329.
- Robert E.A. Palmer, Rome and Carthage at Peace (Franz Steiner, 1997), pp. 80–81, 86–88.
- ISBN 978-1-4982-3935-6. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- ^ "ניסוך המים a Sukkot Rain Making Ritual - TheTorah.com". www.thetorah.com. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "Bible Gateway passage: Matthew 26:7, Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20, Acts 2:33, Acts 10:45, Romans 5:5, Philippians 2:7, Philippians 2:17 - World English Bible". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- .
- JSTOR 3853589.
- ^ Naguib, Saphinaz-Amal (2008-04-18). "Survivals of Pharaonic Religious Practices in Contemporary Coptic Christianity". UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology. 1 (1).
- ISBN 9780806129099– via Google Books.
- ^ "Indian Hindu devotee performs "Tarpan"". Hindustan Times. Oct 2010. Archived from the original on 2014-12-15. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
- ISBN 978-1-56000-882-8.
- ^ a b ဝတ်ရွတ်စဉ် (PDF) (in Burmese). Austin, Texas: သီတဂူဗုဒ္ဓဝိဟာရ. 2011. pp. 34–35. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-18. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-520-04672-6.
- ^ "The AungZay Institute Inc. - Notes on Statecraft". Archived from the original on 2009-05-25. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Houtman, Gustaaf (1990). Traditions of Buddhist Practice in Burma. ILCAA. pp. 53–55.
- ^ "Archived copy". www.usamyanmar.net. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "The king performs merit in the name of his ancestors reborn as petas (hungry ghosts); the peta rejoice in the act and receive a share of the merit". Mahidol University. 2002. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ISBN 978-4-87698-454-1.
- ^ "British Museum - ceremonial equipment / ikupasuy". British Museum. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
- ^ "Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People". si.edu. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
- ^ Hoppál 2005, p. 15.
- ^ Eliade 2004, ch. 5, which discusses the symbolism of the shamanic drum and costume, in the subsection about the drum.
- ^ "Soy del Caribe - Edición No.23 - Reportaje | El Ron de Cuba, con su toque de siglos". Archived from the original on 2012-09-13. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "40ozMaltLiquor.com". Archived from the original on 2010-03-07. Retrieved 2010-07-27.
- ^ "Drops of Wine Poured Out at the Seder Mean the Opposite of What Most People Think". April 19, 2019.
- ^ a b "Spilling Wine While Reciting the Plagues to Diminish Our Joy? - TheTorah.com". www.thetorah.com. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ Shurpin, Yehuda. "Why Do We Spill Wine at the Seder?".
Works cited
- Adams, D. Q.; Mallory, J. P. (1997). "Libation". Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture. Taylor & Francis. p. 351.
- Barret, C. E. (2007). "Was dust their food and clay their bread?: Grave goods, the Mesopotamian afterlife, and the liminal role of Inana/Ištar". Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions. 7 (1). Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill: 7–65. ISSN 1569-2116.
- Black, Jeremy; Green, Anthony (1992). Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary. The British Museum Press. ISBN 0-7141-1705-6.
- ISBN 978-0-674-36281-9.
- Choksi, M. (2014). "Ancient Mesopotamian Beliefs in the Afterlife". World History Encyclopedia.
- ISBN 978-0-691-11942-7.
- Hoppál, Mihály (2005). Sámánok Eurázsiában [Shamans in Eurasia] (in Hungarian). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó. ISBN 963-05-8295-3.
- Moede, Katja (2007). "Reliefs, Public and Private". In Rüpke, Jörg (ed.). A Companion to Roman Religion. Blackwell. ISBN 978-1-78268-489-3.
- Nemet-Nejat, Karen Rhea (1998). Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Greenwood. ISBN 978-0-313-29497-6.
- ISBN 978-1-78268-489-3.
- Zaidman, Louise Bruit; Schmitt Pantel, Pauline (1992). Religion in the Ancient Greek City. Translated by Paul Cartledge. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-42357-1.
External links
- The dictionary definition of libation at Wiktionary
- Media related to Libations at Wikimedia Commons
- Exploring the Libation Ritual in Greek and Roman Myth
- Libation in Hellenismos