The Social Significance of Libation in Modern Society

Abstract

In traditional African religion, worship is incomplete without the pouring of libations. The practise is one of the techniques through which believers achieve union with the Supreme Being. Through libation prayer, the people praise God, make their petitions, and show appreciation for their health. Sadly, some individuals misinterpret the practise as “heathen,” “pagan,” “primitive,” and “worship of dead people and man-made artefacts.” This work examines the theological and philosophical foundations of libation prayer among the Efik culture in Nigeria. Through unstructured, in-depth interviews, respondents provided the necessary information for the research, which led to the generation of data. In addition to interviews, firsthand observations were conducted at traditional festivals, funerals, naming rituals, and other activities requiring the pouring of libations. It was discovered that the relationship between the living and their deceased relatives could not be severed. They valued the importance of ancestors in their lives; consequently, they poured libations at various occasions to spiritually connect with their deceased relatives. They do so to beg for their blessings on the event and the activities’ success. The research finds that modernization and the entrance of foreign culture and religion among the people have contributed to the misunderstandings held by certain individuals about the African traditional religious practises in the traditional territory of the Efik tribe.