Feature Article of Saturday, 10 March 2012
Libation, the ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a god or spirit or in memory of those who have died is performed or made not poured, this is according to Wikipedia.
The Ghana News Agency research finding on the multilingual, web-based, free-content encyclopedia (Wikipedia) at the weekend showed the term “libation” meant pouring, therefore an addition of the verb form of “pour” made the expression needlessly repetitious, erroneous or tautologous.
The ritual act, which had become quite common in many religions of antiquity, is being practiced in various cultures today including Ghana. Various substances have been used for libations with the commonest being water, wine or olive oil and typically Schnapps, an imported distilled alcohol, in Ghana.
To adherents of the traditional belief, performing libation is a concept that unites the ancestors to the living especially at state functions.
Until recent times, the state religious act had been a subject of heated argument and debate with some calling for its total abolishment whiles others who disagree are of the opinion that the traditional form of prayer must be recognized at state functions.
As the debate over the matter rages on, it is instructive to learn that the traditional religious act is performed or made but no poured.