Libations (Itu mmai) is the act of prayerfully pouring drinks on the floor, grave, tree, to pay homage to our ancestors.
It could be just to honor them and not a supplication for them to attend a meeting to bear witness.
It is a sacred occasion, a sacrament, often done after breaking of kola nut but can still be done as a stand alone ritual.
Any liquid can be used but the typical choice, is palm wine and any transparent brewed alcohol. But with igbos migrating into other parts of the world and also growing in wealth, any drink can be used but if the libation, is being done as a ritual to invoke the ancestors, deities and God, to intervene, schnapps is the preferred liquid for the gods. Every adult male, is entitled to pour libation in his compound but when in a gathering with his clan, it is the oldest in the clan, that will pour libation to the Gods and the Ancestors.
It is not all ancestors that are called upon during libation.
IMG_0101Libation, restores the balance of energy between us and our ancestors us. Pouring libation opens the door for our ancestors to be receptive to our prayers and cause blessings and favors to locate us from the spiritual realm. It also empowers them to remove any obstacles on our way placed by any aggrieved ancestor. During libation, if you do not know all your ancestors, you mention the ones you know and ask them to pacify others.
The following “ancestors” are not mentioned in the chant;
1.Murderers.
2.Those who committed taboo before their death.
