A libation is a ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a god or spirit or in memory of those who have died. It was common in many religions of antiquity and continues to be offered in various cultures today. Various substances have been used for libations, most commonly wine or olive oil , and in India , ghee . The vessels used in the ritual, including the patera , often had a significant form which differentiated them from secular vessels. The libation could be poured onto something of religious significance, such as an altar , or into the earth. Libation was part of ancient Egyptian society where it was a drink offering to honor and please the various divinities, sacred ancestors, humans present and not present, as well as the environment. [ 1 ] It is suggested that libation originated somewhere in the upper Nile Valley and spread out to other regions of Africa and the world. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] According to Ayi Kwei Armah , “[t]his legend explains the rise of a propitiatory custom found everywhere on the African continent: libation, the pouring of alcohol or other drinks as offerings to ancestors and divinities.” [ 4 ] Libation was a central and vital aspect of ancient Greek religion , and one of the simplest and most common forms of religious practice. [ 5 ] It is one of the basic religious acts that define piety in ancient Greece, dating back to the Bronze