LIBATION BEARERS Meaning and
Definition
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Libation Bearers is a term derived from Greek tragedy, particularly from the play Oresteia, written by the ancient playwright Aeschylus. In Greek, the term "libation bearers" is translated as "Choephoroi". The play is the second installment in the Oresteia trilogy, which includes Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, and Eumenides.
The term "libation bearers" refers to the female characters in the play, mainly the sisters Electra and Chrysothemis. These characters are depicted as bearing offerings or libations, usually of wine or water, to the tombs of their ancestors, particularly their father Agamemnon, who was brutally murdered by their mother Clytemnestra. The libations are symbolic expressions of grief, remembrance, and prayers for vengeance.
The Libation Bearers focuses on the theme of revenge and justice as Electra and Orestes, their brother, plot and carry out their plan to avenge their father's murder by killing Clytemnestra and her lover, Aegisthus. The play also explores the struggle between personal desires, family responsibilities, and the laws of the gods.
The term "libation bearers" is often used to refer more broadly to female mourners or participants in ancient Greek rituals who offer libations, prayers, and sacrifices to honor and remember the deceased, seeking to maintain a connection with the ancestors and the divine world.
Overall, "libation bearers" denotes those who honor the dead through offerings, while also representing the conflicted desires and actions of the characters in the tragedy.
Etymology of LIBATION BEARERS
The word "libation bearers" is derived from Greek.
The term "libation" comes from the Greek word "leibein", which means "to pour". In ancient Greece and other cultures, libations were offerings of liquid, usually wine, poured out as a form of ritualistic honoring of gods or deceased ancestors.
The term "bearers" refers to the individuals responsible for carrying or pouring the libation. In ancient Greece, this task was often assigned to specially chosen attendants or servants who were called "bearers" because they carried the vessels containing the libations.
Therefore, "libation bearers" originally referred to those who performed the act of pouring or offering libations in religious or ceremonial contexts. In broader terms, the term has been adopted to refer to rituals, plays, or literary works that involve the pouring or offering of libations, often associated with mourning or remembrance of deceased individuals.
