Yoruba Twins

         There was a time in ancient Yoruba when newborn twins were looked down on, rejected, and eve sacrificed to the gods.  Now it is considered that twins are a blessing of good fortune among a family.  Many other societies in Africa keep the ancient belief.  Yoruba has among the highest rates of the birthing of twins in the world.  The twin birthrate is between 4.5% and 5%.  There is no real explanation on why the birthrate on twins is so high.  Some say the intake of yams is the reason.  There is no scientific evidence to back up this theory.  The birth of a set of twins is a time to be celebrated in Yoruba.  The whole town will have a feast when a new set of twins are born.  When twins are born they are widely known and respected among the tribe.  It is believed that twins have the power to bring upon health and happiness to their family, but also have the power to bring upon distress and destruction.

The first twin that is born is considered the younger child among the two. Whether the child is male or female this child is called Taiwo. Taiwo means “having the first taste of the world”. Taiwo is the curious one between the two. He is considered the younger child because his older sibling gives the order for Taiwo to see what it looks like outside the womb. When the child makes it outside, he cries to let his older sibling know that it is ok to come out. The older sibling is named Kehinde. Kehinde is believed to be more cautious and intelligent. Three days after the child is born, the Ifa priest visits and drives out any evil spirits that may harm the children. He then educates the mother on how she should raise her child. This includes the color of clothing or jewelry the child wears or cannot wear, the food in which the child is able to eat, and which animals the child should steer clear from. The mother will reluctantly follow this order for she wants the gods to be pleased with her child and the family in which this child was blessed unto. The Ifa priest has the power to tell the parents to let one of the twins to starve to death if the child is possessed by a demon that he cannot exorcise out of the body. The priest has a lot of power when it comes to twins. It is believed that each child share one soul. If one twin dies at a young age the balance of the soul that the twins share is thrown off or disturbed. The death rate of children is very high in Africa. A ritual is carried out on account of this. They must put the soul back into balance. The Ifa priest chooses a well established carver to use his artistic ability to create a small figure that symbolizes the dead child. The carver is free to create a figure of the twin in his own image of what he felt about the twin. If each twin dies, then two figures are made. The sole is transported into the figures. These figures are called Ere Ibeji. Ibi means born, eji means born, and ere means sacred image. The figure remains as respected and as powerful as the flesh version. The parents of these children must treat the child as if it were real. The child is bathed, fed, clothed just as they would be in life. The figure is especially special to the mother. The mother keeps the figure close to her bed. The mother oils the figure with red wood powder which maintains the look of slickness, and caresses the figure in a loving matter. Rituals and prayers are performed on account of the child’s birthday or other celebrations or festivals. The head of the figure is symbolizes as the child’s destiny. It is the size of the head is one third the size of the body because the head measures the success or failure of the child. This is one thing the carver does not have power over in creating the figure. The head must be big in proportion to the rest of the body. The figure is very detailed, but only symbolizes the child and does not show the likeness of the current state of the child before it died. It is more related to the resemblance of a human being. The child is shown as an adult. The features of the child are more mature. The figure may have full sized breasts and scarifications on the face if the child were female. The child is never shown as a child in the figure unless an association with an adult is shown. One example of this would be a mother holding a child. The surface of the figure is very smooth. The figure is motionless to represent discipline and serenity. This shows the figure as quiet and confident. The figure sometimes holds symbolic items on itself. Shells or beads may invoke a certain god. A figure without a face may hold the soul of a newborn. The faceless figure symbolizes the fact that the child had no chance to gain an identity of personality.