Yesterday was our twin granddaughters birthday. Over the past few years, I’ve talked a lot about twins — there’s something about them that just seems very special. And it turns out that I’m not the only one that thinks there’s something special about twins….
Twins account for only about 3% of natural births, but throughout history they’ve had a big impact on human culture. Twins have been worshiped as gods and persecuted as witches. Artists, writers, philosophers and even scientists have obsessed over these dual-beings — twins have left their mark on everything from ancient myths to modern genetics. They’ve often been referred to as double-trouble or twice as nice. Some of my extensive research revealed that twins have been an obsession for a long, long time.
In the ancient world, twins were often thought to embody the dualistic nature of the universe and the battle between good and evil. In Greek mythology, the twin gods Apollo and Artemis governed the sun and moon. And maybe the most famous pair, Romulus and Remus — the twin brothers who were raised by a shed-wolf and went on to found the Roman state.
If you’ve been to China, or just visited a Chinese restaurant, you’ve probably seen the “laughing twins” — these twins are Taoist immortals who have come to symbolize harmony and joy. Their origin is somewhat of a mystery, but they may have been actual historical figures. The “double-motif” is popular throughout China. The “Double Happiness” symbol is everywhere and prominently displayed at special occasions.
I spent some time in West Africa and while I was there, the daughter of one of the Embassy officials (who was studying African history) told me that the birthrate in that area was around four times the world average and that twins played a particularly powerful role in many of those cultures. The Yoruba people of Nigeria call twins “spirit children,” and believe that thet have an unusual closeness to the supernatural world and can bring good or evil to their families. Among the Yoruba ethnic group, one in 11 people is a twin. In ancient times, the Yoruba viewed twins with suspicion, and sometimes sacrificed them. But today, twins are considered lucky. I also uncovered an interesting fact — the Yoruba consider the firstborn to be the younger of the two. They believe that the “senior” twin sent the younger one out first to scout the world.
So twins continue to be a little “mysterious,” and I think that’s a good thing. But I think most people have come to realize, as we have with Rory and Ellie, that they may look the same, but when you’re around them you begin to see them as unique individuals.
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