St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-28
THE ADVENT OF TWINS.
How Their Coming Is Regarded in
Different Countries.

Few things are more mysterious than
the undefnable sympathy which often
exists between two beings who came
into the world together, says a writer
in the London Standard. There can be
no doubt that this sympathy is real, and
not the effect of the Imagination, as
some have supposed. So far as is known
it does not always develop itself, and
and when it is present its cause is not
by any means understood. A very real
affection generally exists between
twins, and often seems to show itself in
the earliest days of infancy. 1t is no
uncommon thing for twin who has lost
his or her counterpart to pine away,
dropping gradually into the clutches of
the destroyer, who, in taking away the
other, has deprived life of its joy. But.
though intense fondness is no doubt to
a great extent the cause of such sad Oc
currences, the sympathy which twins
have for one another shows itself here.
With many savage races twins are
hurried out of the world Immediately
after they have entered it; others allow
them to live. but only under certain
conditions. In Western Africa, a little
below the equator, between 10 deg. and
12 deg. east longitude, live large tribe
called the 1shogo. They have many
peculiar customs, but none more so
than their treatment of twins and of
the mother who is so unfortunate as to
bear them. An idea seems to exist
with them that no woman ought to
produce more than a single child
at time, and they seek to
rectify the error by giving their
deities every chance of killing one Of
the children before they have arrived at
the age at which they are considered
able to take care of themselves. This
is held to be at about six years old;
once that age has been passed, it is
thought by these people that proper
balance between life and death has been
struck, and they do not deem any
further precautions necessary. Imme-
diately the birth of twins takes place,
the hut in which the event happened is
marked in some manner which will
render it readily distinguishable from
all others in the village.
Those who have read accounts of
African travel will probably remember
the unanimous testimony which eX-
plorers of the dark continent bear to
the extraordinary lOquacity of its ma
tives. Africans talk as they Breathe
unceaSingly-and yet the unfortunate
mother of twins is forbidden to ex-
change a single word with any but the
immediate members of her family. She
may 90 into the forest for fireWOOd and
perform the household work necessary
for the existence of herself and her
children, but it must be all done in
strict silence, unless she finds herself
near one of her close relatives. The
consequence of this peculiar custom is
that the Ishogo woman breads the adj
vent of twins more than anything, eX-
cept, perhaps, being childless; and
nothing irritates newly married wo-
man more than to tell her that she is
sure to become the mother of two chill
dren at birth.
When the six years of probation have
dragged out their weary length, a grand
ceremony is held to celebrate the re-
lease of the three captiveS, and their
admission to the society of their fellows.
AT daybreak all the village is aroused
by proclamation made in the princi-
pal street, and the mother and friend
take up their stand on either side Of
the door of the hut, having previously
Whitened their legs and faces. The
rest of the inhabitants of the place con-
gTegate round about and at given sig
nal the white-legged women march
away from the hut, followed by the
twins, the mother clasping her hands
and capering about, the friend beating
a luSty tattoo upon drum and singing
a song appropriate to the occasion.
After this procession has gone the round
of the village, there is general dance.
Then every one sits down to a great
feast. aud eating, drinking and dancing
are carried on for the rest of the day
and all through the night. As soon as
the next day dawns, all restrictions upon
the mother and her offspring are held
to be removed. This ceremony is
known as 'M'paZa," word which sig
mites both the twins and the rite by
irtue OF which they and their mother
are admitted to the companionship of
their kind.