Omaha daily bee., 1889-08-05
THE ADVENT OF TWINS.
How Their Coming Is Regarded in
Different Countries.

Few things are more mysterious than
the undeiinable sympathy which often
exists between two beings who came
into the world together, says writer in
the London Standard. There can be
no doubt that this sympathy is real, and
not the effect of imagination, as some
have supposed. So far as is known it
does not always develop itself, and
when it Is present its cause is not by
any means understood. A very real af-
fection generally exists between twins,
earliest days of infancy. 1t is no un-
common 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 all it's Joy.
But though intense fondness is no
doubt to a great extent the cause of
sad occurrences, the sympathy which
twins have for one another shows itself
here.
With many savage races twins are
hurried out of the world Immediately
they have entered it; others allow them
to live, but only under certain condi-
tions. In western Africa, little be-
low the equator, between 10 degrees
and II degrees east longitude, live a
large tribe called the lshogo. They
have many peculiar customs, but none
more so than their treatment of twius
and of the mother who is 50 unfortunate
as to bear them. An idea seems to
exist with them that no woman ought
produce more than a single child at
time, and they seek to rectify their
errors 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 a proper balance between
life and death has again been struck,
and they do not deem any further pre-
cautions necessary. Immediately the
birth of twins take place, the hut in
which the event happened is marked in
some manner which will render it
readily disuinguishabie from all others
in the village.
Those who have read accounts of
African travel will probably "emomber
the unanimous testimony which eXplor-
ers of the dark continent bear to the
extraordinary loquacity OF its natives.
Africans talk as they breathe--unceas-
ingly-and yet the unfortunate mother
OF twins is forbidden to exchange sin
gle word with any but tho immediate
members of her family. She may go
into the forest for iirewood 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 dread the advent of twins more
than anything, except, perhaps, being
| childless, and nothing lrritates newly
married woman more than to tell her
| that she is sure to become the mother
| of two children at q bEth.
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 captves and their adj
| mission 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-
| gregate round about and at a given
signal the white-legged women march
away from tho hut, followed by the
twins, the mother clasping her hands
and capering about, the friend beating
lusty tattoo upon drum and singing a
| SUnB appropriate W inc pCCdSlOu.
After this procession has gone the
round of the village there is a general
dance. Then everyone sits down to a
great feast, and 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 restric-
tions upon the mother ana her offspring
are held to be removed. This cere-
mony is known as "M'paza," a word
which signifies both twins and the
rite by virtue Of which they and their
mother are admitted to the compan
ionship OF their kind.
Cases in which one of u pair of twins
has felt disturbing influence at work
within him when evil Is Detailing his
other self are numerous. AS with all
matters OF the kind, the instances re.
lated are apt TO border upon tho land oi
fiction, but there are many which are
perfectly we'll authenticated. Though
twins are usually alike in form and fea-
ture this is not invariably the case.
The writer knows twin brothers who
can scarcely be said to bear even a
family likeness to one an other and
whose Compilations go TO the very ex-
tremes of darkness and fairness. But
though unlike bodily they resemble one
another mentally to such an extent that