Ejire (Mythical Twins)

By Wale Owoeye

EJIRE (MYTHICAL TWINS) is a monograph about the phenomenon of twins and their deification as cognized and practiced in Yoruba culture. The book in concise headings explore the spiritual, artistic and modernist aspects of the Ibeji tradition, highlighting its peculiarities and the special place twins occupy in the scheme of traditional society. Featured with illustration, the book is written by foremost Neo Negritudian, Wale Sasamura Owoeye.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Oyster Press
• Release date: May 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201704544

Wale Owoeye

Wale Sasamura-Owoeye is a lawyer, poet, author, mystic, publisher, teacher and Renaissance Man. A Neo-Negritudian with the mission to make modern literary masterpieces for world audience, Wale Sasamura lives and practices law in Lagos, Nigeria

Book preview

The monograph is dedicated with love to Taiwo & Kehinde Adebisi – Ejire okin,

Abundance and Stephanie Ehimare – who calls me Daddy Twins in mimic of what I call their dad,

Mrs. Kehinde Margaret Osinowo – my strong mother in abstraction

& all twins worldwide

INTRODUCTION

EJIRE, A FOND NAME FOR IBEJI (TWINS) IN YORUBALAND, is a supernatural phenomenon of twin-birth that is celebrated and held in reverence by the people for centuries. Being that twin-birth is uncommon compared to the number of single births that occur, twin children have a special magic about them and exude an aura of royalty and spirituality. It is for this reason that Yoruba culture has come over time to venerate these sets of special kindred, according them an elevated status among other mortals.

I got the inspiration to write about Ibeji in order to advance further knowledge about them and share their special characteristics with the global world. Ibeji, in Yorubaland like other lands where they occur, could come in same sex pair or alternate sex pair (male or female or hybrid) with some sharing stark resemblance with one another while others are as disparate as two different individuals could be. However, what bond the twins share is so powerful and sacrosanct that it overrides all other things and permeates their existence. There are other peculiarities common to Ibeji which makes them stand out in the crowd and worthy of being celebrated, hence this book which sees it from a Neo-Negritudian perspective.

In this monograph, I will make an effort to share the modest knowledge I was able to garner about these phenomenon of nature, particularly as cognized by Yoruba culture. I hope you will be enlightened as I was learning about the myths, mysteries and culture that revolve around twin children called Ibeji who are known to be harbinger of all round blessings in Yorubaland and wherever they are found on the green planet.

Share with an Ibeji. Cheers!

Wale Sasamura Owoeye

Lagos, Nigeria

CONCEPTION AND BIRTH OF IBEJI

IN YORUBALAND, by culture and tradition every expectant mother is called Iya Ibeji. This is likely to express the uncertainty attached to every pregnancy regarding what will be the sex of the child after birth. Knowing the sex of the child could either be male (okunrin) or female (obirin) or both where the mother is lucky to have a twin (Ibeji), Yoruba people in their atavistic wisdom refer generally to an expectant mother as Iya Ibeji  to acknowledge that every woman indeed is an expectant mother  of twins. However, a woman blessed with twins after delivery is properly called Iya Ibeji in Yorubaland.

The conception of Ibeji is a product of chance and a bit of genetics. First, a woman of age and with sound reproductive system can conceive a twin child, after copulating with a man. The gift of a twin child can be granted to any woman, depending on time and chance, without having any family history of ever having had twins before. Nevertheless, scientific studies and cultural experience have shown that conception of twins ties greatly to family history, that is, a family with occurrence of twins in their lineage have tendency to procreate twins. In other words, if as a woman, you have ever had a twin in your family tree (or the husband’s), either from paternal or maternal side, there is great likelihood that upon conception, you might be gifted with ibeji.

It is also believed by Yoruba people that some special delicacies, orisons or water from some special places could activate the birth of twins. In towns with high incidence of twin births like Igbo Ora or Asejire in Oyo State, traditional beliefs ties the conception of twins to the type of food and water native to the town which they believe promote the procreation. Food such as yam, taken as a staple meal in this town (and generality of South West Nigeria) as well as okra leaf, are known to contain a natural hormone called phytoestrogen, claimed to stimulate the ovaries to produce an egg from each side and responsible for their high twin-birth rate. Even though this has not been medically established, the phenomenon of multiple twin births common to this region continues to perplex scientists.

The process of procreation, that is getting pregnant, according to science is somewhat simple and complicated. In our biology classes, we were taught that each month, there are a series of hormonal changes in a woman’s body that causes an immature egg in the ovary to grow and mature. While every woman’s cycle is different; this process takes about two weeks on average, beginning with a woman’s menstrual period.

Once the egg is mature, it is released from the ovary in a process known as ovulation. In its simplest form, the explanation is that the egg then travels down the fallopian tube toward the uterus (womb). The egg is only viable for about 24 hours

Reviews for Ejire (Mythical Twins)

[KennyAkinwole · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing book loved it so much first book I’ve ever read where I didn’t put it done once. Want to express my feelings on the book because I’m a Kehinde myself and I have a Twin sister. Many pages brought me to tears on just reading about my history and myself great book!!!!!