Cooked beansCornHoneyToysCare for twinsThe ere ibeji fed and dressed
Invocation Approach
Tone
Warm and playful
Address
IbejiTaiwoKehindeThe Twins
Relationship
The two who arrive together and must be greeted together
Warning
Do not honour one and ignore the other
Resonance
Parents of twins children those who keep a pair
Symbols
TwinsEre ibejiCowrie shellsTwo kola nutsThe double gourd
Mythology Summary
Ibeji are the sacred twins of Yoruba tradition: twins are believed to be sacred and are granted protection by Shango, and the Yoruba country has one of the highest rates of twin births in the world. Taiwo is born first, but Kehinde sends him to test whether the world is fit before he follows, so Kehinde is reckoned the elder. If a twin dies, the parents have an ere ibeji carved and care for it as the living child, dressing and feeding it. In the diaspora they are syncretised with Saints Cosmas and Damian.
Modern Practice
Ibeji are served with beans, corn, honey, toys and the dressing of the ere ibeji, and the parents of twins keep the figures and the feast. In Cuba the Ibeyi are received and greeted as a pair, and the tradition's rule is that neither is honoured alone. The joy and the play are the practice, not a metaphor.