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IntroductionThe Yoruba are an important ethnic group mainly occupying
Southwestern Nigeria. Mainly for genetic reasons, this very
large tribe happens to present the highest dizygotic twinning
rate in the world (4.4 % of all maternities). The high perinatal
mortality rate associated with such pregnancies has con-
tributed to the integration of a special twin belief system
within the African traditional religion of this tribe. The latter is
based on the concept of a supreme deity called Olodumare or
Olorun, assisted by a series of secondary gods (Orisha) while
Yoruba religion also involves immortality and reincarnation of
the soul based on the animistic cult of ancestors. Twins are
therefore given special names and believed to detain special
preternatural powers. In keeping with their refined artistic tradi-
tion, the Yoruba have produced numerous wooden statuettes
called Ibejis that represent the souls of deceased newborn
twins and are involved in elaborate rituals. Among Yoruba tradi-
tional beliefs and lore some twin-related themes are
represented which are also found in other parts of the world.
Basic features of the original Yoruba beliefs have found their
way into the religious traditions of descendants of African
slaves imported in the West Indies and in South America.

Geography, Population and HistoryThe Yoruba area is mainly located in Southwestern Nigeria
and in the East of adjacent Benin formerly known as
Dahomey (see Figure 1) but Yoruba people have also spread
to Togo and Ghana (Massa, 1999). The twenty five million
people or so who speak the Yoruba language (belonging to
the Kwa language family) represent one of Africa’s largest
ethnic groups of which the main city is Lagos, one of the
most rapidly growing cities in the world with a population
of 1.4 million in 1972, 10.6 in 1996 and a projected figure
of 20 million by 2010. The origin of the Yoruba is some-
what obscure. Classical theories maintain that they
originated from Egypt, Arabia or Nubia and that they
settled in their present homeland long before the 12th
century. However, studies of mtDNA indicate that in addi-
tion to their kinship with close neighbours such as Hausas
and Ibos, they are genetically the most closely related to
two Western African populations located in the Senegalese
region (Mandenka, Songhai) as well as to Tuaregs (Cavalli-
Sforza et al., 1993; Watson et al., 1996). According to
Yoruba lore, they originally came from the ancient city of
Ife where their almighty god Olorun also known as
Olodumare created mankind (Bolajildowu, 1973; Chappel,
1974; Radin, 1924; Stoll & Stoll, 1980).

The Yoruba chiefdoms were united under the supreme
authority of the powerful Alafin, king of Oyo, until the
beginning of the 19th century. The great Oyo kingdom was
then thrown into confusion by internal battles and wars so
that new smaller kingdoms were created, generating the
major Yoruba subtribes that exist today alongside the origi-
nal Oyo (Chappel, 1974).

In 1886 began the British colonial period which ended
with the declaration of Nigerian independence in 1960. In
1966, the Biafra civil war involved the Yoruba, Haussa and
Ibo tribes and led to political turmoil and military govern-
ment until the return of Nigerian civilian rule in 1979.
The Traditional Yoruba CommunityThe family unit is of vital importance in the life of every
Yoruba. As in many African societies, the concept of the
family extends far beyond one’s own parents, siblings, wife
and children. It includes a whole clan often composed of
more than a hundred people among which mutual assis-
tance is compulsory. The head of this extended family is the
clan elder called Bale (Mobolade, 1971). Within the clan,
the senior is always superior to the junior. The former,
however, has the obligation to support the junior. If
needed, he must, for instance, take over the role of the
junior’s father (Stoll & Stoll, 1980).

The next level of Yoruba social organisation is the
village community assembling several clans that are closely
linked to each other in a brotherly way. A number of village
communities combine in the form of a principal Yoruba
tribe occupying a given area (Figure 1). At the head of each
tribe reigns a king called Oba who used to deal with
supraregional matters. Nowadays, the Obas no longer have
a say in official policy making although they are still hon-
oured and respected as traditional rulers. Beaded crowns are
worn by the Oba kings during festivities to emphasise their
spiritual powers and royal lineage (Olaleye-Oruene, 1983).