Orisa Ibeji ( Twins deity) - See the uniqueness of this deity plus its symbols
According to Ifa, Oduduwa, the father of mankind gave birth to a set of twins eight times. Consequently, giving birth to twins and how to handle them are known to Ifa right from the dawn of life. Ifa is replete with stories of multiple births. it is however the uniqueness of these children that made them Deities. It is true that other people do give birth to triplets, quadruplets and more, but the birth of twins is still considered the most unique and most spiritually potent and rewarding.
The uniqueness of twins as Deities is such that they are only known Deities that have no special priests and priestess who feed them. The mother of the twins is the "priestess" of the Deities.
Symbols of Ibeji
The only known symbol of the twins Deities is the carved image of the twins, a male and a female, made of wood and dressed in fitting clothing materials. The images are also painted in cam-wood
Ojubo (Grove)
The center of the room inside which the mother of twins lives together with the twins in the grove. There is no special grove or shrine for the Deities. Nowadays however, some Ifa priest and priestesses, herbalist and Orisa devotees do have a symbols of the Twin Deities in their shrines where the Deities can be fed by those who wish to.
In alternative, the Twin Deities may be fed by using the ground.
Feeding Materials
Kola-nuts with four valves
Bitter-kola
Liquor
Palm oil
Honey
Black beans
Fried bean cake (akara)
Moin-Moin
Coconut
Cock
All other edibles that the feeder can afford.
Taboos
Palm kernel
One must not feed one and leave the other- even if the other half of the twins is dead. The image of the dead one must be fed.
By--- Faina Falade
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