Figure | Ere Ibeji

According to Yoruba understanding, twins share an indivisible soul. Therefore, when one of the twins dies, the surviving twin finds itself in a perilously unstable condition. In order to restore the balance and guarantee a continuation of life, the parents ask an oracle priest if the deceased child wishes to have a figure and if so, they commission a carver to make one. The small wooden figure, Ere Ibeji (image of the twin) is a symbolic substitute for the deceased, a new dwelling place for its soul. If the second twin also dies in childhood or adolescence, another figure can be made by the same carver and in the same style. Therefore, in a pair of figures, one often shows more signs of wear and looks older. After the death of the mother, the deceased twins inform the oracle priest whether the figures are to be buried with her or placed in the care of another family member. However, the ideas associated with ibejis are not uniform across the entire Yoruba region: in addition to replacing a deceased person, the figures may also embody a woman's wish to have twins or, after the death of a pair, a woman's status as the mother of twins. Furthermore, they can serve as votive gifts, which are offered to the god of twins, Orisha Ibeji after twins are born. Translation: Timothy Connell