The “IBEJI”
is a sculpture from the people of Yoruba, a tribe in Nigeria. The people of
Yoruba are said to be great bearers of twins and as a result, twins are
traditionally very important to them. Ibeji is a term in the Yoruba language
which means “twins”. It is also a carved wooden figure made to house the soul
of a dead twin. These wooden figures are carved six to ten inches high.
Ere Ibeji as
it is commonly called, is a carved figure intended to house the soul of one or
two twins in case they die. The Yoruba religion believes that both twins share
one soul, therefore if one twin dies at a young age, the balance of the soul is
thrown of or disturbed, hence these souls are transferred into the Ibeji which
represents the dead twin.
In earlier
times, the Yoruba people believed that new-born twins were evil, had monstrous
abnormalities and they were mostly killed. However, by the middle of the 18th century such believes were reversed and twins came to be seen as a blessing and
were mostly referred to as minor deities. Their arrival was believed to bring
good fortune for the family. By the 19th century, the cult of the
“Ere Ibeji” was firmly established and continues till date. The death of one
twin is regarded as a great calamity for the family, one which requires
immediate appeasement of the soul of the deceased child.
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| A PAIR OF IBEJI |
The cultural
grieving process of the twins in the Yoruba religion is observed by the carving
of a figure known as the Ere Ibeji; (Ibi means born, Eji means two, and Ere
means sacred image) which represents both the lost child and serves as a ritual
point of contact with the deceased soul. The carving of the Ere Ibeji is
commissioned under the guidance of an “Ifa diviner”, a Babalowo, whom the parents
consult in selecting in selecting the particular artist who will do the work.
The
sculpture represents a deceased infant but is carved with features and
attributes of an adult. The sculptural features of genitalia, pubic hair, wide
hips, developed breast, gender specific facial scarification and erotic
sexuality.
When the
carving is completed, it is brought to the family house and placed on a shrine
dedicated to Elagba with the hope that the Orisha or soul, which was split in
two parts when the twins were born, will now again reside in the figure
(Ibeji). After this process, the figure remains as respected and as powerful as
the person it represents. The children’s parents must treat the statue as if it
were real; hence it is bathed, fed and clothed just as it would be in life,
mostly in the same clothes as the living partner. The figure is particularly
special to the mother, who keeps the figure close to her bed. She rubs the
figure with red wood powder to maintain the look of sleekness, and she caresses
the figure in a loving manner. Rituals and prayers are performed for the
child’s birthday and other celebrations.
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| IBEJI TWIN SCULPTURE |
The style in which
the “Ibeji” is carved carries a lot of symbolic meaning and can be seen as an
object for non-verbal communication. Here, the head of the figure is associated
with the child’s destiny, which measures the success or failure of the child.
The size of the head is one-third the size of the body because the head is
where the spirit is believed to reside. The figure is very detailed, but it is
only a symbol of the child and not intended to be a realistic likeness but
rather a resemblance of human. The surface of the feature is smooth. However
the figure is motionless to represent discipline, serenity, and confidence. It
is sometimes made to hold symbolic items. For example, if it holds shells or
beads, it may invoke certain gods or indicate wealth. The Ibeji is expected and
believed to avert evil from the household, strengthen the manifestations of
family love, stare down death, and bring good fortune to all who treat it with
respect and offer it tokens of affection. It may also endanger family members
and friends with bad fortune and curses if it is ignored. The meanings that the
people attach to this figure are as a result of their culture and believe.
A DISPLAY OF IBEJI
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