There was a time in Igbo history when the birth of twins didn’t bring celebration. Instead, fear followed. In a world shaped by spiritual order and ancestral laws, two children arriving at once felt like nature breaking its own rules.
A Belief Rooted in Cosmology
In precolonial Igbo society, twins—ejima—were seen as a disturbance in the universe. Traditional belief held that every child carried a single destiny. Two at once felt like spirits colliding.
A Practice That Turned Tragic
Because of that fear, twins were often abandoned in the so-called evil forest or killed shortly after birth. Mothers faced shame, exile, and unbearable grief. It was a darkness shaped by a misunderstanding of nature.
Why the Fear Existed
Igbo cosmology emphasised the order of the world: one birth, one spirit, one path. Twins were believed to bring imbalance, misfortune, confusion, or spiritual danger. To the old worldview, nature had made a mistake.
Change Arrived Slowly
In the late 1800s, missionaries—most famously Mary Slessor—fought against the killing of twins. Over generations, belief shifted, fear loosened, and the practice disappeared.
Today
What was once taboo is now blessing. Across Igboland, twins are celebrated: proof that traditions, like people, can learn.
