[Twins in cultural and psychic life. African examples]

In Africa, twin births were and are still considered to be events of extraordinary importance. Traditional beliefs give to twins a special position as sacred monsters and devote to them a variety of ritual celebrations. The different versions of the dogon myth of the creation of the world tell the symbolic events that led to separation of Heaven and Earth, of gods and first men on earth, of female and men of religious leaders and other inhabitants. The dual faces of androgynous twins provide a paradigm for a long process of differentiation culminating in definitive separation when turned into animals occupying opposing territories. Ibeji statuettes are a central element in a twin-related cult practiced by the Yoruba people. The birth or death of twins is considered as a potential threat for future children. For this reason, the Yorubas treat these statuettes as if they were alive. The anxiety neurosis of Josephine, a modern African woman, expressed itself through a recurrent dream. Psychotherapy allowed her to understand the meaning of these dream images.