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Encyclopedia of African ReligionPub. date: 2009 | Online Pub. Date: January 26, 2009 | DOI: 10.4135/9781412964623 | Print ISBN: 9781412936361 | Online ISBN: 9781412964623| Publisher:SAGE Publications, Inc.
About this encyclopediaTwins
Tabona Magondo Sboko
Twins are two babies who are born together. Arthur discovered that twins are the clones of nature, each descended from the symmetrical splitting of a single fertilized egg into cells that contain the identical sequence of even tinier DNA molecules. There are two types of twins: identical twins and fraternal twins. Identical twins are genetically identical. In many cultures, including Africa, the birth of twins is viewed as an unnatural occurrence. The birth of twins is a bad omen. In some cultures, they are believed to cause misfortune, sickness, or death in the family, and some believe that they should be eliminated at birth. However, in other societies, that was not the case. There are several myths that African people hold about twins. Although some still hold on to the beliefs, other beliefs have disappeared over time. There is a belief that twins are dangerous. In Shona culture, twins ...
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