Forty percent of the world's twins are born in Africa, and Benin has one of the highest twin birth rates in Africa, with one pair of twins in 20 births. But poor medical care can lead to high infant mortality, and Benin's state religion, voodoo (aka voodoo), often dominates horrific treatments.
In many remote tribes in Africa, twins are seen as ominous, often killed or abandoned at birth. In the culture of "voodoo", however, twins have always been revered. Because Nana Brucu, the creator of the hermaphrodite universe in Voodoo, gave birth to twins, who in turn created voodoo gods who ruled the world.
Therefore, once a twin dies, a wooden statue called "Hohovi" is carved, in which they believe that there are the souls of dead children. These figurines are deified and treated almost like living children. For those here, the twins are immortal. They can continue to live even after death, bringing blessings or misfortunes to those who are alive depend on whether these figurines are pampered or abused.
According to this cultural tradition of "voodoo", high mortality rates contributed to this strange twin belief system.
Born in Benin, Hounyuga has two deceased twins, and she always likes to place "Hohovi" on her chest so that they can peek out through her mother's clothes. Parents who carry "Hohovi" with them are obliged to beg in the market or on the street. When the mother says to others, "The twins are asking you for something," everyone must give something, whether it's money or food.
Hounyuga introduced interviewers to her two dead twins: a boy and a girl. She had nine children, including the twins, who died when they were 2 years old. Houniyuga talks about the twins as if they were still alive. It's 1 p.m. and Hounyuga must serve lunch for the two "Hohovi.". Seeing the interviewer's suspicions, she explained: "You must feed them every day or you will be punished!"
Today Hou niyuga made the twins a large plate of beans soaked in red palm oil.
"The two of them love Fanta and Coca-Cola," their mom said. In voodoo rituals, if someone wishes to live a more peaceful and carefree life, sugar is equivalent to this peace. When you sugar the statue, you get a better life, as the pair of twins have supernatural powers and the ability to influence your destiny.
And the twins, who bathe in the lake every week with their mom. Bathing them is not to keep them clean, but to drive away evil spirits. Hou niyuga wiped them with sponges and soap, then sprinkled talcum powder on them, then gently dried them, put on clothes, sprayed perfume...
When Houniyuga's husband drives to Cotonou, the capital of Benin, he always takes them with him. Her husband said: "I put my twins on my belt because I knew they would protect me and bring me good luck." Nothing bad happens to me with them, I don't get robbed, I don't get into a car accident, nothing!
Houniyuga told the interviewer: I always dream that they study hard at school and then go to Work in Europe. When the interviewer asked how they died, their father whispered: "Someone has put a very strong curse on them...
If the mother doesn't have time to take care of the statue, then the father will do these things. If both parents are busy, the twins are left in the nursery. It's a sacred place and special place, with dozens of statues, all dressed in colorful clothes.
The number of statues in the nursery reflects the high mortality rate of children in the village, and the nursery's guardian, Mr. Atobon, showed the interviewers his nephew.
Some statues have been washed so frequently that facial features have completely disappeared. The wood was corroded under constant scrubbing, and their parents needed to replace them with new statues, which became collectibles.
The woman standing by the boat was the fisherman's wife, and she also had two twins. She takes the twins to the sea once a month to wash them so that the water god can purify them.
Every year during the festival, these twin statues are spoiled by blessings and delicious sweets, and they love to eat sweets. Every year on 25 October, the country holds a grand celebration to bless twins from Benin, Nigeria and Togo, dead or alive.
Eric, an English teacher in Benin, lives in a nice house with his wife Tatiana, which is the envy of the locals. Despite their high social status, they still worship the twins: Pattona is the statue on the table, and her brother Patten is still alive, sitting in his father's arms.
When parents go to make clothes for their children, they use the same piece of cloth to make a statue. In their eyes, everyone is part of the family. When his younger brother Patten reaches adulthood, the statue sister will go to school with him.
Eric asked a carpenter in the village for her daughter Hoho. Vipatna built a miniature version of the small bed. To avoid jealousy between their siblings, parents maintain a perfect balance between the two.
The mother confessed to the interviewer: Her departure made me very sad. But we don't complain about the twins' deaths, we don't show any grief in public, and our families don't mourn at the grave. When our twins die here, they are usually buried in secret because they are still alive.
For people living in Benin, malaria and encephalitis are the real causes of so many deaths. People here live near lakes or rivers with no sanitation facilities, and mosquitoes flock to them every day.
The cost of antimalarial treatment, which is only 7 euros, is prohibitively high for them.