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The Hohovi cult of twins
In Fon culture, twins (Hohovi) are sacred beings. An entire cult is devoted to them, with rituals, figurines and offerings. Here is an explanation of this unique spiritual dimension.
Why twins are sacred
In Fon cosmology, the birth of twins is seen as the arrival ofa single soul in two bodies. They are believed to carry a doubled spiritual force, able to influence the family for good or ill.
This belief is shared with the neighboring Yoruba (hence the international term Ibeji) and shapes a whole part of Beninese religious culture.
The Hohovi statuettes
When a twin dies, the family has a wooden statuette carved to represent the lost child. This statuette is fed, dressed and honored like the child itself. It accompanies the surviving twin throughout their life.
Offerings and ceremonies
Families with twins keep up a regular cult: offerings of beans, yam, bananas, sometimes small coins. The major ceremonies take place at the birth, puberty, marriage and death of the twins or their descendants.
Worth seeing at the museum
In Benin, The Honmè Museum in Porto-Novo and the one in Ouidah hold remarkable collections of Hohovi statuettes. A visit is the best way in to understand this still-living tradition.
Twins, an ever-present presence
The Hohovi cult shows that death does not break family ties in Fon culture: twins, living or departed, continue to inhabit daily life. A deeply African spiritual vision.
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