| 释义 |
- By culture African (Nigerian) Greek and Roman mythology African (Egyptian) Ancient Syria Norse mythology Hinduism Jewish Zoroastrian Native American Central American mythologies Afro-Caribbean cosmologies
- See also
- References
Twins appear in the mythologies of many cultures around the world. In some they are seen as ominous and in others they are seen as auspicious. Twins in mythology are often cast as two halves of the same whole, sharing a bond deeper than that of ordinary siblings, or seen as fierce rivals. They can represent another aspect of the self, a doppelgänger, or a shadow. However, twins can also reflect a complete opposition of the other, such as the "civilized" Gilgamesh, and the "wild" Enkidu; or in the commonly known instance of good and evil twin identities. Many cultures have mythic or folkloric explanations for how twins are conceived. In Greek mythology, some twins were conceived when a woman slept with both a mortal and a god on the same day, like Alcmene for example. One of her offspring, Heracles, had godlike qualities such as immense strength and stamina, while his twin brother, Iphicles, was to be an ordinary mortal. In many Native American cultures, eating certain foods were thought to increase the likelihood of twins. These foods included double almonds and bananas, and were typically avoided by Native American women because birthing twins was frowned upon. However, other cultures attribute the outcome of twins to superior virility of the father. In various mythologies, twins often represent the dualistic nature of the universe. In Greek mythology, twins Apollo and Artemis, are the sun god and moon goddess, respectively. Similar forms of higher beings are reflected throughout different mythologies, as twin brothers Kuat and Iae represent the sun and moon in the Xingu mythology of Brazil. Egyptian God, Geb, and his twin sister, Nut, represented the binary nature of the world, with Geb being the God of the Earth, and Nut being the Goddess of the sky. In Zoroastrian mythology, the twins Ahriman and Ahura Mazda represent the spirits of evil and good. Good and evil are common conflicting personas within twins in mythology.[1] We see this pattern across many cultures, such as several northeastern Native American tribes, for example. Gluskap, the creator God and cultural hero, had to defeat Malsum, his evil twin, who was the ruler of the demons. Many other cultures with rival twin heroes often follow this structure of split moral forces. Twins can also be shown as having special powers and deep bonds. In Greek mythology, Castor and Pollux share a bond so strong that when Castor dies, Pollux gives up half of his immortality to be with his brother. This etiologically explains why their constellation, the Dioskouroi or Gemini, is only seen during one half of the year, as the twins split their time between the underworld and Mount Olympus. In an aboriginal tale, the same constellation represents the twin lizards who created the plants and animals and saved women from evil spirits. Another example of this strong bond shared between twins would be the Ibeji twins within African mythology. Ibeji twins are viewed as one soul shared between two bodies. If one of the twins die, the parents then create a doll that portrays the body of the deceased child, so the soul of the deceased can remain intact for the living twin. Without the creation of the doll, the living twin is almost destined for death because it is believed to be missing half of its soul.[2] By cultureAfrican (Nigerian)- Mawu-Lisa - Twins representing moon and sun, respectively.
- Yemaja - Mother of all life on earth.
- Aganju - Twin and husband of Yemaja[2]
- Ibeji - Twins of joy and happiness. Children of Chango and Oshun.[3]
Greek and Roman mythology- Divine
- Apollo and Artemis - God and goddess, children of Zeus and Leto.
- Hypnos and Thanatos - Sons of Nyx and Erebos.
- Eros and Anteros - Sons of Aphrodite
- Phobos and Deimos - Sons of Ares and Aphrodite
- Ploutos and Philomelos - Sons of Demeter and the demigod Iasion.
- Palici - Sicilian chthonic deities in Greek mythology and Roman mythology.
- Romulus and Remus - Central characters of Rome's foundation myth. Children of Rhea Silvia by either the god Mars, or by the demi-god Hercules.
- One divine, one mortal
- Hercules and Iphicles - Though their mother was Alcmene, Hercules was son of Zeus while Iphicles was son of Amphitryon.
- Castor and Pollux, known as the Dioscuri - Though their mother was Leda, Castor was mortal son of Tyndareus, the king of Sparta, while Pollux was the divine son of Zeus.
- Helen and Clytemnestra - Sisters of the Dioscuri, they were the daughters of Leda by Zeus and Tyndareus, respectively.
- Children of a god or nymph and a mortal
- Atlas and Eumelus/Gadeirus, Ampheres and Evaemon, Mneseus and Autochthon, Elasippus and Mestor, and Azaes and Diaprepes - Five sets of twins, sons of Poseidon and Cleito, and Kings of Atlantis in Plato's myth.
- Belus and Agenor - Sons of Poseidon and Libya.
- Aegyptus and Danaus - Sons of Belus and Achiroe, a naiad daughter of Nile.
- Aeolus and Boeotus - Sons of Poseidon and Arne.
- Lycastus and Parrhasius - Sons of Ares and Phylonome, daughter of Nyctimus of Arcadia.
- Amphion and Zethus - Sons of Zeus by Antiope
- Centaurus and Lapithes - Sons of Ixion and Nephele or Apollo and Stilbe.
- Pelias and Neleus - Sons of Poseidon and Tyro.
- Phrixus and Helle - Children of Athamas and Nephele.
- Eurytus and Cteatus - Sons of Molione either by Actor or Poseidon
- Ascalaphus and Ialmenus - Sons of Ares and Astyoche, Argonauts who participated in the Trojan War.
- Mortal
- Iasus and Pelasgus - Sons of Phoroneus or Triopas
- Proetus and Acrisius - Rival twins, children of Abas and Aglaea or Ocalea.
- Porphyrion and Ptous - Sons of Athamas and Themisto
- Thessalus and Alcimenes - Sons of Jason and Medea.
- Cassandra and Helenus - Children of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy with prophetic powers
- Procles and Eurysthenes - Great-great-great-grandsons of Heracles, sons of Aristodemus and Argia.
African (Egyptian) - Nut and Geb, Dualistic twins. God of Earth (Geb) and Goddess of the sky (Nut)
- Osiris - Isis’ twin and husband. Lord of the underworld. First born of Geb and Nut. One of the most important gods of ancient Egypt.
- Isis - Daughter of Geb and Nut; twin of Osiris.
- Ausar - [also known by Macedonian Greeks as Osiris] twin of [Set]. [Set] tricked his brother at a banquet he organized so as to take his life.
Ancient Syria- Arsu and Azizos - Gods of the evening star and morning star.[5]
Norse mythology- Freyr and Freyja - God and goddess, children of Njörðr.
Hinduism- The Ashvins - Sons of the sun God, Surya. Represent dualities such as building and destroying.
- Yama and Yami - God and Goddess of death.
- Lava and Kusha - Children of Rama and Sita.
- Nakula and Sahadeva - Twins that were the last born of the Pandavas
- Lakshmana and Shatrughna - Children of Dasharatha and Sumitra
Jewish- Jacob and Esau - Sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Represented two nations.[1]
Zoroastrian- Ahriman and Ahura Mazda - Twins of opposing forces: good and evil.[4]
Native American- Gluskap and Malsumis - A cultural hero and its evil twin brother for the Wabanaki peoples.
- Hahgwehdiyu and Hahgwehdaetgah - Sons of Iroquois sky goddess Atahensic.[5]
- Asdzą́ą́ Nádleehé and Yolkai Estsan - Navajo goddesses.[5]
- Monster Slayer and Born-for-Water - Navajo Hero Twins.[5]
Central American mythologies- Hun-apu and Ixbalanque, the Maya Hero Twins - Defeated the Seven Macaw
- Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl or Tezcatlipoca[5]
- Kokomaht and Bahotahl - Good and evil forces in nature.
Afro-Caribbean cosmologies- Marassa Jumeaux - The divine, children twins in Vodou.
- Ibeji - Twins of joy and happiness. Children of Chango and Oshun.
See alsoReferences1. ^1 {{Cite book|title=Twin enigma.|last=Vivienne.|first=Lewin|date=2017|publisher=Karnac Books|isbn=9781782415336|oclc=954223952}}
2. ^1 {{Cite journal|title=Kanopy|last=Flatley|first=Robert|doi = 10.5260/cca.199204}}
3. ^{{Cite journal|title=Kanopy|last=Flatley|first=Robert|doi = 10.5260/cca.199204}}
4. ^{{Cite web|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/|title=Encyclopedia.com {{!}} Free Online Encyclopedia|website=www.encyclopedia.com|access-date=2018-12-15}}
5. ^1 2 3 4 {{cite book|editor=C. Scott Littleton|title=Gods, Goddesses, and Mythology, Volume 4|year=2005|publisher=Marshall Cavendish Corporation|isbn=978-0-7614-7559-0|url=https://books.google.com/?id=n2FpRCam224C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Gods,+Goddesses,+and+Mythology,+Volume+4#v=onepage&q=Gods%2C%20Goddesses%2C%20and%20Mythology%2C%20Volume%204&f=false}}
- {{cite book |title= Dictionary of Mythology, Part 2 |last=Jobes |first=Gertrude |year=1962 |publisher=Scarecrow Press, Inc |location=New York |pages=1614–1615}}
- {{cite book |title=Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend |editor=Maria Leach |year=1972 |publisher=Funk & Wagnalls |location=New York |pages=1134–1136}}
- {{cite book |title=Myths and Legends of the World, vol 4 |editor=John M. Wickersham |year=2000 |publisher=Macmillan Reference USA |location=New York |isbn=978-0-02-865438-6 |pages=76–79}}
- "Ahura Mazda (Ohrmazd) and Ahriman." New Catholic Encyclopedia. . Encyclopedia.com.12 Dec. 2018 .
- “ISIS.” Egyptian Mythology for Smart People, egyptianmythology.org/gods-and-goddesses/isis/.
- Lewin, Vivienne. Twin Enigma. Karnac Books, 2017.
- Myers, Bethany. “Southern Illinois University Carbondale OpenSIUC.” Southern Illinois University Carbondale OpenSIUC, 2002, opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1005&context=uhp_theses.
- Voth, Grant, et al., directors. The Beauty of African Mythology. Welcome to Virginia Commonwealth University | Kanopy, 2015, vcu.kanopy.com/s?query=african+mythology.
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