ABSTRACT
The frenzy aroused by the media, and in some cases used by the famous or infamous twins themselves, indicates the perceived intensity and magic of the twin bond in some twin pairs. This chapter looks at some other aspects of the disturbance aroused by twins and the enactments that are consequent upon this arousal, and the beliefs on which they are based. Twins feature prominently in myths and legends, and the cultural practices relating to twins throughout the world are based on the local beliefs about twin birth. The chapter explores several myths in which splitting or the creation of a double is central, and in which the creation of mythical twins elucidates the processes involved in development and twinning, as well as in the evolution of mankind. The creation of two from one, or of two figures representing different aspects of one, is a common theme in mythology.
