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Author
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Comment
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lmallozzi
Registered User
(3/14/05 10:53 pm)
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changeling stories involving identical twins
I was wondering if anyone knew of any stories that dealt with changelings and identical twins.
Specifically, with one twin being substituted, so that one twin was "normal" and the other deformed or pale or thin or some sort of other abnormality. I've had this fascination with changeling stories for a while, but I haven't really made a serious study of them.
I have a personal project - well, I'm not really sure what it is at this point, only that it is infuriatingly vague, even to me and I don't know quite where to start. I am an illustrator, and I am pretty realistic and straightforward in my style, only this project seems to be taking me down a road that is clutter with symbols and metaphors and things I don't always like to think about.
Anyways, I apologise for not being more clear, but this idea has been bothering me for a while now and this board seemed like the only place that might provide me with a few answers or at least a direction.
Thank you for your patience.
Luciana
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DawnReiser
Registered User
(3/15/05 1:43 pm)
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changeling
See www.pitt.edu/~dash/changeling.html
for changeling tales, history and theories.
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Black Sheep
Registered User
(3/15/05 2:27 pm)
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Re: changeling
Isn't the idea of twins as some sort of changelings found in several African cultures? (Not north Africa, but somewhere south/west/east?)
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evil little pixie
Registered User
(3/15/05 3:24 pm)
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Re: changeling
Black Sheep, thanks for jogging my memory. In Chinua Achebe's novel _Things Fall Apart_, about the Ibo of Nigeria, twins are considered unnatural and are abandoned in the "evil forest," which is the most taboo area. Also, if a woman has several successive miscarriages, stillbirths, or children who die as infants or toddlers, she is being tormented by an "ogbanje," which means the same child is entering her womb over and over in order to cause her anguish by its repeated death. Achebe describes an ogbanje as a changling, but does not link it specifically to any fairy- or god-like race of beings. I haven't looked any farther into this, but I'm sure there's info out there somewhere.
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aka Greensleeves
Registered User
(3/15/05 6:14 pm)
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Re: changeling
My great-grandmother was an identical twin, and her sister died when they were four. I've seen photographs, and the sister was tiny, wizened, obviously weak and sickly. Even a hundred years later, the photographs are eerie and sad.
Lynn Flewelling wrote a deliciously creepy novel about twins and changelings called THE BONE DOLL'S TWIN. In that story, the twins are fraternal (boy and girl), and the male twin is killed at birth so the female can assume his identity. Believing she is a boy, she spends her childhood haunted by her brother's ghost. It's a great use of folktale and folk magic to enrich a traditional fantasy novel.
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lmallozzi
Registered User
(3/15/05 9:46 pm)
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Re: changeling stories involving identical twins
Having read my original post, I realize I was even more obscure than I had realized. So I was very grateful that your responses were more articulate than my original query.
Perhaps it might help if I explained my interest more - I am a twin. We are genetically identical - however, my sister was born with some facial disfigurement that required numerous surgeries over many years. She still does not look like me, nor does she look exactly "normal", though I find that definition sort of nebulous. She has also had to struggle with some serious depression and mental issues too. So she has not had it easy, by any means.
I have been wanting to do a painting, or paintings of my twin and me. I have never painted us before, and only once have a done a drawing of my sister. I am a little intimidated, but I feel like this is something important that I need to do.
I hope I have not made anyone uncomfortable - but I thought some context might help explain my interest.
Thanks again for your responses - it gives me some good places to start. I had only recently come across the symbolism twins represented in Africa.
Luciana
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Black Sheep
Registered User
(3/16/05 2:00 pm)
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Re: changeling stories involving identical twins
I remember that book now you've reminded me EL Pixie and your post prompted me to google Nigerian cultures for twin beliefs but I discovered it was Yoruban twins I was thinking of.
I don't know how helpful these links might be to you Luciana, the Yoruba tales are about dizygotic twins and I see you're more interested in monozygotic twins, but here they are anyway:
web.africa.ufl.edu/harn_art/image10.html
www.randafricanart.com/Yo...Twins.html
www.speedmuseum.org/afric...tml#yoruba
www.webzinemaker.net/afri...d_art=1028
(commercial)
I too had over seven years experience with facial disfigurement (although you wouldn't know it now!) so your sister has my sympathy. I imagine the situation can't be easy for you either.
I hope you find the inspiration you're seeking.
Edited to correct my Freudian slip "difigurement"
Edited by: Black Sheep at: 3/16/05 2:03 pm
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redtriskell
Registered User
(3/16/05 10:42 pm)
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Re: changeling stories involving identical twins
While this isn't really on topic, I just wanted to congratulate you on tackling something so personal in your art. My best friend recently wrote a poem for me, about my very troubled family, that she worked on for ages. It was too close, she said. We've known each other for going on sixteen years- since we were still in high school. She knows my family very well, and decided she needed to write the poem. Partly for me, partly for her. It is astounding, even though it hurts my heart to read it. So- I hope you find what you're seeking in order to paint what you need to say about you and your twin. It's very brave.
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