Ibeji désigne les orishas jumeaux, esprits de l'enfance, de la joie, de la chance et de la fécondité, dans le candomblé et la santería. Hérités de la tradition yoruba où les jumeaux sont sacrés, ils sont syncrétisés avec les saints jumeaux Cosme et Damien. Espiègles et gourmands, ils aiment les jouets et les sucreries.

Pourquoi les Ibeji sont-ils liés à Cosme et Damien ?

Pendant l'esclavage, les Africains déportés au Brésil et à Cuba cachèrent leurs orishas sous des figures catholiques. Les Ibeji, divinités jumelles et enfantines, furent identifiés aux saints jumeaux Cosme et Damien, médecins martyrs. Au Brésil, on les célèbre le 27 septembre, lendemain de la date de l'Église, en préparant le caruru et en distribuant des sucreries aux enfants.

Quel lien entre les Ibeji et les autres orishas ?

Les mythes afro-brésiliens présentent souvent les Ibeji comme les fils de Xangô et d'Iansã, élevés par Oxum, l'orisha des eaux douces et de la maternité. Ils se rattachent aussi aux erês, esprits enfantins du candomblé. À Cuba, on les nomme Jimaguas ou Ibeyi, esprits jumeaux porteurs de bonheur, représentés par deux poupées et honorés pour la prospérité qu'ils apportent.

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IBEJI

ally

Twins, joy, protection

🌊 WaterDiaspora (Cuba) →Afrique de l'Ouest — Cuba / NigériaYouth

Gender: DualSign: Figurines jumelles

Ibeji designates the twin orishas, spirits of childhood, joy, luck and fecundity, inherited from the Yoruba tradition in which twins, ibeji, are held sacred. Carried to the Americas by the Atlantic slave trade, their figure took root in the Afro-diasporic pantheons. Catholic syncretism associated them with the twin saints Cosmas and Damian, martyred physicians. In Brazil, Candomblé and Umbanda celebrate them on 27 September, the day after the Church's official date, with a great festival at which caruru is prepared — a dish of okra, dried shrimp and palm oil — and sweets are handed out to children in memory of the two child deities. The Ibeji are linked to the erês, the child spirits of Candomblé, and the Afro-Brazilian myths make them the sons of Xangô and Iansã, raised by Oxum. In Cuba, Santería honours them under the name Jimaguas or Ibeyi, twin spirits bearing happiness and prosperity, likewise associated with Cosmas and Damian and represented by two twin dolls. Mischievous and sweet-toothed, they love toys and treats; it is said they can untangle difficult situations in exchange for sweets. They embody, in the diaspora, the fragile and luminous power of childhood.

Powers & Attributes

twinsjoyprotection

Role in the ROHO universe

A fragment of Onionkupón's Breath, bound to one of the five elements of the cosmic balance.

Sacred Mask

A mask carved of ancient energy — a symbol of the cosmic force proper to its pantheon.

Era

3,000–1,000 BCE — Cycle of Elemental Powers

Spiritual Lesson

To understand the nature of one's own balance and the wisdom hidden behind every trial.

Words of the Spirit

“The waters keep the memory of what the earth forgets.”

Frequently asked questions

Who are the Ibeji?

Ibeji designates the twin orishas, spirits of childhood, joy, luck and fecundity, in Candomblé and Santería. Inherited from the Yoruba tradition in which twins are sacred, they are syncretised with the twin saints Cosmas and Damian. Mischievous and sweet-toothed, they love toys and sweets.

Why are the Ibeji linked to Cosmas and Damian?

During slavery, the Africans deported to Brazil and Cuba hid their orishas behind Catholic figures. The Ibeji, twin child deities, were identified with the twin saints Cosmas and Damian, martyred physicians. In Brazil they are celebrated on 27 September, the day after the Church's date, by preparing caruru and handing out sweets to children.

What is the bond between the Ibeji and the other orishas?

The Afro-Brazilian myths often present the Ibeji as the sons of Xangô and Iansã, raised by Oxum, the orisha of the fresh waters and of motherhood. They are also linked to the erês, the child spirits of Candomblé. In Cuba they are named Jimaguas or Ibeyi, twin spirits bearing happiness, represented by two dolls and honoured for the prosperity they bring.

Sources and references

Lydia Cabrera, El Monte (1954)
Roger Bastide, Le Candomblé de Bahia (rite nagô) (1958)
Reginaldo Prandi, Mitologia dos Orixás (2001)