Twincest
Encyclopedia
Incest between twins, also known as "twincest", is a subclass of sibling incest
and includes both heterosexual and homosexual relationships. While in modern Western European culture, such behaviour is considered taboo
and is quite rare, incest between twins is a common feature in Indo-European
, Indonesia
n and Oceania
n mythology
, and there are a few societies in which the prohibition on it is limited or it is partially accepted.
nese culture, it was common for a set of twin
s of the opposite sex to marry each other, since it was assumed that they had sex in utero. The standard anthropological explanation of this custom is based in explications of the conflicts between descent
and affinity in Balinese society. Twin incest was a common feature of Balinese mythology
—several southeast Asia
n creation myths prominently feature a twin or sibling couple. In one of the more common stories, the brother marries his sister and she bears his child, but on discovering that they are siblings, they are forced to part. As in many other mythologies, the Balinese deities frequently marry their siblings without any of the issues faced by human incestuous couples.
's Die Walküre
, and a feature in some Greek mythology
, such as the story of Byblis
and Kaunos
. There are strong parallels between the Germanic portrayals of twin incest and those of the Balinese Ramayana
, and some scholars have speculated an early Indo-European
link. The theme also appears in English literature
, such as the incest between the twins Polydore and Urania in Delarivier Manley
's The New Atlantis. Sexual conflict and incest between twins is also a prominent feature of the contemporary German author Kerstin Hensel's "Grotesque Literature".
In a review of the scholarly literatures on twin homosexuality and twin incest, Ray Bixler concludes that "most same sex homosexual twins, if reared with their co-twins, do not attempt or even want to seduce them in adulthood". His study draws on Edvard Westermarck
's hypothesis
that sexual desire is generally absent in relationships between members of a nuclear family
.
One case of incest between twins, in which a pair of twins who were adopted by separate families as babies later married without knowing they were brother and sister, was mentioned in a House of Lords
debate on the Human Fertility and Embryology Bill in January 2008. According to the charity Adults Affected by Adoption, there had been other cases of this sort that had involved siblings. The story was widely publicised in the British press, although its truthfulness was called into question.
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
and includes both heterosexual and homosexual relationships. While in modern Western European culture, such behaviour is considered taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
and is quite rare, incest between twins is a common feature in Indo-European
Indo-European
Indo-European may refer to:* Indo-European languages** Aryan race, a 19th century and early 20th century term for those peoples who are the native speakers of Indo-European languages...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n and Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
n mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
, and there are a few societies in which the prohibition on it is limited or it is partially accepted.
In Balinese society
In traditional BaliBali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
nese culture, it was common for a set of twin
Twin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
s of the opposite sex to marry each other, since it was assumed that they had sex in utero. The standard anthropological explanation of this custom is based in explications of the conflicts between descent
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
and affinity in Balinese society. Twin incest was a common feature of Balinese mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
—several southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n creation myths prominently feature a twin or sibling couple. In one of the more common stories, the brother marries his sister and she bears his child, but on discovering that they are siblings, they are forced to part. As in many other mythologies, the Balinese deities frequently marry their siblings without any of the issues faced by human incestuous couples.
In European culture
Twin incest is a prominent feature in ancient Germanic mythology, and its modern manifestations, such as the relationship between Siegmund and Sieglinde in Richard WagnerRichard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's Die Walküre
Die Walküre
Die Walküre , WWV 86B, is the second of the four operas that form the cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner...
, and a feature in some Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, such as the story of Byblis
Byblis
In Greek mythology, Byblis or Bublis was a daughter of Miletus. Her mother was either Tragasia, Cyanee, daughter of the river-god Meander, or Eidothea, daughter of King Eurytus of Caria. She fell in love with Caunus, her twin brother....
and Kaunos
Kaunos (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Caunus or Kaunos was a son of Miletus, grandson of Apollo and brother of Byblis.Caunus became the object of his own sister's passionate love. From some accounts it appears that Caunus was the first to develop the affection towards her; others describe Byblis' feelings as...
. There are strong parallels between the Germanic portrayals of twin incest and those of the Balinese Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, and some scholars have speculated an early Indo-European
Indo-European
Indo-European may refer to:* Indo-European languages** Aryan race, a 19th century and early 20th century term for those peoples who are the native speakers of Indo-European languages...
link. The theme also appears in English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
, such as the incest between the twins Polydore and Urania in Delarivier Manley
Delarivier Manley
Delarivier Manley was an English novelist of amatory fiction, playwright, and political pamphleteer...
's The New Atlantis. Sexual conflict and incest between twins is also a prominent feature of the contemporary German author Kerstin Hensel's "Grotesque Literature".
In a review of the scholarly literatures on twin homosexuality and twin incest, Ray Bixler concludes that "most same sex homosexual twins, if reared with their co-twins, do not attempt or even want to seduce them in adulthood". His study draws on Edvard Westermarck
Edvard Westermarck
Edvard Alexander Westermarck was a Swedish-speaking Finnish philosopher and sociologist. Among other subjects, he studied exogamy and the incest taboo....
's hypothesis
Westermarck effect
The Westermarck effect, or reverse sexual imprinting, is a hypothetical psychological effect through which people who live in close domestic proximity during the first few years of their lives become desensitized to later sexual attraction. This phenomenon was first hypothesized by Finnish...
that sexual desire is generally absent in relationships between members of a nuclear family
Nuclear family
Nuclear family is a term used to define a family group consisting of a father and mother and their children. This is in contrast to the smaller single-parent family, and to the larger extended family. Nuclear families typically center on a married couple, but not always; the nuclear family may have...
.
One case of incest between twins, in which a pair of twins who were adopted by separate families as babies later married without knowing they were brother and sister, was mentioned in a House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
debate on the Human Fertility and Embryology Bill in January 2008. According to the charity Adults Affected by Adoption, there had been other cases of this sort that had involved siblings. The story was widely publicised in the British press, although its truthfulness was called into question.