“The mystery of Yorùbá Ìbejì (Twins) is the mystery of balance where Taiwo leads the way, and Kehinde follows.” — Àyánkọ́lá Àyánwuyì
In a recent captivating conversation, The Ancestral News sat down with renowned documentary filmmaker and writer, Ayankola Ayanwuyi, whose new film delves into one of the most mystifying and sacred aspects of Yorùbá cosmology and the phenomenon of Ìbejì. With a passion for cultural storytelling, Ayanwuyi has once again directed his lens toward the ancestral, spiritual, and communal wisdom that defines Yorùbá identity.
This latest work, a compelling documentary titled “Ìbejì: Hidden Truth About Twins,” features revered figures such as Araba Ifayemi Elebuibon, Chief Awoniran Ifabamise Adelani, traditional monarchs, many Ìbejì (twins), and community elders of Ìgbó-Ọrà, the world home of twins in Nigeria’s Oyo State. The film brings to light the metaphysical, spiritual, and historical perspectives of twins in Yorùbá belief.
In the documentary, Ayankola Ayanwuyi takes viewers on a visual and oral journey through Igbó-ọrà, a community reputed for having one of the highest concentrations of twins birth in the world. There, spirituality and science coexist in daily life. The twins speak for themselves in the film – some as adults, others as children – explaining their lived experiences, taboos, dreams, and inner knowing.
“In the Yorùbá community, twins are a special kind of blessing,” says Ayanwuyi. “We say Ọ̀kan mbá bí, èjì ló wọlé tọ̀ mí wá – one child is a gift, but when two come together, it’s a spiritual phenomenon. They do not arrive alone; they come bearing cosmic significance.”
Ìbejì are not just siblings born together,” explains Araba Ifayemi Elebuibon in the documentary. “They are Òrìṣà incarnate. They carry joy (ayọ̀), wealth (ọlá), and at times, trials. Their existence challenges linear logic and invites us to consider the twin nature of all things – light and shadow, body and soul.” Monarchs and elders share myths of how the first Ìbejì were deified, how Taiwo is sent first to test the world, while Kehinde, though second-born, is considered the elder – a paradox that reflects Yorùbá philosophical depth.
Orisa Ibeji documentary by Ayankola Àyànwùyí
Ayankola Ayanwuyi, born in Ogbomoso, is no stranger to bringing Yorùbá oral history and cosmology to life through visual media. His previous works such as “Oranfe Onile Ina: The Progenitor of the Yoruba People from Ife-Oodaye”, and “Journey into Egbe-Orun,” have received international attention and are used as educational resources in universities and cultural institutions across Africa and the diaspora. This new documentary on Ìbejì is more than just an ethnographic film, it’s a spiritual offering. Through poetic visuals, sacred chants, archival references, and firsthand narratives, the film captures what textbooks often miss.
I’m not just telling stories,” Ayanwuyi says.
“I’m continuing a conversation with the ancestors, translating what they’ve encoded in rituals, songs, shrines, and practices into something the younger generation and the wider world can understand.”
One of the most mysterious and beautiful locations in the film is Ìgbóọrà especially during its twins festival. Here, twins are revered, protected and praised. The town pulses with ancient knowledge and rituals specifically designed for the care of Ìbejì. Igbó-ọrà appears as both a literal and symbolic “womb” of the twins.
Ayankola Ayanwuyi, also known as Israel Ayanwuyi is the author of “Esu Is Not Satan,” a book that demystifies and decolonizes Yorùbá spirituality.
“My mission is to preserve Africa’s rich cultural heritage, especially in an age when oral traditions risk fading into silence,” he says.
When asked what he hopes the audience will take away from his documentary, Ayanwuyi pauses before answering:
“That Ìbejì are not accidents. They are signs. They remind us that the world is made in twos (Méjì méjì la dá ilé ayé). In recognizing twins, we recognize the divine balance that sustains creation.”
“In Ìgbó Ọ̀rà, the trees seem to grow in pairs, the elders speak in parables, and even the wind moves with dual rhythms,” Ayanwuyi describes with wonder. “Filming there wasn’t just a documentary process – it was a spiritual initiation.”
Ìbejì: Identical from Within” was premiere at festivals in Lagos, Accra, and Salvador-Bahia, before streaming globally. Through this work, Ayankola Ayanwuyi once again positions himself as one of the most vital voices, documenting oral traditions and teaching African ancestral knowledge.
