Search results for ""author william viney""

Human twins have many meanings and different histories. They have been seen as gods and monsters, signs of danger, death and sexual deviance. They are taken as objects of wonder and violent repression, the subjects of scientific experiment. Now millions are born through fertility technologies. Their history is often buried in philosophies and medical theories, religious and scientific practices, and countless stories of devotion and tragedy. In this history of superstitions and marvels, fantasies and experiments William Viney – himself a twin – shows how the use and abuse of twins has helped to shape the world in which we live. This book has been written for twins and for anyone interested in their historical, global and political impact.

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'A global guide to the myths, legends and science of twins ... spans sacred west African sculptures, mythology and 1920s flappers to present a community defined by both similarity and uniqueness' Financial Times 'Beautiful and definitive' Chris van Tulleken The first illustrated global exploration of the cultural significance of twins. The birth of twins is unusual. Throughout history they have been revered as gods and reviled as monsters; they have been adored as amusing music hall double acts and feared as duplicitous criminals; and they have been studied by anthropologists and scientists engaged in the nature vs nurture debate and genetic experiments. Their existence challenges the norm; they are seen by singletons as ‘other’ and regarded with an equal measure of wonder and distrust. Do twins have special powers? Does a twin birth present a good or bad omen? Are they telepathic? Should we fear the appearance of the ghostly doppelganger? From the Aztec creation twins Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca to the divine opposites of Greek myth, Apollo and Artemis, and from criminal gang leaders the Kray twins to the disconcerting Grady twins in The Shining, this visually arresting and often disturbing book explores and interrogates twindom in all its facets in a wide range of cultures and media from ancient times to today. The visual presentation of twins, cultural attitudes to twins and scientific uses of twins are examined within three broad themes: twins of myth and legend and the instruction their stories provide; the anatomical, sociological and scientific studies of twins from Galton to genetic engineering; and twins as entertainers, sources of spectacle and community. Punctuating the cabinets of thematic imagery are nine thought-provoking essays that provide considered analysis and intriguing investigation of the myriad meanings, responses to and uses of twinkind.

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