Twins Natural Wonder

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Nyet is the only Russian word I know.  I blame Hollywood which always made Russia the bad guy.  I don’t know what twins are called in Russia.  They are called amawele in the language isiZulu.

Advances in medicine have given us a better understanding of how women carry two individuals in their body during pregnancy, let alone triplets or more than that. 
That was impossible in ancient history.  That is why the people called amaZulu, who live in South Africa, have the present royal family.  It all started with twins. 

King Jama ka Ndaba had one wife, something unheard of in that kingdom, where men had more than one.  The king and queen had one son Phalo who died.  When the queen became pregnant again, she gave birth to twin girls. 
The royal court was aghast.  Twins were a bad omen and tradition had to be followed, which meant killing one of the princesses.*
The king had a naming ceremony for both girls.  He called them Mmama and Mkabayi.  There was rumbling in the royal court.  The king’s intention was clear.  He gave both princesses names, because he had no intention of following tradition.  Mkabayi was the twin that was supposed to be sent home i.e. killed.

King Jama refused.  Princess Mkabayi never married, became a military ruler and persuaded her father to marry Mthaniya.  They had a son Senzangakhona, the ancestor of the present king.

*Source: Buzani kuMkabayi, written by C.T. Msimang
Nonqaba waka Msimang is the author of Sweetness
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