The Divine twins are a mytheme of Proto-Indo-European mythology.
- the Greek Dioscuri
- the Vedic Ashvins
- the Lithuanian Ašvieniai
- the Latvian Dieva dēli
- Alcis (gods)
- Romulus and Remus
- Hengest and Horsa
O'Brien (1982) reconstructs a horse goddess with twin offspring, pointing to Gaulish Epona, Irish Macha (the twins reflected in Macha's pair, Liath Macha and Dub Sainglend), Welsh Rhiannon, and Eddaic Freyja in the tale of the construction of the walls of Asgard, seeing a vestige of the birth of hippomorphic twins in Loki in the form of a mare (in place of Freyja) giving birth to eight-legged Sleipnir. The myths surrounding Hengest and Horsa could come from a common source, since they were descendants of Woden and Hengest's name meant "stallion" (in German: Hengst) Shapiro (1982) points to Slavic Volos and Veles, and collects the following comparative properties:
- sons of the Sky God
- brothers of the Sun Maiden
- association with horses
- dual paternity
- saviours at sea
- astral nature
- magic healers
- warriors and providers of divine aid in battle
- divinities of fertility
- association with swans
- divinities of dance
- closeness to human beings
- protectors of the oath
- assisting at birth
- founders of cities
Read more about Divine Twins: Literature
Famous quotes containing the words divine and/or twins:
“But misery still delights to trace
Its ‘semblance in another’s case.
No voice divine the storm allay’d,
No light propitious shone;
When, snatch’d from all effectual aid,
We perish’d, each alone:
But I beneath a rougher sea,
And whelm’d in deeper gulphs than he.”
—William Cowper (1731–1800)
“Celestial Cupid her fam’d son advanc’t,
Holds his dear Psyche sweet intranc’t
After her wandring labours long,
Till free consent the gods among
Make her his eternal Bride,
And from her fair unspotted side
Two blissful twins are to be born,
Youth and Joy; so Jove hath sworn,”
—John Milton (1608–1674)