Abstract
Galton was fascinated by twins. In this he was not unique, and throughout the ages people have both welcomed twins and feared them. The belief that twins were the possessors of supernatural powers can be traced back to earliest times. Twins sometimes were thought to be the bearers of good fortune or to have second sight. In many of the folk tales the twins appear as gifted heroes, as magicians, as healing gods with miraculous powers such as the ability to forecast the weather, or control it, and the ability to promote or inhibit fertility. Sometimes in these myths, one twin may be good and the other evil. One may symbolise darkness, the other light. One may represent the sun, the other the moon.
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© 1993 The Galton Institute
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Mascie-Taylor, C.G.N. (1993). Galton and the Use of Twin Studies. In: Keynes, M. (eds) Sir Francis Galton, FRS. Studies in Biology, Economy and Society. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-12206-6_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-12206-6_9
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