Admin The superstitions of Medieval times hit badly on twins.
The life cycle wasn’t something strictly biological. There weren’t completely correct theories about pregnancy. Some assumed, that demons were living inside the woman’s womb. To anatomize corpses was forbidden. Many theories were made up, mostly mixed with religion and superstition. So it isn’t a surprise, that outstanding occurrences needed exceptionally stupid theories.
Look at these and try not to laugh ( or to cry, because people got killed over them)
Two babies in the same womb, meant two sexual partners of the mother. So logically, giving birth to twins, was an evidence of adultery. Either the mother lets one of the babies disappear, or gets punished for having sex with another man out of wedlock. This had to happen, before anyone noticed the birth. Consequently, there weren’t that many twins alive at the same time. Much more humane explanations came up in the later Middle Ages. Eating specific fruits e.g. plums, during pregnancy, could lead to this phenomena. Or maybe a bird enters the room of the woman and doesn’t find it’s way out instantly. This took the guilt away from the mothers and saved countless innocent souls.
But woe to her, who gives birth to Siamese Twins.
It was common sense, that her sexual partner could only have been Satan himself. For this capital sin, the mother and her babies had to be executed. Sometimes by the sword and sometimes with fire.
