Polycephaly is the condition of having more than onehead. The term is derived from theGreekstemspoly (Greek: "πολύ") meaning "many" andkephalē (Greek: "κεφαλή") meaning "head".[1] A polycephalic organism may be thought of as one being with asupernumerary body part, or as two or more beings with a shared body.
Two-headed animals (called bicephalic or dicephalic) and three-headed (tricephalic) animals are the only type of multi-headed creatures seen in the real world, and form by the same process asconjoined twins frommonozygotic twin embryos.[2]
In humans, there are two forms of twinning that can lead to two heads being supported by a single torso.[3] Indicephalus parapagus dipus, the two heads are side by side.[4] Incraniopagus parasiticus, the two heads are joined directly to each other, but only one head has a functional torso. In most cases, it is an underdeveloped twin head is joined to the head of a developed twin.[5] Documented survival into childhood is extremely rare.[6] Survival to adulthood is rare, but does occur in some forms of dicephalus parapagus dipus, as was reported in a case of dicephalic twin born at 36 weeks of gestation to a multigravida mother in central India.[7][8]
In humans, as in other animals, partial twinning can result in formation of two heads supported by a single torso. Two ways this can happen are dicephalus parapagus, where there are two heads side by side, andcraniopagus parasiticus, where the heads are joined directly.[9]
In dicephalus parapagus dipus, the two heads are side by side, on a torso with two legs, with varying levels of twinning of organs and structures within the torso. The shared body may have four arms altogether, or three arms, or two arms only. There are Greek-based medical terms for the variations, e.g. dibrachius means two-armed and tribrachius means three-armed. Both heads may contain a fully formed brain, or one may beanencephalic.[10]If carried to term, dicephalus parapagus twins are usually stillborn, or die soon after birth. Survival to adulthood does however occasionally occur in cases where the twins are born with three to four arms.[11] Chances of survival are improved if two complete hearts are present.[12] Separation surgery is contraindicated, except in cases where one of the twins is clearly dying.[13] Case reports of early diagnosis and outcomes, including the Turkish prenatal case and the Nigerian anencephalic variant, add credibility to claims about survival and medical complexity[14]
Giacomo and Giovanni Battista Tocci (born between 1875 and 1877), were dicephalus parapagus dipus twins who survived to adulthood. Each had his own pair of arms. They learned to speak several languages, but never learned to walk.Abigail and Brittany Hensel, born in 1990, are another instance of dicephalus parapagus dipus twins who grew up. They were born with two functional arms, plus a vestigial third arm, which was surgically removed. Each twin has her own complete head, heart and spine, and controls one arm and one leg. They developed goodmotor skills, and completed courses at school and university.[15]
Drawing of the eighteenth century Boy of Bengal, affected by craniopagus parasiticus.
Craniopagus parasiticus is an extremely rare condition in which the two heads are joined directly together, and one twin (known as the autosite) has a functioning torso, while the other (known as the parasite) has only a vestigial torso. The parasite is supported by blood supplied from the autosite head. This threatens the life of the autosite by placing an additional burden on the autosite's vital organs. Operations to separate the two heads have been performed in the hope of saving the autosite.
Skeletal structure in a case of dicephalus parapagus dipus. From: Hirst & Piersol, 1893.
Polycephalic animals often make local news headlines when found. The most commonly observed two-headed animals areturtles andsnakes.[16] Other species with known two-headed occurrences include cattle, sheep, pigs, cats, dogs, andfish. In 1894, a two-headedpartridge was reported inBoston,Massachusetts.[17] It was notable as a dicephalic animal for surviving into adulthood with two perfect heads. Scientists have published in modern journals about dissecting such animals since at least the 1930s.[16] A 1929 paper studied the anatomy of a two-headed kitten.[16]
Polycephalic animals, due to their rarity, are a subject of novelty. "We", a two-headed albino rat snake born in captivity in 2000 with both female and male genitalia, was scheduled to be auctioned oneBay with an expected price tag of $150,000 (£87,000), though their policy of not trading in live animals prevented the sale.[18][19] On October 31, 2006, the World Aquarium[20] announced that "We" was adopted by Nutra Pharma Corporation, a biotechnology company developing treatments using modified cobra venom and cobratoxin.[21] "We" died ofnatural causes at age seven in June 2007, not long after being acquired by Nutra Pharma.[19]
Two-headed farm animals sometimes travel withanimal side shows to county fairs. Most notably, The Venice Beach Freakshow supposedly houses the largest collection of two-headed specimens in the world, including over 20 two-headed animals that are alive. Many museums of natural history contain preserved two-headed animals. The Museum of Lausanne[22] inLausanne, Switzerland, and theRipley's Believe It or Not! museum inGatlinburg,Tennessee, have collections of preserved two-headed animals. A very well preserved 2-headed lamb is on display inLlanidloes museum in Wales. A live two-headed tortoise named Janus can be seen at the Natural History Museum in Geneva, Switzerland.[23][24]
In cases where multiple heads are fully developed and non-parasitic, they share control of the organs and limbs, though the specific structure of the connections varies. Animals often move in a disoriented and dizzy fashion, with the brains "arguing" with each other; some animals simplyzig-zag without getting anywhere.[25] Snake heads may attack and even attempt to swallow each other. Thus, polycephalic animals survive poorly in the wild compared to normal monocephalic animals.
Most two-headed snakes only live for a few months, though some have been reported to live a full life and even reproduced, with the offspring born normal. A two-headed blackrat snake with separate throats and stomachs survived for 20 years. There is some speculation that theinbreeding of snakes in captivity increases the chances of a two-headed birth.[26]
It is difficult to draw the line between what is considered "one animal with two heads" or "two animals that share a body".
Abigail and Brittany Hensel, born in 1990, were given two distinct names at birth. They identify as two people, and are recognised as two people legally and socially.[27] On the other hand, Syafitri, born 2006 inIndonesia, were given one name by their parents because they only had one heart.[28] In early Germany, conjoined twins that could not be separated were legally considered one person.[29]Millie and Christine McKoy were often referred to in the singular, including by themselves, with the name "Millie-Christine",[30] as well as plural.[31]
InPeter Mogila’s 17-centuryCatechism, the following instructions are given for baptism of polycephalic infants: should there be distinct heads and distinct chests, this means there are separate people each of whom must be baptised normally; if the heads and chests are not completely distinct from each other, however, one person must be baptised normally but baptism of the other(s) should be preluded by the formula "if not already baptised".[32]
With other animals, polycephaly is usually described as "one animal with two heads".[18][33] One of the heads, especially in three-headed animals, may be poorly developed and malformed, and not "participate" much.[25]
The February 22, 2007, issue of the journalBiology Letters detailed the discovery of a 122 million-year-old fossil of a two-headedHyphalosaurus lingyuanensis, marking the earliest known occurrence of axial bifurcation.[34]
Lycosthenes' case, fromOf Monsters and Prodigies (Pare, 1649)
Lycosthenes, who lived in the 1500s, described a pair of adult female twins who had separate necks but one body. Both heads ate, drank, slept, and spoke. They had to beg from door to door, "everie one giveing (sic) to her freely". They were banished toBavaria due to fears pregnant women who saw them would give birth to similar children; nothing else is known of them.[35]
On June 13, 2003, twin girls named Huda and Manal Abdel Nasser Mohammed Mahmoud were born in Asyut, Egypt.[39]
In 2006, Syafitri was born inIndonesia. "Syafitri's parents gave the girls only one name because they shared one heart."[28] Syafitri died in 2006.
In 2007, Mary Grace and Mary Divine Asis were born in the Philippines with only one heart.[40] They died on April 30, 2008.[41]
On August 25, 2008, a baby boy named Kiron was born with two heads in south-westernBangladesh.[42] The baby was described by thegynaecologist present at the birth as having "one stomach and he is eating normally with his two mouths. He has one genital organ and a full set of limbs". He died on August 28, 2009.[43]
In July 2009, dicephalic twins were born in Indonesia with two hearts but sharing all other internal organs.[44]
In 2011, Sueli Ferreira gave birth to a child with two heads inCampina Grande, inParaíba state, Brazil, but the baby died a few hours later because of lack of oxygen to one of the heads.[45]
On December 19, 2011, a pair of male twins, Emanoel and Jesus Nazare, were born inMarajó Island,Brazil. The children had two heads, two legs and two arms, sharing all the body below the neck. Each child had a separate spine, but shared a heart, liver, lungs and pelvis, and both brains functioned. The boys were featured on the Channel 4 programmeBodyshock on December 19, 2012, where it was reported they had died at six months.[46][45]
In March 2014, dicephalic twin girls were delivered viacaesarian section at Cygnus JK Hindu Hospital in Sonipat, Haryana, in northernIndia. The babies reportedly have two heads, two necks and two spinal columns but share all major organs.[47]
Craniopagus parasiticus is a condition in which a parasitic twin head with an undeveloped or underdeveloped body is attached to the head of a developed twin. Only four cases have been documented by modern medicine to have survived birth:[48]
In 1783 the "Two-Headed Boy of Bengal" was born in India; the second head was joined roughly upside down on top of the developed twin's head. The boy survived until 1787 when killed by a snakebite.
In 2003 Rebeca Martinez was born in the Dominican Republic with an extra head but died after surgery at the age of 8 weeks.[49]
In 2004 Egyptian Naglaa Mohamed gave birth toManar Maged who had the head and undeveloped torso of another child attached. In 2005 the second head was removed and later that year Naglaa appeared onThe Oprah Winfrey Show with her surviving child.[50] Manar died from a brain infection in 2006.[51]
On January 20, 2021, a baby was born with two heads at the Elias Hospital inBucharest,Romania, but died some hours after being born.[52]
Two-faced kitten, LausanneTwo-headed cat born in Paris, 1773. It only lived for a few hours.
There have been numerous reports of two-faced cats; most die soon after birth. Reports of two-headed kittens are common, relative to other animals, because of their status as household pets.Recent two-headed kittens include:
On May 20, 2020, a two-faced kitten named Biscuits and Gravy was born in Oregon. He died after three days.[53]
On June 11, 2013, a two-faced kitten named Deucy was born inAmity, Oregon. She died two days later.[54]
In November 2008, a two-faced kitten was born inPerth, Australia.[55]
A two-headed calf was born in Frankston,Texas, on February 13, 2009. Reportedly, the owner/rancher, J. R. Newman immediately took the calf to his local veterinarian for examination/treatment. The veterinarian, Dr. James Brown, was quoted by a local reporter as saying, "I've seen slight variations [of this condition] but nothing like this before. This is by no means normal."[62]
In 1577, a lamb with three heads was born inBlandy, France, and illustrated inAmbroise Pare'sOf Monsters and Prodigies. All three heads would bleat simultaneously, the center head being the largest of the three. It appears to have survived into adulthood.[35]
Maine's Conant Museum had an adult sheep skeleton with two heads.[65]
A baby turtle of unknown species was also reported inHavana,Cuba, in 2005.[75]
In 2006, a two-headed, six-limbed soft-shell turtle in Singapore named "Double Happiness" was also featured on a local television program, and again on another program in late 2006.[76]
In 2006, a paper published by the BritishRoyal Society reported the discovery of a fossil of a two-headedembryo orneonate of the long-neckedchoristodere reptileHyphalosaurus, which was the first record of fossilized polycephaly.[82]
Humbaba, the guardian of the Cedar Forest, where the gods lived. A description from Georg Burckhardt translation ofGilgamesh says, "he had the paws of a lion and a body covered in thorny scales; his feet had the claws of a vulture, and on his head were the horns of a wild bull; his tail and phallus each ended in a snake's head."
Greek mythology contains a number of multi-headed creatures.Typhon, a vast grisly monster with many snake heads, is often described as having several offspring withEchidna, a creature with the lower body of a serpent but the upper body of a beautiful woman. Their offspring, by one source or another, account for many of the major monsters of Greek mythos, including:
Cerberus – a monstrous multi-headed dog that guards the gate toHades.[87]
Zahhak, an evil figure inIranian mythology - also evident in ancient Iranianfolklore asAži Dahāka (Azh dahak) - is the most significant and long-lasting of theažis of theAvesta, the earliest religious texts ofZoroastrianism. He is described as a monster with three mouths, six eyes, and three heads (presumably meaning three heads with one mouth and two eyes each), cunning, strong and demonic. But in other respects Aži Dahāka has human qualities, and is never a mere animal.
Though usually depicted with one head, some deities likeGanesha (inHeramba form) andShiva (Sadashiva) have aspects where they are depicted with multiple heads; five in this case. TheVishvarupa form ofVishnu is described as having infinite heads.
Besides deities, demons (asura andrakshasa) may be depicted with multiple heads. The demon-kingRavana is depicted and described as having ten heads, although sometimes he is shown with only nine heads because he has sacrificed a head to convince Shiva.Trishira, his son, is depicted with three heads.
Animal races in Hindu mythology likeNāgas (serpents) may have multiple heads. The NagaShesha is depicted with five or seven hoods, but said to have infinite hoods.Uchchaihshravas is a celestial seven-headed horse. The divine whiteelephantAiravata is depicted with multiple heads, trunks and tusks.
TheTalmud (Brachot 61a) says that originallyAdam was created as a single body with two faces (which were then separated into two bodies - male (Adam) & female (Eve)).[91][92]
The Zohar (introduction 1:9B / p. 9B) speaks of descendants ofCain with 2 heads.[93][94]
The Talmud (Menachot 37a) records an incident in which Phlimo askedJudah the Prince which head a two headed person should put onTefillin. Judah was initially dismissive, but then another man came in saying that his wife had just given birth to a two headed baby, and asked a (different)halachic question.[95][96]
^Пётр (Могила).Требник митрополита Петра Могилы. Том 1. Информацийно-видавничий центр Украинской Православной Церкви, 1996 (1646). 860 с. С. 32—33 (In Ukrainian and Church Slavonic)
^"Talmud Bavli Tractate Berakhot".sefaria.org (in Aramaic). RetrievedOctober 4, 2017. דאמר ר' ירמיה בן אלעזר דו פרצופין ברא הקב"ה באדם הראשון... רב ושמואל חד אמר פרצוף וחד אמר זנב
^Simon, Maurice."The Soncino Babylonian Talmud Tractate BERAKOTH"(PDF).halakhah.com. Soncino. RetrievedOctober 4, 2017. R. Jeremiah b. Eleazar said: God created two countenances in the first man,8 as it says, Behind and before hast Thou formed me.9 And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman.10 Rab and Samuel explained this differently. One said that [this 'rib'] was a face, the other that it was a tail.11 ... 8. And out of one of them Eve was made. 9. Ps. CXXXIX, 5. E.V. 'Thou host hemmed me in'. 10. Gen. II, 22. 11. I.e., projected like a tail.
^Bleich, J. David (1998).Bioethical Dilemmas: A Jewish Perspective, Volume 1. KTAV Publishing House. pp. 311–312.ISBN9780881254730. RetrievedOctober 4, 2017.25. Seder ha-Dorot, Tanna ve-Amoralm, s.v. . Pelemo, cites a state-ment of the Zohar indicating that Cain was exiled to a place known as "Arks," a locale in which everyone was born with two heads. Seder ha-Dorot explains R. Judah's retort as indicat-ing that Pelemo should go into exile to the same place to which Cain was exiled and that in that place he might appropriately pose his question but that elsewhere the question is frivolous and the intelocutor is deserving of excommunication. See also Zohar, Parashat Va-Ye, rei, p. 157a, and Zohar, introduction, p. 9b. The latter source speaks of descendants of Cain possessing two heads. Cf., R. Chaim Eleazar Shapiro, Ot klayyim ve-Sha-tom 27:9, note 13. See also Zohar, Hashmattot, Berrishit, pp. 2536-254a.
^Matt, Daniel Chanan (2004).The Zohar, volume 1. Stanford University Press. p. 63.ISBN9780804747479. RetrievedOctober 4, 2017."וארקא (Ve-arqa), And earth—the verse should read וארעא (ve-ar'a), [469] but ארקא (arqa) is one of those seven earths below, [470] site of descendants of Cain. After he was banished from the face of the earth, [471] he descended there, generating offspring. [472] He blundered there, knowing nothing. It is a dual earth, dualized by darkness and light. [473] Two officials rule there, one ruling darkness, the other light, inciting one another. When Cain descended there, they joined together—were completed as one—entirely befitting the offspring of Cain. So they have two heads [474] like two snake, but the one of light rules—prevailing, defeating the other. So those of darkness merged in those of light, and they became one. Those two officials are Mrira and Kastimon, [475] who resemble six-winged holy angels. One resembles an ox, the other an eagle, but when they join they are transformed into the image of a human being. [476] ... footnote 474.two heads On the two-headed descendants of Cain, see Beit ha-Midrash, 4:151-52; Judah ben Barzillai, Peirush Sefer Yetsirah, 173; Tosafot, Menahot 37a, s.v. o qum gelei; Zohar 1:157a; 2:80a; ZH 9b; Ginzberg, Legends, 5:143 n. 34; Ta-Shma, HaNigleh she-ba-Nistar, 125, n.84.
^"The Soncino Babylonian Talmud Tractate Menachot"(PDF).halakhah.com. RetrievedOctober 4, 2017.Pelemo enquired of Rabbi, If a man has two heads on which one must he put the tefillin?' 'You must either leave',10 he replied, 'or regard yourself under the ban'. In the meantime there came a man [to the school] saying, 'I have begotten a first-born child with two heads, how much must I give the priest?'11 An old man came forward and ruled that he must give [the priest] ten sela's... [footnotes] (10) Sc. the school. Rabbi thought that this question was put merely from a desire to scoff at him. (11) For his redemption. The fixed sum for redemption was five shekels (sela's in the Rabbinic tongue), cf. Num. XVIII, 16.
^"Talmude Bavli Tractate Menachot".Sefaria.org (in Aramaic). RetrievedOctober 4, 2017.בעא מיניה פלימו מרבי מי שיש לו שני ראשים באיזה מהן מניח תפילין א"ל או קום גלי או קבל עלך שמתא אדהכי אתא ההוא גברא א"ל איתיליד לי ינוקא דאית ליה תרי רישי כמה בעינן למיתב לכהן אתא ההוא סבא תנא ליה חייב ליתן לו י' סלעים
