The Caul

From The Red Pill

A child born with a caul — a thin membrane covering the head — would probably be notorious in some way. This caul was supposed to be a preventive against shipwreck and drowning, and was accordingly purchased by sailors. This idea of the value of a caul was widespread, as would appear from numerous advertisements in the newspapers. One of these, which appeared in the London Times in 1835, was as follows: "A Child's Caul to be disposed of, a well-known preservative against drowning, &c., price 10 guineas." And a caul has been advertised for sale in a Liverpool paper in this year (1891). -From Folklore of the Isle of Man, A.W.Moore, 1891 "In Icelandic tradition the caul, or fetal membrane appearing over the face at birth, is associated with a guardian spirit called a fylgja. This fylgja can take many forms after birth, including an animal, an inanimate object (such as a cloak), or another human being, and often serves as a kind of warning against potential danger. Interestingly, the caul itself has been regarded as bestowing a protective influence against drowning in Anglo-Saxon culture (it was cited in this context, for example, at the beginning of Charles Dickens' classic novel David Copperfield.)" Development and its Connection to Human Potential After Birth by Thomas Armstrong, PhD., Journal of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health, Vol. 14, Number 3-4, Spring/Summer 2000, p. 294.]

Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary defines a caul as "membranes or portions of the amnion covering the head of the fetus at birth."

The Caul is alternatly referred to as a "Veil".

AMNIOMANCY : The rare and arcane method of divination by studying the remnants of the mother's placenta over the head of the newborn baby. A complete caul is said to be a protection against drowning. Rarely used in contemporary culture, it was particularly popular in Victoria England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. -Dictionary of Divination

Contents 1 Legends of the Caul 2 Curse of the Caul 3 Caulbearers 4 External Links 5 Books

Legends of the Caul

The appearance of a child born with a caul was said to be a sign of good fortune. Such a birth was said to herald a special destiny, a foreshadowing of greatness or glory. It was also believed the manifestation of a caul at ones birth was an indicator of clairvoyance or "the Sight". Great significance was placed on the removal and preservation of cauls, improper treatment according to some legends, fated the caulbearer to become a vampire.

The possession of a caul was said to bring good luck and was also thought to be a protection against drowning. As such, these charms were of a particular value to sailors in medieval times for which they often paid dear.

It is told that around the 15th century there was an order called the Benedanti (Good Walkers) in Italy, it made up of persons born in the caul. At night in their sleep (or possibly in a trance) they did battle with witches who would destroy the harvest. From birth this talisman was saved and worn as a token of their position.

Curse of the Caul

Children of the Caul who are said to be marked by fate are often considered cursed, perhaps in the same vein as the supposed Chinese curse, "May You Live in Interesting Times". While said to have remarkable abilities as healers, diviners and insight and from birth, they have also faced persecution.

Caulbearers

The proper name for a person born with such a veil is "Caulbearers".

Famous Persons

• Lord Byron "George Gordon, better known as Lord Byron, was born with a caul and a

club-foot on January 22, 1788, in London."

• Alexander the Great
• Queen Christina of Sweden I was born with a caul and only had the face, arms and legs free. My entire body was hairy and I had a coarse, strong voice. For this reason the midwives who received me initially believed that I was a boy. They filled the castle with their false shouts of joy, which for a moment deceived even the king himself . . . but a profound embarrassment spread among the women when they realized that they had been mistaken."
• Kahlil Gibran "The year was 1922, and in the crowded Syrian-Lebanese immigrant community of Boston's South End, a boy was born who family and

neighbors knew would be remarkable. He had been born with a caul--that is, with part of the fetal membrane over his head...

• J.G.Farrell "J.G.Farrell (1935–1979) was born with a caul, long considered a sign

of good fortune."

• Jesus
• Liberace "The showman, we are told (Pyron often refers to Liberace as "the showman", or "the entertainer"), "entered the world still enveloped in

the delicate, transparent membrane of the birth sac. He was born with a caul.""

• Frank Albert Jones "When he was a small child his mother told him that he had been born

with a veil over his left eye, and that this veil would enable him to see spirits."

Fictional Persons

• David Copperfield
• Shakespeare's Hamlet
• Danny in Stephen King's "The Shining."

External Links

• CaulBearer.org
• CUSTOMS AND SUPERSTITIONS CONNECTED WITH BIRTH, MARRIAGE, AND DEATH.
• CONFLICTING VERSIONS: THE STRANGE TALE OF PAOLO GASPARUTTO The following extracts are taken from the archives of the Inquisition. They record investigations carried out by Italian inquisitors and other churchmen in the region of Friuli between 1575 and 1634. A total of about 850 people were investigated to see whether or not they were guilty of "heretical pravity" (i.e. held heretical views). The extracts concern only one of the persons involved, Paolo Gasparutto, and are divided into three sections: (a) statements from witnesses about things they had allegedly heard Paolo say, (b) questions put directly to him under oath, and his replies, and (c) the sentence of the inquisitors. These particular proceedings took place between 1575 and 1581 in the town of Cividale in the convent of San Francesco [DSTC]
• The vampire myth has evolved from early times from stories or legends of the undead based upon rumour and ignorance - from voodoo in the Caribbean to sects in Europe.
• Crimes of Christianity: The caul of the baby Jesus was at Rome, and also the navel of St. Joseph.
• Frank Albert Jones - Black artist
• Queen Christina of Sweden
• Kahlil Gibran - Painter, sculptor, inventor and craftsman
• J.G.Farrell - Writer
• Liberace - American musician and entertainer

Books

• The night battles: witchcraft and agrarian cults in the sixteenth and seventeenth centurie
• Book review: Carlo Ginzburg. The Night Battles: Witchcraft and Agrarian Cults in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. Translated by Anne and John Tedeschi. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1983.