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Once in a while, a baby is born with a caul,
or veil on its head or encased in it. This is a natural membrane,
but has folklore an beliefs attached to the occurrence. My own great
uncle was born with a caul and spent his nearly ninety years telling of
this feeling or that and usually right.
Many believe that the child in the caul
will have unusually strong powers of psychic abilit and be naturally
empathic by nature. The caul, or veil, is supposed to keep
contained, the energy and memories of previous existence and
ability. Most babies born without the caul are said to have lost
those memories and abilities during the birth process and regain them
sometimes, in their lives.
During the centuries of the middle ages,
a caul bearer was seen as a very good sign of luck. Villages felt
blessed to have a bearer among them and often looked for indications
from the bearer about crops, and markets, etc.
A caul was gathered with clean
unbleached cotton cloth, dried in the sun and wrapped up for the mother
to keep. Many mothers sold their baby's caul to sailors as it was
considered a charm to ward off drowning.
In the Victorian era, a small bit was
tucked into a hair locket or petite pointe embroidery and carried as a
momentum, especially if the child succumbed in child birth in a time
when the infant mortality rate was so high.
© 2009 JLee Davis
Auras
- The Energy of Life
Victorian
Funeral Customs
Interesting information on the
customs of funerals and mourning in the Victorian era.
Momento
Mori
Death Photography and Momentos
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