Pregnancy is always memorable because it is a journey of receiving the most precious gift in life. It is the time when moms have to wait for labor in both excitement and anxiety. In the meantime, moms will need to search for essential information related to healthy pregnancy and labor. And there are always myths to face.
One of the myths is the famous people born in the caul. Is it true? Well, history has told a lot about it so moms need to anticipate it.
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What is a birth caul?
Pregnant mama will probably hear a lot of wonderful things in birth stories and histories. There are many peculiar places where mothers gave birth. In addition, there are also stories about babies being born in the caul. It means the baby was covered by a thin membrane from the amniotic sac.
The caul can only cover the face and head. Yet, sometimes, the membrane covers the babies’ torso. Some people call the membrane a cowl, short, veil, or simply a caul.
During the labor, the membrane will give the baby an ugly appearance. However, the condition is not dangerous. Besides, it will be easily removed after labor. Though this is not something impossible in a birth process, the case is quite rare to occur.
A very rare situation can even occur with the caul covering the babies. It is possible that the caul covering the baby is not made of amniotic tissue. This case will need soft and careful treatment. The nurse has to be very careful with the soft tissue since it might stick to the baby’s skin. The caul will possibly leave a scar if the membrane is not removed carefully.
An extraordinary condition also occurs in babies with a full caul cover. This variation happens when the babies are born completely encased in the membrane sack. It is called an en-caul birth.
Though it looks more peculiar, this type of birth caul is more common. It happens because the bad of water does not burst during the labor. So, the entire body of the baby is still inside the bag.
We usually find superb photos and videos through online media. The condition will show how the baby curled up inside the pregnant mama. The membrane bag is the natural protection that is made by women’s bodies.
This case is nearly impossible to occur to babies in normal labor. The soft tissue will break as the baby ready to born. Therefore, the full birth caul happens mostly in a cesarean section procedure.
This unique case only happens in one out of 80,000 laborers. There are some factors that make the phenomena that unusual. In order to learn how and why the birth caul occurs, we need to learn about what an amniotic bag is.
- The amniotic bag is the bag of water.
- The membrane protects the baby, placenta, and umbilical cord safe.
- The amniotic sac is filled with warm fluid.
The En Caul labors happen because the amniotic bag does not break before the C- Section. Even so, the en caul births are still rare because a ready to deliver baby will usually rupture the sac before the C-Section done. It is due to the size of the babies. Therefore, it is more common to find the En Caul in the premature labors.
The amniotic sac makes the labor safer. It protects the babies from pressure in an intense contraction in natural labor. Meanwhile, during a surgery C-Section, the amniotic sac will reduce the risk of suffocation.
The Myth about Born with the Caul on the Face
Different nations and cultures tell different meanings in a pregnancy myth. Some believe that babies who are born with a placenta wrapping their neck will turn out to be beautiful babies.
Those babies will look good wearing any type of clothing. Different myths are for the birth caul or a thin veil of the skin cover.
Based on the caul baby legends in some countries, babies who are born with a caul on the face will receive good fortune in life. They will be lucky in many ways in their life journey.
The truth is that many famous people born with a caul. That gives evidence that the caul surely brings the fortunate.
Who guides Caulbearers?
In Scandinavian beliefs, a caul was associated with the presence of an accompanying spirit called Fylgja / Fylgjur.
Possess special sensitivities, frequent Deja Vu, to have the ability to navigate between many worlds/great universe and see the future.
The babies with the caul are called caul bearers. Many superstitions entail the condition. Some say that babies will have positive qualities in the future. Many pieces of literature masterpieces have mentioned this en caul myth.
The superstitions on the birth cauls are on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Besides, we can also read the babies born in amniotic sac myths in Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield.
Studies about Babies are Born With a Thin Veil of Skin (The Amniotic Sac) Over their Faces
There is no scientific discussion that can deliver real evidence on how fortunate can be obtained by those who are born with the caul. However, the studies through the internet collect some myths related to birth caul.
Even, some famous people born in the caul are listed in order to complete the results. Here are some of the results:
- The caul bearers will have a different perception, exceptional leadership, and even sainthood.
- In the past, the caul was sold in the market for sailor’s protection against bad luck.
- The birth caul is seen as a bad omen in some of the Eastern European countries.
- In Ireland myth, the seventh daughter of seven daughters who born with the caul will be able to tell the future and fortunes. The caul or veil will be a precious possession for a captain.
- In some countries, babies who are born with the caul are believed to be a prophet in the future.
List of Famous Caulbearers
Who are the famous people born in the caul? There are many famous people born in the caul. Some of the famous caulbearers are politicians, congressmen, actors, scientists, and even a famous author and poet.
Here are 26 Famous People who were born behind the veil :
- The world’s most talented author and poet, Kahlil Gibran was born with a caul. He was talented and spectacular as a literary work and painter legend.
- In addition, the famous Sigmund Freud, neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis was also born in the caul.
- Lillian Diana Gish – Actress, director, and writer
- Liberace – American musician, pianist, singer, and entertainer
- Lord Byron – Poet, peer, politician, and member of the House of Lords
- Napoleon Bonaparte – Emperor of the French 1804-1814
- Charlemagne (Charles the Great) – King of the Franks
- King James VI and I – King of Scotland, King of England and Ireland
- Christina – Queen of Sweden 1632-1654
- James Couzens – Banker, senator, and politician
- James Gordon Farrell – Novelist and writer
- James Yoshinobu Iha – American rock musician
- Frank Albert Jones – Black artist, painter
- Edwin Thomas Booth – American actor
- Mabel Normand – American silent-film actress, director
- Gabriele D’Annunzio – Italian writer
- Hylda Baker – English comedienne and actress
- George Formby – English actor
- Alan Moore – English writer
- Kim Woodburn – English television presenter
- Michael Johnny Giles – Irish former association footballer
- Sergei Konstantinovich Pankejeff – Russian aristocrat
- Vseslav of Polotsk – The most famous ruler of Polotsk
- Marie Catherine Laveau – Lousiana Creole Practitioner of Voodoo
- Danny Torrance – Fictional character in the 1977 novel The Shining
- and even Alexander the Great.
