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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
I'm starting "David Copperfield", and he mentions that he was born with a caul. That means part of the membranes which surround the infant in utero still covers the head after infant emerges. It happens only rather infrequently, so superstition attributed special abilities to the child,
and special values to the caul, which was preserved and valued. Here's a quote about it, from Internet:
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).
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
We just studied a short story entitled "The Scarlet Ibis" in which a younger brother named Doodle is a caul baby. Aunt Nicey in the story, set in the US South, says that caul babies are special and often grow up to be saints. Doodle dies in the story due to his brother's negligence--and Doodle is a saint as far as very small children can be saints.
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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And then there's Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye... sort of a Saint Without A Cause.
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Interesting, AnnaS--your connection between 'caul' and Caulfield!
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
I just googled "Holden Caulfield" plus caul and saint. No hits. will try "Holden Caulfield" and caul now...
OK. 43 hits for that one. I'll see whether there's anything out there worth reporting.
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