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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread caul #115281 11/04/2003 4:54 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh 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). Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: caul #115282 11/04/2003 11:53 PM Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... 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. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: caul #115283 11/05/2003 12:28 AM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,511 lower upstate New York AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,511 lower upstate New York And then there's Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye... sort of a Saint Without A Cause. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: caul #115284 11/05/2003 12:44 AM Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... Interesting, AnnaS--your connection between 'caul' and Caulfield! Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: caul #115285 11/05/2003 1:00 AM Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... 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. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: caul #115286 11/05/2003 1:09 AM Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... Gotta go to bed, but this one's worth reading--regarding the caul and Holden Caulfield: http://www.classicnote.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/catcherrye/essays/essay1.html Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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