Vampires by Charlotte Montague Read Free Book Online Page B

of the vampire as a charming, intelligent, refined, and sophisticated man about town, and this incarnation of the vampire went on to become a staple of the horror genre up to the present day.

Baby Vampires

     
    In the Middle Ages, the timing of a baby’s birth had much significance – negative as well as positive. In the same way, details of its appearance could have all kinds of mysterious meanings. Its lineage was also a matter of great importance: for example, the seventh son of the seventh son might be considered to have supernatural powers, or other extraordinary features. As the vampire myth spread from the Balkans and took hold of the popular imagination in Europe, these superstitions about the circumstances of a baby’s birth became entwined with the vampire myth, so that when a new baby came into the world, it would be checked for tell-tale signs, and possibly rejected as a result.

     
The caul: blessing or curse?
     
    First and foremost were birth defects and abnormalities, some of which would be considered normal enough today. For example, if the baby was born in a caul, it would be viewed as suspicious. A caul is a membrane from the amniotic sac which separates the baby from the wall of its mother’s womb. At birth, instead of leaving this caul behind, the baby occasionally emerges wrapped inside it. Today, a doctor or midwife usually breaks this membrane during the mother’s labour, if it does not rupture of its own accord during the process; thus babies born in the caul are less common now than they used to be.
    In health terms, being born in a caul poses no risks, and is positively beneficial to the baby, in that it is shielded from infection until the caul peels off spontaneously. In medieval peasant societies with little access to medical help, it was noted that babies born in the caul were often stronger and healthier than most, and had a better chance of survival. A membrane strong enough to withstand the process of labour was seen as protective. For this reason, the caul was seen as a sign of good luck, and could signify that the child would be a successful individual in later life. In many cases, the caul would be kept as an heirloom: the midwife would rub some paper on the baby’s head, so that the membrane would transfer onto the paper, and then present it to the mother.
    The caul was also thought to have special powers, for example to protect against black magic, to defend the harvest, and to ensure fertility. Cauls were also thought to protect the bearer from drowning: in medieval times, women would sell cauls to sailors for this reason. There was also a belief that a caulbearer could prophesy the future, especially through dreams. Twins born with a caul would be believed to be protected by a guardian angel throughout life. In Iceland, the baby born with a caul was said to have a fairy companion, known as a ‘fylgiar’, who would serve it throughout life, even foretelling its death and travelling with it to Valhallah, the home of the dead.
    All this changed, however, when the vampire myth came to be popularized. If a baby was born with a caul, it was feared that it might become a vampire. The caul would be removed immediately in case the baby tried to eat it, which was highly unlikely, and instead of being kept as a valuable talisman, the caul would be destroyed as quickly as possible.

     
Babies with teeth
     
    Another disturbing sign of possible vampirism was the baby born with teeth. In most cases, babies are born with the tooth buds, as they are called, inside the gums. However, in some cases (about one in every 2,000), babies are born with what are called ‘natal teeth’. These are the infant’s primary teeth that have come through the gums early. It is extremely rare for a baby to have a full set of these teeth, but up to seven or eight teeth have been observed. In most instances, the natal teeth pose no real problems, although they may be removed if they are loose, to prevent the