The caul is the inner membrane that encloses the foetus, and sometimes
envelops the head of the child at birth, a thin veil-cover. My sister
was born with a caul on her head. In celtic folklore to be born with
a caul is considered lucky, for it is said to bestow the child with
second sight and a natural affiliation with water, preventing the possibility
of drowning. The significance of such an affiliation with water is exemplified
in this extract from Notes and Queries 1899, “So potent was the
influence of the caul that when his mother tried to bathe him he sat
on the surface of the water, and if forced down, came up again like
a cork”.
The piece Caul builds on the image of the caul – a fragile, web-like
intricacy which by the same token expresses immense strength by nurturing
and ensuring life.