Born wid a caul

phrase BORN wid a CAUL boːn wɪd a kɔːl

Also spelled born-wid-caul, born with a veil, born wid a veil

A baby born with the amniotic membrane (the 'caul' or 'veil') over its face — held in folk belief to be marked for spiritual sight. A child 'born wid a caul' is said to grow up 'four-eye', able to see duppies and the spirit world that ordinary people cannot. The caul itself is treated as precious and sometimes kept for protection. A powerful old belief about who is born with second sight.

  • Dem seh she born wid a caul, so she can see duppy.

    They say she was born with the veil, so she can see ghosts.

  • Him born wid a veil, him have di gift.

    He was born with the caul; he has the gift (of sight).

  • Dem keep di caul fi protection.

    They kept the caul for protection.

From being 'born with a caul' (the birth membrane over the face); a mark of spiritual sight. See [[four-eye]], [[duppy]].

Born with the birth-membrane veil; believed to grant spiritual sight ('four-eye'). See [[four-eye]], [[duppy]].