Caul
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A caul (Latin: Caput galeatum) is a thin, filmy membrane, the remnants of the amniotic sac, that covers or partly covers the newborn mammal immediately after birth. It is also the membrane enclosing the paunch of mammals, particularly as in pork and mutton butchery. In butchery the caul is used as offal.
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Obstetrics
In childbirth the caul is seen as a shimmery coating of the head and face. The caul is harmless and it is easily removed by the doctor, midwife, or person(s) performing the childbirth. The appearance of a caul over a newborn baby's head is occasional; not all children have one, though they are not especially rare. A child born in this way is known as a caulbearer.
Legend
In medieval times the appearance of a caul on a newborn baby was seen as a sign of good luck. It was considered an omen that the child was destined for greatness. Gathering the caul onto paper was considered an important tradition of childbirth: the midwife would rub a sheet of paper across the baby's head and face, pressing the material of the caul onto the paper. The caul would then be presented to the mother, to be kept as an heirloom.
Over the course of European history, a popular legend developed suggesting that possession of a baby's caul would give its bearer good luck and protect that person from death by drowning. Cauls were therefore highly prized by sailors. Medieval women often sold these cauls to sailors for large sums of money; a caul was regarded as a valuable talisman.
Other legends also developed. One popular legend went that a caulbearer would be able to see the future. A different legend held that a child born in caul would grow up to be a vampire if the caul was not disposed of properly.
A distinction needs to be made in relation to the birth caul and the adhesion of the birth (amniotic) sac to the face or head of a child at birth. The birth caul, more usually just called a caul, is a complete membrane covering the face of the child. The amniotic sac, or amnion, is another completely different kind of membrane that surrounds the child in the womb. The birth caul cannot be wiped off the child's face but must be carefully peeled off, whilst the adhesion of the amniotic membrane is simply a residue that sometimes sticks to the face, and is part of the afterbirth material.
Caulbearers
The correct name for those who are born with a caul is a caulbearer. Such people are often referred to as being "born behind the veil", as the caul is also referred to as "the veil" in many cultures due to it being a full face covering.
It should be noted that caulbearers may be male or female and may come from any social class, racial or religious group. There are no geographical boundaries to the phenomenon. However it has been observed that caul births do have tendencies to run in family bloodlines. Sometimes, but quite rarely, more than one member of a family--usually a parent and child--may be born with a caul.
Headgear
A caul is a headress worn by women generally from olden times, that covered tied up hair. A fancy caul would be made of satin, velvet, fine silk or brocade. Although a simple caul would be commonly made of white linen or cotton. Furthermore the caul could be covered by a crespine or a mesh net to secure them from falling off.