Seventh Son of Seventh Son

It is believed that the seventh son of 7 sons, especially if he is the seventh son of a seventh son, has an unusual characteristic. Mostly, this attribute is a power to heal people, curing diseases by means such as touching them. While the legend of ‘seventh son of a seventh son’ was mentioned in detail in both the Old and New testaments of the King James’ version of the Bible, it predates this work.

Seventh Son of Seventh Son Instances of the Belief

• The Quack Doctor’s Speech, a rare pamphlet (published during the reign of Charles II), counted a doctor’s being the ’seventh son of seventh son’ as one of his wonderful qualities. This was supposed to make him a curer of bodily pain.
• The peasants and miners in Cornwall believe that a seventh son of the seventh son can heal the king’s evil by stroking the affected part affected gently, blowing upon it thrice, chanting a few words and giving objects like perforated coins to be worn as amulets.

Also, there are cases where a seventh daughter was positioned on a pedestal. An 1851 inscription in Plymouth denoted that a doctress was the seventh daughter of the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. In Scotland, a fortune-teller, emphasized herself as the 7th daughter of a seventh daughter, enhancing her claims to prophetic powers.

Seventh Son of Seventh Son: Beliefs in Various Countries

• In some German states, the prince, according to an old custom, had to sponsor a seventh son of any of his subjects.
• The French viewed the seventh son as a symbol divinity. Since he was believed to be bestowed with good luck, the captains of ships tried to bring a seventh son on board before setting sail on voyages to distant lands. The legend went that this would ensure that the ship wouldn’t sink.
• People in Ireland believe that the 7th son of a seventh son possesses prophetical and healing powers. They seek his duties, for which they are ready to pay a good amount.

Seventh Son of a Seventh Son: The Other Side

There have also been beliefs that a seventh son of the seventh sob can bring doom or be an off-putting identity. In Hampshire, the legend goes that Lady Mabella predicted that her family would see its downfall in the absence of a male heir after a generation of 7 sons would be followed by a generation of 7 daughters.
Also, Leslie Shepard’s ‘Encyclopedia of Occultism and parapsychology’ states that the seventh child, in Romania, is predestined to be a vampire.