Lucky First Born

Lucky First Born – Are you one of the healthy, wealthy and wise first born?

By Charles L Harmon

Back when I was young – several decades ago, I heard the saying that the first born of a family was lucky. I never thought much about it as I don’t generally believe in superstitions, but in doing research on good luck and other superstitions there it was, lucky first born.

Apparently it is not a false belief – that is if a condition is attached to it. That condition is that this only applies to smaller families in America. Families of more than five or six children don’t fit in that category that according to extensive biological records in America that the eldest child fares better in life than the younger or youngest.

An accurate explanation of why this is true about the oldest child faring better than the others is yet to be understood, let alone explained satisfactorily. It appears that what knowledge we have of the subject appears to indicate that whatever advantage the first born might have is dependent on the vitality and health of the mother.

On the other hand, there are those who point to irrefutable evidence to the contrary where the first born does not grow up healthy and wise, even when their mothers were in prime health and condition when they were born. It’s true that definitely not all first born children have that advantage of being a lucky first born.

This paradoxical problem is still unsolved. Research so far does not indicate this particular advantage of the first born being lucky does not extend to other countries. This custom is based upon information in a book published originally in 1948 so use a bit of caution about statistics published so long ago.

In notes from India in 1901 it was said that the first born was held in a particularly sacred position, especially if the child was born in answer to a couple who have been long without offspring. In such a case, often the child was sacrificed, which was common in India.

Folklore writing about India indicated that Mohammadans throughout Northern India believed that first born children could stop excessive rain by certain rites.

According to a report about infanticide in India as written in Census of India, 1901, Volume 17, Part 1 by India, Census Commissioner, the first born son of a wife is particularly uncanny, subject to magical influences and invested with supernatural powers. On one hand his hair is useful in witchcraft, and on the other its possession gives a wizard power over him. There is more in the report – click the link to read.

Copyright © Charles L Harmon

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