A Word About Cauls

The Stand in the Darkness by Danil Shunkov.
Copyright 2013 Stardance Publishing. All rights reserved.

The premise for Ennara’s magical powers—what makes her special in her world—is based on real-world folklore. Ennara is a caul child. Caul children are born with a mask—a thin membrane covering their face. In birth, the membrane is simply lifted off the face and the child bears no differences from any other.

                European folklore held the birth of a caul child as an auspicious event. The child was said to be destined for greatness and could have psychic abilities. The birth was said to ward a village from witches and sorcerers, and protect the upcoming harvest. And the membrane itself was believed to protect against drowning—caul membranes were preserved and crafted into talismans, and sold for high sums to sailors.

                I took the legend of the caul one step further for Ennara’s story, giving her unprecedented magical ability, lending the membrane’s protection at sea to the girl herself, in addition to giving her limited psychic abilities and a great destiny. Placing her in a world covered by oceans and ordered with strict regulations of magical use brought conflict into her character that lent to a wonderful journey. Stick around to read more exclusive excerpts from Ennara and the Fallen Druid!

Love the cover art? Get your own print, t-shirt, or coffee mug featuring Danil Shunkov's painting The Stand in the Darkness at Ennara Swag.

Angela Myron is the author of the middle grade fantasy series Ennara and a stack of technical manuals on everything from nonlinear editing to data encryption. She lives in Whittier, California, with her husband and their twins.

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