Birth Traditions – Europe

My friend once told me about an experience she had while dining at an Italian restaurant with her pregnant sister-in-law. During the meal, her sister-in-law suddenly developed a craving for bananas. The entire restaurant staff became activated, shouting to one another and tying to find bananas. One waiter actually ran to a nearby grocery store, and, with visible relief, presented my friend's now-very-embarrassed sister-in-law with the craved item.

Why the fuss? None of the staff wanted to be responsible for the child being born with a birthmark in the shape of a banana.

Getting Pregnant, Staying Pregnant

Throughout Europe, there are many rules about what you should and shouldn't do to ensure a healthy pregnancy. One such tradition maintains that wearing a brooch, generally made of boar's tooth, will protect you from evil and secure prosperity or honor for the baby. These amulets were sold in fine jewelry stores across Europe and, yes, they can still be found today.

Many traditions are based on the belief that otherworldly beings are determined to steal human babies before birth. In order to avoid the attention of these beings, some conceal their pregnancies altogether, even to the point of not preparing for a baby's birth (Scotland's Orkney Islands).

In addition to fearing otherworldly beings, pregnant women are also taught to avoid the dead. For example, you should not stay in a house with a corpse or attend a wake, as this could cause premature labor. (Ireland) And you should also avoid graveyards, or, at least, gravestones, because if the shadow from a gravestone cross is cast on you, it could cause you to miscarry (European Gypsy Folklore).

Maybe You Should Just Stay Home

Associating with corpses and graveyards can also affect your child's future health. Even if you avoid the shadows of gravestone crosses, the simple act of entering a graveyard may cause your child to starve or have weak spells (Ireland). And if you step on a grave, your child could die (Germany).

Unfortunately, graveyards aren't the only things you need to avoid. If, in your travels, you meet a hare in the road, your child will be born with a harelip (Ireland). Or if, heaven forbid, you cross the path of someone who is to be executed, your child will share the same fate (Germany).

Another Reason to Give Into Those Cravings

If you choose to avoid everything and remain in your corpse-free house, you can, at least, indulge in pregnancy cravings! And if anyone (e.g., your husband) complains about having to go out at 3am to buy pickles and ice cream, you can simply point out that you are ensuring your child does not have a birthmark in the shape of a pickle cone (Greece). But if bread is what you're craving, be sure to warn anyone preparing it that they cannot pierce it with a knife or fork, or your child's eyes will be poked out. And you mustn't indulge every craving – if you eat fish or snails, your child will be slow in learning to speak or walk, respectively. Perhaps food isn't going to be much of a comfort after all.

Preparing for Birth

Since you can't go out and you can't eat everything in sight, perhaps it's time to start preparing for the delivery of your new arrival. To ensure a safe birth, you could blow on the bellows at the local forge (Italian). That is, of course, if you're lucky enough to have a forge around. But, wait a moment, you weren't supposed to leave the house. So instead, you could simply take a bath … just remember to turn the tub over afterward (Germany).

But just because you've secured an easy delivery, doesn't mean you can let your guard down. You still need to be wary of otherworldly beings. If they weren't able to snatch your unborn child early in the pregnancy, they're certain to make a second attempt. To protect yourself, simply place a knife or a bible in your bed, and when your baby is born, transfer the items to the baby's bed for its protection (Scotland's Orkney Islands).

Laboring Under Misconceptions?

But what if you don't have a local forge? Or are afraid to venture outside? Or if you forgot to turn your tub over or aren't able to, as it is attached to the wall? And now your labor is upon you. Well, if you and your husband are honest in naming all of your past lovers, giving birth can still be easy. If, after confessing, your labor is still difficult, perhaps you should take a closer look at your husband, or suffer the consequences of your own dishonesty (Russia).

So What (Else) is a Dad to do?

In addition to rehashing the past, the father of your child can be helpful in other ways. He could tie your garters in order to ease the birth (Germany). If you don't own garters, he could let you wear his slippers for the same effect. Or, he could do the most helpful thing of all and leave you to the women of your family (Ireland).

Afterward …

Congratulations! You've given birth to a beautiful baby. Now it's time to relax and enjoy! Or is it? Unfortunately, just when you thought you could forget about them, they rear their ugly heads again – those pesky otherworldly beings. And now, not only do you have to worry about having your baby exchanged for a changeling (Germany), but the mother must also be protected, as otherworldly beings need nursing mothers to feed all the babies they've abducted (Ireland).

Maybe You Should Just Stay in Bed …

And while you're busy protecting your little one from others, don't forget that your actions can have detrimental consequences for him/her as well. If you don't want your child to be clumsy, be sure to lay him/her on the left side; if you don't want your child to have bad teeth, avoid putting pins into curtains within six months of giving birth (Germany). If you don't want your child to grow a beard (girls) or be beardless (boys), have the child christened (Scotland's Orkney Islands). You will also be restricted in what fashion trends you can follow. Wearing a rope for a belt could get your child hanged, and walking around without shoes could cause your child to have difficulty learning to walk (Germany). And be sure the first movement your child takes is in the upward direction, as a downward direction will lead to a lowly life without fortune or fame (Gaelic).

A final word

So there they are … the European traditions that will ensure a healthy pregnancy and a happy, healthy baby. Different? Absolutely. Laughable? Definitely not. But more importantly, are they relevant today? Perhaps not in a literal sense, but in today's global community, they are very important in keeping cultures alive and distinct. As defined by meriamwebster.com, a people's culture is determined by their "customary beliefs." And this is evidenced by a recent (informal) poll I conducted of my female colleagues (who range in age from early 20s to early 30s). Each easily listed the pregnancy traditions of their ethnic backgrounds. Whether they believe them or not, they will likely follow some of them when their time comes.

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