Birthmark

A birthmark, as the term suggests, signifies that its bearer is marked from birth, which indicates a destiny. In “First We Take Manhattan“, Leonard Cohen sings: “I’m guided by a signal in the heavens, I’m guided by this birthmark on my skin.” Thus, the birthmark has a symbolic meaning similar to the star thought to appear in the sky when an individual enters the world; however, the birthmark is physical and belongs to the body—which makes it a more ambivalent symbol.

In folklore, the birthmark is always ambivalent—it is either beautiful or ugly, good or evil, a gift from God or the Devil.

Given this, birthmarks have been significant in divination and have been regarded as expressions of how the bearer is unavoidably “marked.” They have also been widely associated with the relationship between the pregnant mother and her unborn child.

In antiquity, birthmarks could, on one hand, be considered signs of impurity, which could, for example, prevent initiation into priesthood; yet on the other, they could be seen as signs of greatness (at least if they had a certain shape). In folktales, birthmarks appear as indicators of royal heritage or as other critical identifying marks.

Maternal Mark

The most common connection of birthmarks in folklore is between the mother and the child she carried, as an expression of her experiences and inner life during pregnancy. It was also common for the birthmark to be seen as an expression of inheritance from previous generations.

The German word for birthmark is Muttermal or Muttermähler, meaning “maternal mark,” a meaning that also appears in other European languages.

In the essay “The Birthmark in Folk Belief, Language, Literature, and Fashion“, which is the main source for this article, Karl Jaberg writes: “In Sweden, the term ‘birthmark’ is traced to the mother’s unfulfilled desires…” This connection is not unique to Sweden, as “the motif that it is the mother’s inward longing [which gives rise to birthmarks] remains universally the same.” (pp. 314-315)

This longing has often involved a particular type of food, which leaves its mark on the child. One might see this detail as a symbolic expression of the desire for materialization of a longing.

Mark, Symbol

The word “mark” in most European languages is closely related to or synonymous with “sign.” Traditionally, birthmarks should rather be understood in the latter sense—not as spots but as signs of omen or symbols, and in some cases expressions of belonging.

“Neither respected authors nor simple storytellers have been satisfied with the unpoetic, substandard word ‘spot,’ and have consistently preferred words of higher aesthetic value, such as moon, rose, or sign, which have been preserved in written form or oral tradition since ancient times.” (p. 340)

Personal Secret

It is a common motif, especially in medieval tales and folktales, that an exposed birthmark reveals a private secret, in a way that reminds us of or shares a motif with the magical quality of names. Acquiring someone’s hair lock or clipped nails belongs to the same magical domain. The one who knows the name, is aware of the birthmark, or possesses the strands of hair, etc., obtains power over the bearer, as they “represent the highly personal and are protected by taboo.” (p. 323)

Beauty Mark

A single birthmark in a suitable spot on the face, such as the cheek, has been described in several cultures and in different times as a “beauty mark”—that is, an innocent little imperfection that adds further beauty to an already beautiful woman’s (or, more rarely, man’s) visage.

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