The Luisón and the President's Godchildren
Folklore said a seventh son in a row would become a creature of the night, so Argentina's president became his godparent.
What was reported
In Guaraní folklore from Paraguay and north-eastern Argentina, the luisón is a creature of the night, and the seventh son born in a row to a family was said to be doomed to become one. Such boys were sometimes feared or even abandoned.
To protect them, a custom grew up in Argentina from 1907 by which the President becomes godparent to a seventh consecutive son; it was made official in 1973. Families still apply, and the child receives a gold medal and help with schooling.
Explanations offered
The legend is folklore, and the presidential custom shows how a belief can shape real policy. It may also draw on an older European tradition about seventh sons. In 2009 the custom was extended to seventh daughters.
- When
- Custom since 1907
- Where
- Corrientes, Argentina
- Witnesses
- Guaraní folklore, and the Argentine presidency
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.