***Update***: There’s now a better explanation for what happened, so we wanted to post a correction:

… according to Argentine historian Daniel Balmaceda, there is no link between the two traditions. “The local myth of the lobizón [werewolf] is not in any way connected to the custom that began over 100 years ago by which every seventh son (or seventh daughter) born in Argentina becomes godchild to the president,” he said. … In Catholic Argentina, large familes are not uncommon: over 120,000 families had seven of more children at last count in 2006. Not all qualify to become presidential god-children as the honour is only given to those in which seven sons are born consecutively, with no daughters in between.

…

There is a legend in Argentina that a family’s seventh son in a row will become a werewolf.

While it sounds like little more than a scary story, it was so fervently believed that it could actually entail deadly consequences for seventh sons.

Fear was so rife in the country that families would often give up their seventh-born sons for adoption or even kill them. In the 1920s a law was passed to counteract the legend. It offered presidential protection, a gold medal and a scholarship for all studies until their 21st birthday but only for Catholic families.

So how is this news now? Well, five years ago, Argentinians decided it was time to demonstrate the progress that had been made in such areas and repealed the law.

I’m just kidding. The law was actually extended, to include sons born to families of other faiths.

Which is still progress of a sort, I guess.

This past week, the first Jewish seventh son, Iair Tawil, was adopted as a godson by Argentinian President Cristina Kirchner, who wrote on Twitter:

It was magical to receive Iair Tawil, the first presidential godson in national history to profess the Jewish faith. Iair, 21, is completely sweet.

There is no word, however, if President Kirchner will be inviting Tawil to the presidential residence when a full moon is expected…

(Top image via Shutterstock)



