# War And Peace - question about baptism scene **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [September 26, 2021, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-and-peace-question-about-baptism-scene/951372 "2021-09-26T14:06:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-and-peace-question-about-baptism-scene/951372/1 "2021-09-26T14:06:12Z")
“War and Peace”, part 4, the very end of Chapter 9. There is a scene where Prince Andrew’s infant son is being baptized. Here is the description of the scene. > [@](#): > > His grandfather, who was his godfather, trembling and afraid of dropping him, carried the infant round the battered tin font and handed him over to the godmother, Princess Mary. Prince Andrew sat in another room, faint with fear lest the baby should be drowned in the font, and awaited the termination of the ceremony. He looked up joyfully at the baby when the nurse brought it to him _and nodded approval when she told him that the wax with the baby’s hair had not sunk in the font but had floated._ The part I italicized at the very end is what I have a question about. What is the significance of the wax with the baby’s hair and whether it floats or not? Was it some omen or superstition of the time? Does it have anything to do with the mother dying during childbirth, or the fact that Prince Andrew was thought to be killed in battle and then appears at the last minute while his wife is in labor? ---
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-and-peace-question-about-baptism-scene/951372/2 "2021-09-26T14:44:25Z")
It is a folk custom/superstition that survives to this day. A ritual first cutting of the baby’s hair is done(usually in the shape of s cross) and the Godparent drips some of the wax from the Baptismal candle onto a few strands of the cut-off hair. This is then tossed into the font, and if it sinks it means the baby will die, and if it floats the baby will live. Of course, it (almost?) always floats because of the wax, and is seen as a good sign. This hair-floating is not an actual part of the sacrament(not liturgical or required by the Church), but as a long-standing tradition it has become _de rigueur_ in a lot of places. As a WAG I would say it is much less common now than it was two centuries ago. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-and-peace-question-about-baptism-scene/951372/3 "2021-09-26T14:57:53Z")
Maybe it’s more common among Anglicans, or maybe among English of whatever sect, but this is the first time this lifelong Catholic and godfather has heard of this custom. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-and-peace-question-about-baptism-scene/951372/4 "2021-09-26T15:55:46Z")
Agreed - I grew up Catholic and have been to plenty of baptisms and never heard of anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-and-peace-question-about-baptism-scene/951372/5 "2021-09-26T15:55:51Z")
It’s Russian Orthodox