Seventh son of a seventh son

The Seven son of a seventh son is a rare but recurring character archetype in fantasy.

Description
The seventh son of a seventh son is a concept from folklore regarding special powers given to, or held by, such a son. The seventh son must come from an unbroken line with no female children born between, and be, in turn, born to such a seventh son.

The number seven has a long history of mystical and religious associations: seven deadly sins, seven sleepers, seven-league boots, seven ages of man, seven days of creation, seven hills of Rome, seven lucky gods of Japanese mythology, the Seven Sages, seven sisters, seven stars, seven wonders of the world, etc. In this case, it refers to a man who is the seventh son of a man who is himself a seventh son.

In some beliefs, the special powers are inborn, inherited simply by virtue of his birth order; in others the powers are granted to him by God or gods because of his birth order.

The seventh son of a seventh son is also widely believed to have a direct link to Satan in some areas, and is thus granted with other "special abilities."

Associations

 * Youngest Son

Literature

 * Will Stanton (The Dark is Rising)
 * Alvin (The Tales of Alvin Maker)
 * Frex (Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West)