Lucky Generation

The Lucky Generation was a loosely defined age group, whose members were born after the Great Plague and throughout the early 7th century. The term originated among survivors of the plague who quipped that the younger generation were lucky to have not lived through the devastation it had caused. As society began to rebuild and the demand for labour increased due to the catastrophic loss of life, the average person had a much higher standard of living than before the plague, which further supported the idea that the younger generation were very lucky to have experienced this prosperity without experiencing the destruction that had caused it.

By the 730s, the term “lucky” was being used in the Lantoo as a derogatory term against young people from poor backgrounds who had taken advantage of the demand for labour to secure a decent profession. A common stereotype associated with this class is that they try to emulate the upper class, but fail to do so because they are unrefined. In the mid 7th century, the term was adopted by the lower classes to ridicule peers who acted superior or pretentious.

The lucky generation were the driving force behind the Third Spiritual Revival, which was largely a reaction against the sceptical younger generation.