the myths and history of red hair

This is the age when redheads are standing up for themselves and being appreciated for their differences. Ireland has the highest number of red-haired people per capita in the world with the percentage of those with red hair … So I don't really know what to what to believe. The bits and pieces I've picked up from books I've referenced, but a lot of the stuff that I've found on the internet I haven't - simply because I'm not completely sure of its veracity. - Seneca, on the Germans. In light of Judas’s actions, the hair color became associated with Jewish people, even though evidence that Judas’ hair was actually red is questionable at best. In his "Lives" he states that Cato the Censor was a redhead. In Irish mythology, the Tuatha de Danann and the Sidhe are described as being tall and beautiful with red or fair hair, pale skin and blue or green eyes. - when asked why he shunned a king visiting Rome. Most scholars believe this refers to the purple-red dye they used to dye their clothes, others have argued that it refers to the colour of their land. With a history that spans heroism and worship, to one of murder and blame. As in the Canary Islands, red-haired mummies have also been found in Peru and there is evidence to suggest that tall, red-headed, whites were involved in the early history of this region ( 8). If you're ever in an emergency, you'd be fortunate to have a redhead on your … This book attempts to chart the remarkable history of red hair. " She was ultimately kicked out of … Once again the word "ruddy," and its various interpretations, leaves me guessing. Red is a brilliantly told, captivating history of red hair throughout the ages. Red hair is most commonly found at the northern and western fringes of Europe; it is centred around populations in the British Isles and is particularly associated with the Celtic nations. Another mention of red hair comes from Xenophanes, who referred to it when discussing the natural tendency of man to confer upon God a human form: "The Ethiopians claim that their gods are flat-nosed and black-skinned; the Thracians, that they are blue-eyed and have red hair...if oxen, horses, and lions had hands with which to draw and make works like men, horses would represent the gods in the likeness of a horse, oxen in that of an ox, and each one would make for them a body like the one he himself possessed.". Cataloguing the many famous people that have possessed it, and also speculating about some of the strange and esoteric ideas associated with it. Hopefully it's all correct! Their appearance played no small part in elevating their status to that of Gods. He was a frugal-minded stoic, a soldier and an orator, and had a great knack for coining a phrase. In her book, "Cleopatra the Great," Joann Fletcher writes: "It was a shade favoured by fashionable Alexandrian women, including some in the royal household. There is also a story that Caligula made prisoners from Gaul grow their hair long and dye it red, so that he could display them to the public on his triumph in Rome. Presumably Cleopatra's own auburn hair had set the trend, maybe enhanced with a vegetable colorant such as henna." "The red hair and large limbs of the inhabitants of Caledonia point clearly to a Germanic origin." Better fight-or-flighters. This site is dedicated to helping you realize the importance of your red-haired roots. And why has it always been associated with the concept of otherness throughout history? "The soul of a lover lives in the body of another.". Part I, Red Hair and Freckles - The Product of Racial Melting Pots? The Myths and History of Red Hair Homepage Red Hair Italia This page, perhaps unsurprisingly given the title, is all about red hair in the Italian realm. This mention of the Thracians having red hair brings to mind Herodotus' description of the Budini, a tribe in the region of Scythia that had "blue-grey eyes and red hair." However, I've read two translations of this work and whereas the first describes him as having "red hair," the second simply describes him as "ruddy." The blonde haired woman in the 1957 abduction of Antonio Villas Boas also had red body hair (pubic hair). As a redhead, it’s hard to not go through life and hear things about your ginger hair. In fact it's now clear that there must have been at least some red-haired people living in the areas referred to by the Greeks as Scythia and Thrace, as comments such as these are now backed up by the discovery of Thracian art that clearly depicts people of a red-haired appearance. Another book that mentions red hair in conjunction with ancient Egypt is James Frazer's "The Golden Bough." What did the ancient Greeks and Romans think about red hair? It doesn't really correlate with the percentage of R1b in southern Europe, for the simple reason that red hair is more visible among people carrying various other genes involved in light skin and hair pigmentation. Part II. Lilith, the supposed first wife of Adam, is said to have had red hair. All shades of hair were found around the time of Ancient Egypt’s civilization – from brown to blonde, and even auburn and red. Here’s a round-up of ginger myths … Feel free to visit our affiliated blog; Famous Redheads in History For in regards to the red-haired men who were burned and whose ashes were scattered with winnowing-fans, we have seen fair grounds for believing that originally, like the red-haired puppies killed at Rome in the spring, they were representatives of the corn-spirit himself, that is, of Osiris, and were slain for the express purpose of making the corn turn red or golden.". The blonde haired woman in the 1957 abduction of Antonio Villas Boas also had red body hair (pubic hair). ", "Again the theory that the pig, originally Osiris himself, afterwards came to be regarded as an embodiment of his enemy Typhon, is supported by the similar relation of red-haired men and red oxen to Typhon. With many events and products specifically catering to redheads being introduced every year, including Redhead Day UK in London and the Irish Redhead Convention, it is hard to ignore gingerness these days. The Greek philosopher Aristotle is reputed to have made the following comments about red hair: "Those with tawny coloured hair are brave; witness the lions. In the Elizabethan era, red hair was considered to be the pinnacle of … The history of red hair is full of myths, mind-blowing facts and mysterious stories. She seems remarkably like Bill Presumably Cleopatra's own auburn hair had set the trend, maybe enhanced with a vegetable colorant such as henna. She also states that red hair became something of a fashion statement in Cleopatra's Alexandria, writing: "The red hair of the Germanic tribes conquered by Caesar was particularly prized for this purpose. The Red-Gold Hair of Geoffrey Plantagenet I was recently watching a documentary on the BBC about the Plantagenets. In fact the number of red-haired mummies unearthed seems strikingly disproportionate, especially given the climate in Egypt. Natural red hair tends to be tougher to dye due to its natural … The Myths and History of Red Hair Saturday, December 27, 2014 Rhesus, Seafaring, Red Hair and Phoenicians A myriad of things today. ", "Fishermen, divers for murex, and generally those whose work is on the sea, have red hair.". Apparently, the name "Phoenicians" loosely translates as "red people." "I look upon a king as a creature that feeds upon human flesh." Throughout history, redheads have been feared and revered, loathed and adored, degraded and exalted. Conclusion + = Baum, P. F. (1922). Hot topic in the history books. [But those with] reddish [hair] are of bad character; witness the foxes. the map of red hair correlates with the frequency of haplogroup R1b in northern and western Europe. Red hair! A book that breaks new ground, dispels myths, and reinforces the special nature of being a redhead, with a look at multiple disciplines, including science Firstly, I'll start with a few things I read on the Wikipedia page about the Thracians. The Romans tended to associate red hair with the Gaulish and Germanic tribes that they encountered in the north, as the following comments illustrate: "Their tall stature, their long red hair, their huge shields, their extraordinarily long swords; still more, their songs as they enter into battle, their war-whoops and dances, and the horrible clash of arms as they shake their shields in the way their fathers did before them - all these things are intended to terrify and appal." - on wisdom. Upon choosing what hair color The Little Mermaid, “Ariel,” should have, Disney execs decided on her … Given this information it's interesting to note that we now know that many pharaohs of ancient Egypt were red-haired, including Ramesses II, also known as Ramesses the Great. It is thought that Cleopatra herself was a redhead. Here's an amusing look at the myths, legends, and a photo gallery of famous redheads with insightful quotes about the head of red! - Tacitus, on the inhabitants of northern Britain. Not only are these events attracting extensive media attention from many … philosopher Aristotle is reputed to have made the following comments about red hair: "The reddish are of bad character." The earliest records of the Germanic peoples were recorded by the Romans, and in these works Thor is frequently referred to – via a process known as interpretatio romana (where characteristics perceived to be similar by Romans result in identification of a non-Roman god as a Roman deity) – as either the Roman god Jupiter (also known as Jove) or the Greco-Roman god Hercules. Why did so many royals and rulers possess the hair colour? What is Red Hair? I've read a few eccentric theories that suggest the Phoenicians shared a common ancestry with the British - maybe they had red hair in common as well. The following page is a collection of all the information about red hair that I've come across in regards the ancient world. ", She also mentions that during a feast put on by Cleopatra there were staff in attendance with hair so fair "that Caesar said he had never seen hair so red in the Rhine country.". However, it wasn't all bad for red hair, as it is said that the Romans also used to import it from northern Europe in order to make wigs. In it the historian/presenter mentioned that Geoffrey of Anjou had reddish gold hair. However, another ancient society that had genetically auburn red hair, and likely light skin color, were the Paracas people of the coast of modern-day Peru. I'm not really qualified to say whether or not this theory holds water, but I include it here simply because it piqued my interest. Aliens, Atlantis and Internet Conspiracies, Red Hair and Freckles - The Product of Racial Melting Pots? Hair historian Rachael Gibson answers the most popular questions and recommends five books about ginger hair and its place in culture and history. This book attempts to chart the remarkable history of red hair. The Journal of English and Germanic If you have ever felt different having red-hair, we are going on a quest to discover why. A book that breaks new ground, dispels myths, and reinforces the special nature of being a redhead, with a look at multiple disciplines, including Red hair is associated with fair skin because of low concentrations or the absence of a … Some of his sayings are below: "Wise men learn more from fools, than fools from the wise; for the wise avoid the error of fools, while fools do not profit by the examples of the wise." He wrote "Zoilus, with your red hair, dark complexion, short foot, and bleary eye, it would be miraculous if you were virtuous." Red hair is often more difficult to dye. I've also read that in Greek and Roman theatre slaves were given red wigs as identifiers and that this stemmed from the fact that their slaves often came from these northern territories. It all seems a bit fanciful, but the Phoenicians did travel up the Atlantic coast and to the British Isles in ancient times so you never know. However, I include it here as Cato seems like a man worthy of mention. And why has it always been associated with the concept of otherness throughout history? She seems remarkably like Peter's female visitor , of which DNA testing was done, and the description of Eriu. Most of the information comes courtesy of Emanuela, a red-haired Italian (yes, they The Myths and History of Red Hair Wednesday, October 24, 2018 Red Hair in Russia - The Udmurts and The Romanovs It seems like ages since I've posted anything on here, so a new post is well overdue. It is no surprise that Ireland has the highest proportion of … The Paracas existed from about 800 BC to about 100 BC or perhaps 100 In her book, "Cleopatra the Great," Joann Fletcher writes: "Cleopatra may well have been a redhead, judging from the portrait of a flame-haired woman wearing the royal diadem surrounded by Egyptian motifs which has been identified as Cleopatra.". Well, red hair has been associated with Celtic people since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans, who actually referred to Celts as redheads. However, I have also read that it may refer to their hair colour. "The colour of the Ethiopian is not singular among his countrymen, nor is red hair tied up in a knot a peculiarity among the Germans." What does red hair have to do with witches, mermaids and vampires? Red is a brilliantly told, captivating history of red hair throughout the ages. " Incidentally, the Greek playwright, Euripides was also described as having a freckled appearance - although whether he had red hair or not we can't be sure. Cataloguing the many famous people that have possessed it, and also speculating about some of the strange and esoteric ideas associated with it. What does red hair have to do with witches, mermaids and vampires? The article is about a decade old or so now and I … Red hair is a recessive trait, which means that a child inherits one red hair gene from mom and dad. Other descriptions indicate blonde, golden hair with blue eyes. Today, these hair colors are found among the people of North Europe and North America and are Of all the theories about red hair on the Internet this one seems to be the most abundant, and it goes something like this:- All the ancient civilisations of pre-history In many ways this continues on the theme of red-haired rulers. This book attempts to chart the remarkable history of red hair. For better or worse, red hair seems to increasingly receive attention in contemporary society. Cataloguing the many famous people that have possessed it, and also speculating about some of the strange and esoteric ideas associated with it. This is partly based on an image found on a wall in Herculaneum which shows a woman with red hair surrounded by Egyptian motifs. What did the ancient Greeks and Romans think about red hair? And sometimes, it can be hard to distinguish fact from myth, so this page is for you, fellow redheads. It was a shade favoured by fashionable Alexandrian women, including some in the royal household. It should also be noted that in Homer's Iliad both Menelaus and Achilles are described as being red-haired. A telling indication of how red hair was viewed in ancient Rome may be found in an epigram written by Martial about a slave named Zoilus. The Myths and History of Red Hair Homepage Red Hair, Russia and the Romanovs Yesterday I re-read the Cromwell's Head article on this website. Judas's Red Hair. - Livy, on the Gauls. 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