Some say that the belief that red heads were untrustworthy emanated from artistic depictions of both Mary Magdalen and Judas Iscariot as being red-haired, thereby cementing the notion that they were either of ill repute or untrustworthy.
Red hair meant bad luck. Many people believed the color red to be a sign of bad luck. In Ireland and Scotland in the fishing communities it was believed that if you were to see a woman with red hair, you were not going to catch any fish that day. Even to this day it is a superstition to not allow a redhead aboard.
Red hair, then, is doubly embedded in the cultural myths of hair and western beauty standards as well as religious ideas of sin and seduction, especially due to the primal colour associated with temper, desire, and violence.
During the Middle Ages, when red was seen as the colour of the Devil, red-haired children were thought to have been conceived at the wrong time of the month. It was believed at one time that people with red hair could not make good butter.
The Judeo-Christian understanding, as reflected in both the Old and New Testaments, is that all red-haired creatures, human and nonhuman, are reprobate, beginning with Satan and his league of demons.
Lucifer's angel form was a being of pure beauty, as he embodied both male and female attributes in his body, that is, he was androgynous. Lucifer had a delicate and feminine face, with a slender body and white as snow, with his hair, contrary to popular belief, not being blond or white, but rather reddish red.
Those whose hair is red, of a certain peculiar shade, are unmistakably vampires. It is significant that in ancient Egypt, as Manetho tells us, human sacrifices were offered at the grave of Osiris, and the victims were red-haired men who were burned, their ashes being scattered far and wide by winnowing-fans.
Discrimination against people with red hair may be a factor of its relative rareness, as well as cultural attitudes and collective mythology. Judas Iscariot may have had red hair, and some Indo European folklore presents that people with red hair are vampires or transform into vampires after death.
In some cultures today, particularly in Africa, where voodoo and magic are still central to their belief systems, redheads are still thought to be witches. Probably due to our rarity in those regions.
There is a long tradition, in Ireland and elsewhere, of distrusting those with red hair, and in particular women: “Let not the eye of a red-haired woman rest upon you”. From where does this suspicion stem? It was said that the Biblical Cain had red hair, as did Judas Iscariot.
For many, red hair atop a female head automatically conjures images of wild women, hotheads, femme fatales or sexpots. Redheaded women are often portrayed as strong, independent women. They are usually seen as feisty Irish "tough girls".
Nature's Rarest Palette: Red Hair Standing at the apex of rarity, natural red hair occurs in just 1-2% of the global population. This striking shade results from a specific genetic variant of the MC1R gene, requiring both parents to pass on the recessive trait.
It was his 9th great uncle, Esau. Genesis 25:25 tells us that Esau had red hair. Thus with red hair running in the family genes, it is very probable that King David had red hair or at least a reddish hue to his hair.
Redheads are less likely to go grey. The pigment in red hair typically fades over time from red to blonde and white, but not grey. Redheads produce more Vitamin D in a shorter amount of time than people with other hair colors.
Red hair is a symbol that a woman is promiscuous, sensual, and dangerous. Mary Magdaline is often portrayed as having red hair. Venus, the Roman Goddess of love, sex, beauty, and fertility, has been painted with red hair, again trying to symbolise her sexuality and casting this negative connotation over us.
The Truth About Redheads and Luck
While it's true that redheads were once thought to be unlucky, this superstition has been debunked. In fact, people with red hair are just as lucky as anyone else. So if you're a redhead, don't worry about any bad luck when boarding a ship or beginning a journey.
A person accused of witchcraft was brought to trial and carefully scrutinized. The entire body was suspect as a canvas for a mark, an indicator of a pact with Satan. Witch's marks were commonly believed to include moles, skin tags, supernumerary nipples, and insensitive patches of skin.
Baseline heat pain perception and heat pain tolerance threshold values in this study corresponded well to those reported in previous studies. We found that redheads were significantly more sensitive to cold pain perception, cold pain tolerance, and heat pain tolerance.
The recessive gene that carries red hair has been traced back 50,000 Years when early modern gingers first appeared in the grasslands of Central Asia. Red hair was regarded in classical literature as the epitome of everything barbaric – but only when it comes to men.
While some studies suggest a potential link between certain genetic variations and alcohol metabolism, the idea that redheads universally have a higher alcohol tolerance remains inconclusive and should be approached with caution.
Satan Is a Redhead
The Judeo-Christian understanding, as reflected in both the Old and New Testaments, is that all red-haired creatures, human and nonhuman, are reprobate, beginning with Satan and his league of demons. Jesus called the devil “the father of all lies” (John 8:44).
Athena, the Goddess of wisdom and war strategy, and Aphrodite, the Goddess of beauty, love, and pleasure, were believed to be redheads. Sandro Botticelli depicted Aphrodite in his revered painting 'The Birth of Venus', painted in 1486.