Red Hair: Out of the Witches' Cauldron

With this article you have two options. You can either read it, or watch the video. The video is AI narrated and the footage for the most part is also AI, so it's a tad stilted. The voice in particular is unintentionally funny at times. Plus, my editing skills aren't great.

Still, it's at least an option for people that aren't too keen on reading longer articles.

Red Hair: Out of the Witches' Cauldron - VIDEO

What follows below is basically a transcript of the video (with a few minor changes). I would've just left it as a stand alone video, but it inspired a follow-up article. So now this text and that article will be bound together as a little PDF booklet. Coming soon..

Out of the Witches' Cauldron

Red hair is a minority trait today, even in countries such as Scotland and Ireland, where there's a higher incidence of it. However, when people speculate about where it comes from we often think in terms of a specific region, tribe or people. Was there a tribe of people at some point in history that was completely red-haired? Did it spring up independently in one particular place? Either randomly, or as a consequence of some specific circumstance or environment? Or has it sprung up in multiple places, or for multiple reasons?

These are all interesting questions which no one really has a definitive answer to. In this particular piece we're going to explore the idea that redheads are a product of melting pot cultures.

Persecution

Throughout history red hair has often been disliked and distrusted. For instance, take this often repeated observation from Aristotle:

"Those with tawny coloured hair are brave; witness the lions. [But those with] reddish [hair] are of bad character; witness the foxes."

Likewise, the following mediaeval proverb:

"Si ruber est fidelis, diabolus est in coelis" (If the redhead is faithful, the devil is in heaven).

Or this similar variation, found in German:

"Rote Haare, Sommersprossen- sind des Teufels Artgenossen" (Red hair and freckles - are the devil's own kind).

Or, the old Russian proverb:

Рыжих и во святых нет - There are no red-haired saints.

The hair colour has also often been associated with the figure of Judas in European folklore, with terms like "poil de Judas," (hair of Judas), and "Judas beard" denoting the colour. Likewise, the fallen figure of Mary Magdalene was often depicted in art with the hair colour. The colour has even been associated with vampires, witches and lepers. One work published in 1662 stated that Indian Muslims "..have an aversion for such as are red hair'd, out of an opinion they have, that they are Leprous." And the writer Montague Summers stated that there were traditions in Eastern Europe, of "red-haired" vampires, labelled the "children of Judas", that killed their victims with a single bite or kiss.

In the seventeen hundreds there was even a treatise published that advised against the use of a red-haired wet nurse. Stating that a wet nurse "must not be red-hair'd, nor marked with Spots." Going on to add that the milk from a red-haired nurse often "hath a sour, stinking and bad Scent." It brings to mind the familiar idea that red hair, spots, freckles and moles were viewed as evidence of witchcraft. And likewise reminds us of Shakespeare's description of the deformed slave Caliban, in his play The Tempest:

"A freckled whelp, hag-born -  not honoured with a human shape"

There are even claims that red-haired people were once sacrificed for possessing the hair colouring. Most notably the claim in Sir James Frazer's "The Golden Bough," that red-haired men were ritually burnt in honour of Osiris, in ancient Egypt. Their ashes "scattered with winnowing fans."

Melting Pot

Thankfully, the modern world isn't that bad. If it ever was that bad. Still though, redheads today will often ponder escaping the taunts and sense of alienation that accompanies the trait. The dream being that perhaps somewhere there's a redhead homeland, where everyone looks freckly and ginger. If not in the modern world, at least somewhere in the ancient past. Some distant, romantic land - or forgotten kingdom. As when you feel like an outsider it's only natural to wonder where that outside place was, that you've somehow come inside from.

However ..what if the red hair is coming from inside the building?

If we look at the distribution of red hair we could make the case that red hair occurs where we have cultural melting pots. A classic case in point being Ireland and Scotland.

Though seemingly isolated on the north-western edge of Europe, Scotland and Ireland are perfectly situated for sea travel. A stepping stone between the northern Nordic regions and the Mediterranean. And, this is in fact what we find when we look at Irish history. With tales of settlers arriving up from Iberia and Vikings coming down from the north.

We could also make the case that the Russian patch we see on red hair maps is similarly situated. A natural melting pot, this time linking the Middle East with the Nordic regions, via Black Sea trade routes.

Another place we see red hair crop up with surprising frequency is biblical history, with figures such as Esau and King David said to have been "Ruddy" or red-haired. Similar to "Judas Beard" we also have the descriptive term "Abram hair." A label said to denote the colour "auburn." Implying that the colour was associated with the biblical Abraham. In fact, it could be said that in ancient times, before the advent of major oceanic sailing, Egypt and the wider Middle East would've been a natural melting pot. A meeting place for tribes, kingdoms and traders.

It's also worth noting that in more recent times it's often been observed that red hair appears more commonly amongst Jewish populations. For example, one 19th century article noted that there were "..thrice as many red-haired [Jewish people] as either Poles, Russians or Austrians, and half as many again as Germans." Likewise, it's also been said that in Russia, red hair was viewed as a Jewish trait.

Another place we seem to see an overrepresentation of redheads is in royalty. Along with King David, other famous redheaded royals include: Elizabeth I, Richard the Lionheart, Henry II, the Holy Roman Emperors Frederick I and II, Ismail the First, Shah of Persia, and even Egyptian rulers like Kleopatra and Ramesses II. On a side note, and returning us to earlier themes, Baldwin the Fourth, the twelfth century King of Jerusalem, was actually described as a "blue-eyed, freckled, leprous evil-doer."

As royals often make marriage alliances with other royals from foreign kingdoms, royal households will naturally likewise be melting pots that cross oceans and tribal boundaries.

A further thing perhaps worth mentioning is Aristotle's quote stating that, "Fishermen, divers for murex, and generally those whose work is on the sea, have red hair." Perhaps this observation taps into a notion that port cities, with their comings and goings, engender a greater degree of tribal mixing, and consequently, a higher incidence of freckles and red hair. The countless pirates nicknamed "Redbeard," or "Barbarossa," also spring to mind.

Pigments

This association of red hair with the sea has a logic to it. If we consider the human colour spectrum, there's a natural gradient from light to dark. A feature of the relative levels of sunlight. In the far north of Europe we have low sunlight, giving rise to blonde hair and fair skin. At the equator, with the sun at its extremity, we get dark hair and skin. Between the two there is a gentle transition, encompassing all the shades in between.

There are two pigments that are responsible for the colour of skin and hair in humans. One is eumelanin. This is responsible for black or brown colouring. The other is pheomelanin, which imparts a range of yellowish to reddish colours. Pheomelanins are particularly concentrated in the lips and genital areas. Hence the red or pinkish colouring.

Humans across the spectrum possess both pigments, and generally in a similar ratio. People with dark skin having high amounts of both. People with light skin, small amounts of both. In each case the eumelanin higher relative to the pheomelanin. However, people with red hair have relatively higher levels of pheomelanin in relation to eumelanin. It could be that "gingerness" is therefore a consequence of diverse gene pools, that have the capacity to produce this otherwise uncommon imbalance.

If we imagine people living in areas of low sunlight, who have low levels of both pigments. If they mate, any potential offspring will naturally inherit only low levels of both. Even if a person marries someone from a nearby tribe, that tribe, being situated in a similar geography, will likewise have similar pigment levels. The same is true for people living in areas of higher sunlight that marry people from a similar background. The potential variation will be mild. However, once you get sea travel, and the opportunity for humans to meet other humans from much further afield, the possible range of pigment levels any child may inherit increases.

So, for example, someone could potentially inherit the higher levels of pheomelanin from their darker-skinned ancestors, but the relatively lower levels of eumelanin from any light-skinned ancestors on their family tree. Giving rise to red hair or freckles. With some genes being recessive it may take multiple generations for these effects to become apparent.

If we look at how "gingerness" manifests we can see this mixed nature. The brown freckles, a consequence of the pheomelanin, on the fairer skin. The ruddy tinge. The hazel eyes that often accompany it - a seeming meld of brown and blue. And, of course, the hair itself: fair, yet full of colour.

There's also the common misconception that redheads are "paler" than everyone else - even blondes. However, this is no doubt simply an optical illusion. The contrast of the freckles and rusty hair, against the low eumelanin skin, giving the appearance that the fair skin is especially pale. This also explains why not all redheads have the same skin and hair tone. You even sometimes may see dark-skinned people with freckles, whose hair has a slight reddish tinge to it. This is due to the "relative" levels of pheomelanin. So, a person who isn't very light-skinned can still look "ginger" if they've inherited higher levels of pheomelanin than would normally be present for someone of their skin tone.

Interestingly, we can see a good illustration of this when dark-haired people try to bleach their hair. Rather than turning bottle-blonde or white, they're often left with hair of an amber or orange colouring. This is because the bleach destroys the eumelanin more readily, leaving the pheomelanin visible and apparent. Showing that darker-haired people do indeed have the pheomelanin that would otherwise produce red hair, were it not masked by the higher eumelanin.

Though this "melting pot" theory dispels the idea that redheads are "paler," it also strengthens some of the other stereotypes associated with red hair. For instance, the idea that redheads are more highly sexual. The redder parts of the human body, such as the lips, nipples and genitals, are also areas with more nerve endings. So it makes sense that higher relative pheomelanin - the red pigment - would be associated with a greater sensitivity to touch. Likewise, this would help to explain why redheads are purportedly more sensitive to pain and changes in temperature. Hence reports of redheads needing more anaesthetic at the dentist. This heightened sensitivity may also help to explain the association with witches and prostitutes. The presence of prostitution in port cities linking us back to sea travel.

Conclusion

So, in conclusion, looking at things through this lens, we can see redheads not as outsiders as such, but as a product of human mixing - and of civilisation, or city living itself. A trait that rises and bubbles up at cultural crossroads.

And the negative stereotypes also have their positive counterparts. Just as Judas has a red beard, we also often see Jesus depicted in art with red hair. His chestnut locks having a Mediterranean tinge. So too, the positive counterpart of the fallen Magdalene, the immaculate Mary. She, likewise, has been portrayed with reddish hair. For example, take the following description, given by the 16th century Jesuit hagiographer, Pedro de Ribadeneira:

"The Virgin was of a middle stature, though some say she was rather tall, her complexion was somewhat swart, her Hair Reddish and Golden, her Eyes Lively and Quick, the Hairs of the Eye-lids somewhat Red, the Eyebrows arched, Black, and comely: The Nose somewhat long, Vermillion Lips, most sweet in speaking[.]"

One thing to note about this description is its compound nature. The Virgin Mary is swarthy, with beautiful black eyebrows. Yet her hair is also red and golden. Almost embodying the whole spectrum of humanity. A symbolic composite of all mothers. Just as Jesus is a symbolic stand-in for all mankind. The symbolic alchemical man. Bringing to mind Cyrano de Bergerac's poetic claim, that redheads possess virtue, due to their "balanced constitution." And that red hair, like fire, contains "the most essence and the least substance." The Freckled Mashiach, or the treacherous Judas. Red hair, a product of our human melting pot. Symbolic of both its good and bad potential.