Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-06-08
Red Hair.

WlttV pafagraphers are NJ present
accustomed to salirize in many ways
the red-haired girl. her appearance be-
ing said 10 Ia connected with the prox-
innate vision of white horse. 1t Is,
perhaps, impossi de To say when On :
idea or giHale but it is probable that
IL had It's rise IN the ancient aversion
to red.haired persons, very wide
spread. Various reasons have been
assigned for this curious aniipath1.
NJ, biologists claim that red hair repre-
sents the dangerous lightning stroke,
or the whitening RAYS of tn summer
sun. lndra, god Of the elements, had
golden har and Loki II m sch etuus
imp. was red-ha red. TIE mrrmeid is
often represented MS combng her 20 d.
en- locks, and red bearded demons are
not uncommon. "Rothbart Teufel-
sart." cred beard, devils k'nd), is an
old German proverb
Others claim that the origin OF the
superstition that red-haired men were
treacherous came from "a notion that
Judas was red-haired. Nothing is
said as to the color of his hair in the
New Testament, and ho is shown with
black hair in most of the painted rrpre-
sentat ons of the middle ages. 4 Cor
man fresco of the twelfth century. how
ever. pictures the arch-tra tor asa red
haired man. 1t is probable that Chris
tan iniiuenre in Teutonlc lands brought
about this great antipathy to red nair.
as many OF the heather gods and god
desses wore golden locks Rid has
always been detested coor. 1t WIS
the hue of the pirate flag, and Is sam
culinary tint has been chosen for the
banner of the anarch lists. Ii was for =
long time an unfashionube color n
England. and auburU lo,k were,
therefore. disadvantage 10 the pos
SCISSOR.
Again. it is probable that much OF
this odium laid upon red-barol men
arose from traditional hatred against
Teutonc conquerors the eIioW-harrd
Golhs. the red-haired Danes and tle
rudy Mortimer alike expressing RI.
man, Saxon and GauI.
In the old romances of the Round
Table. the Red Kn ght of the Red Lands
represents Death. whom Sr Gtwain
hnall conquers in combat Shake.
speare alludes to the prevalent super
sti,ons on this subject in As You Like
H. Oii, ~:
Ro.alind-H S very hair I. OF d.sen1liuy
hue.
a-Somethinr browner than Judas.
Nor is it yet entirely extinct II parts
OF England. In Devonshre it is thought
unlucky TO have a red-haircd person
first enter the house on New Years
dav, and black-ha red lal, 90 the
rounds. and are rewarded b presents.
There is proyerb among Scoich
Highlanders, avoid the rcd-head aud
the steep rock. y
In other European lan!s this dislike
also exists There is Danish proverb
that Red heads and elders DO not
flourish in good soil. ARrl Cavalier
figures in many FOLKLORE tales, aud 1t
is said that Evil speakers and the Rcd
Cavalier cause mon much d stress.
An old poem has the following lines.
abiding to u certain hero:
HI, beard and exc his hair,
Both red and fer, were,
OF these lis really sa a.
They cover false hearts.
But ] believe IL not
Ii matters not his hair
II lie be a true man.
The color hurts 1t none.
Similar ideas formerly ex ,ted in Ger.
many. An old poem has it that "Rcd.
haired men and elder trees are rare N
fertile soil" Another W.T. ter. about
1000 A. d.. advises the reader, Not 10
thee red man for special friend"
William of Tyre. writing in the twelfth
century. saws of Fix. of Jerusalem,
who was red haired: "He was alfablr.
ben gnant. and, contrary to the rule OF
that color. kind and mercifuI. "
French proverbs carry the antipathy
TO animals. "IIe is cked as red
ass, is saying in many places.
Rochefort, in an editor al in ms paper.
calls a political opponent "red ass
Another French proverb says. Red.
haired men and woody dogs are better
dead than known" AMI there is IN
Italian saying to the same ect An
old Italian poem of the twelfth century
contains these lines:
Hardly small man humble, great one With
reason
Can now be found or red one without irca
son.
The Chinese antipathy to red hair ],
well known. One of their familiar mp.
pe'lations for foreigners is 'red-haired
devils"
A Slavic proverb also recites the
same superst ton: Al the sight Of .
bearded woman and .cd- haired man
one fees ava :"
Auon0 An ,or,,f,, trfio 20 D..I,.,,:.