Superstitions About Red Heads

"SUPERSTITIONS"

-- From Latin ‘superstitio’ meaning ‘standing over’

-- An irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear

-- Beliefs or practices resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, or trust in magic or chance.

"MYTHS"

-- From Greek 'mutho'

-- a widely held but false belief

-- a fictitious person or thing

-- A traditional story concerning the early history of a people or explaining a natural or social phenomenon, typically involving the supernatural

It’s felt that red-haired people don’t make good butter, for the butter always has a slight tang to it.

Salute no red-haired man nearer than 30 feet off and, even so, hold 3 stones in the fist wherewith to defend thyself.

Straight and course red hair, also coarse and kinky, most always shows dishonesty.

Redheads have no soul. (A superstition propagated by an episode from "South Park" TV show.)

Never lodge at red-haired people’s houses for these be folks that are to dread.

If you happen to walk any distance between 2 redheaded girls, it’s a sign that you will soon be very rich.

Red hair is the sign of a vixen.

Redheaded women are either violent or false and usually are both.

An honor it is to have a child with red hair.

A lady with long red hair is glib of tongue, talkative, and vain.

Auburn or ginger hair denotes a person to be very passionate and hasty, very suspicious and extremely jealous; thereby much sorrow will come to such persons and those who associate with them.

Rumored they'd turn into a vampire after they die. (Go figure!)

Red hair denotes a person of sharp wit, easily agitated, unforgiving, but once a friend, a true one.

Let not the eye of a red-haired woman rest on you.

Do not let the shadow of a red-headed person fall upon you. It will work you back luck.

In Spain, there is a strong prejudice against red hair, which originated in their belief that the hair of the traitor Judas Iscariot was red. The Irish, on the contrary, are very fond of red hair and thik it brings them good luck. They have an odd ditty which runs: "Heigh for the apple and ho! for the pear. But give me the girl with the pretty red hair.

Ladies with red hair are usually great talkers.

It is also said that Cain had red hair, and this will greatly account for the popular prejudice against it.

In ancient Egypt, people with red hair were associated with the god Seth, the slayer of Osiris. (Noted in response to the famous pharaoh Ramesses II apparently being a redhead.)

Completely opposite of the above note, I've also read that the ancient Egyptians were among the nations who held that color (red hair) to be unlucky, and they annually went through the ceremony of burning a maiden alive who had the misfortune to own a red head so as to exterminate those brilliant tresses from the country.

In Donegal, if a girl is born with red hair, it is a sign there was a pig under the bed.

In New Zealand, red hair is sacred, and a woman with red hair is believed to have a clear road to heaven.

Red hair was a sign of unclean sex (during menstruation); degenerate offspring.

Red hair was called the "Mark of Gilgamesh" (after a mysterious figure of this name around 2600 B.C.)

If the person has red hair on the top of his head or the back of the neck, then he will be wealthy.

Bees will sting redheads more

If you should pass a redhead in the street, spit and turn around.

If you pass by 3 red-haired people, you will win the state lottery.

A man with long red hair is cunning and deceitful...

A red beard and a black head catch him with a trick and take him dead.

It is unlucky to see a red-headed Negro.

It's lucky to rub your hand on the head of a redhead

Rust in the pipes.

Left me out in the rain and hair rusted.

It's said that redheads are born witches, because their hair has turned red like the fires of hell.

For many years redheaded women were not allowed at the craps tables in Las Vegas-they were thought to bring good luck to the gentleman that they accompanied, but bad luck to the others at the table. (Thanks to Susan!)

(SOURCES: SUPERSTITIONS FROM "Encyclopedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World," originally published in 1903. Also collections of e-mails, readings, etc. Difficult to verify many of these, however!)

DON'T YOU JUST WONDER HOW these superstitions, myths, old wives' tales got started???!!If you know of more, let me know on the "Contact Me" page and I'll gladly add them!

Click HERE to read about "STEREOTYPES about Redheads"...

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