Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 January 1913 — RED HAIR ALWAYS DISLIKED [ARTICLE]

RED HAIR ALWAYS DISLIKED

With the Exception of the. RorngnS) Ancient Peoples Had Strong Aversion to IL Red la .the fashionable color at woman’s ’ hair just now, but in mhny periods add countries to have rd& hair meant to test the depths of misfortune, even of death. Prejudice against red hair runs back even to Egyptian times, for in that land of decided opinions and strong prejudices it was the custom to burn alive some unfortunate Individual cursed with red hair, so it was decidedly uncomfortable to have red hair in Egypt, as no one knew whose turn would come next. That the Chinese shared this prejudice against red hair is proved by their epithet for the English, whom they called "red-haired barbarians" or “red-haired devils.,” - The great exception tor this rule among ancient nations is the Romans, for since the time of Nero they have praised red hair in the highest terms. .They preferred a dark red, almost brown, such as we term auburn, and modern Romans share this liking. It is said that among the patrician families of Rome and Florence there is an abnormally large number of red-haired women. Modern Greeks share this predilection with the Romans and they highten the reddish effect of the hair by wear lug d ull gold ornaments. One of the most frequent causes ol the prejudice against red hair in Christian countries undoubtedly goes back to the tradition that Judas, the betrayer of Jesus, had red hair, and'most of the artists paint him thus. Shakespeare refers to this in “As You Yike it,” when Rosalind says of-Orlando, “His very hair is of the dissembling color,” and Celia answers: “Something browner than Judas.” The Brahmins were forbidden to marry red-haired women and, as has been said: “The populace of most countries, confounding moral with esthetic impressions, accuse red-haired people of various shortcomings.” Besides the old tradition of Judas having been red-haired aiding to create the prejudice existing in many lands the fact of the feeling against red hair in England is set down to the red-hajred Danes, who could not be regarded save as invaders and barbarians.