Redheads in Ancient Rome
North Gubernator Meredith Hurley (Shaker Heights)
How were redheads viewed in ancient Rome? Individuals with red hair were considered a sign of good luck, a great wig color to steal, and known to turn into vampires after they died. Romans believed very heavily in these three things.
Some viewed redheads as a sign of good luck as they were associated with having magical abilities that could be used for the better. Venus, the goddess of love, beauty, and prosperity, is depicted with red hair, giving this trait a positive connotation.
In ancient Rome, a highly sought-after wig color came from red hair. This is because of its rarity. If you could have a red-haired wig, it meant that you had money and was thus used as a social status symbol.
It was a common belief that people with red hair would become vampires after dying. There were many reasons for this; the biggest one was the combination of fiery, almost bloodlike hair and pale skin. The pale skin and the tendency to burn from the sun led most redheads to stay inside to hide and protect themselves from the sun's rays effectively. This led to the aggravation of the belief that those with red hair were supernatural beings more at home in the darkness than in the light of day. Along with that, people with red hair were often associated with witchcraft. The red hair, being such a distinct and otherworldly color, was a mark that they were not quite human. It was a mark that meant the gods touched them.
Although redheads were sometimes seen as a sign of luck, they were more often than not seen as a symbol of bad luck due to the connotations of being both involved with magic and the future of becoming a vampire.