Why were redheads accused of being witches all the time in the colonial time period?

Question

I can't seem to find the answer anywhere, and I have to go swimming so I don't have time to. Since I am a redhead I want to find out and it's for extra credit in my U.S. History class and I wanted to be the one to do it since I have red hair and I would like to know about it. So please help me and tell me where you found it to so I can get the credit! Thanks! =o)

Answer 1

First of all, "being accused of being witches all the time"?? Not likely. Remember that Jefferson and Washington were both redheads. In fact, since there were a significant number of Scotch-Irish colonists, and Scotland has long had a VERY high percentage of redheads (11% these days I'm told), redheads would have been relatively common in the colonies, including among their leadership. That such a significant part of the population would be suspected in this way.

On the contrary, the fact that you do NOT read about this in colonial writings, not to mention the fact that such powerful and highly regarded leaders were redheads, undercuts such a large claim.
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Now there clearly WERE times and places in which some sort of 'redheads-are-witches' suspicion (or perhaps better "more LIKELY to be witches). So, WAS it found in colonial America? And where did the idea come from?

Many who mention the 'persecution of redheads as witches' date it from the late 15th century, so they seem to be referring to the same origin. A FEW specifically connect it with the teaching of a famous (or infamous) book called the Malleus Maleficarum (= "Hammer of Evil") written by two Germans in the late 15th century and put forward as a manual on how to deal with witches (i.e., related to the Inquisition). Unfortunately, I've not seen anyone cite where in the book this is supposed to be located (and have not read it through yet.... so I'm not certain of this yet).

The connections with the church itself are debated (the book appears to have been PANNED by the University of Cologne which was asked to endorse it, and the papal bull printed with it PRECEDED the book itself and may not specifically endorse what this book said.) It appears, however, that the book, thanks in part to its appearing shortly after the invention of the printing press, was widely disseminated and popular in some circles, including in England.

Some have also suggested that since this book had a popular connection with the Inquisition and prosecution of witches that it, or its ideas, were carried over to New England (though the Puritans were certainly NOT Catholic). They then make a connection with the Salem witch trials (1692).

I cannot, however, find ANY evidence that folks in Salem appealed to this book or its ideas, and certainly none that they made any statements connecting redheads and witches. At this point (if not long before) I think we're into very loose popular speculation and urban legend, not careful historical study.
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But WHY would these Germans (or anyone else) have think there might be a redhead-witch link? Even if the book above spread the idea, it's doubtful it just INVENTED it.

I have not seen this very well studied, so this is mostly my OWN guess from what I do know.

The suspicion may have a fairly simple basis in European (esp. German) HISTORY. Note that redheads in Europe were largely from the North. There were, for example, redheaded Vikings (remember "Eric the RED"?) For areas where redheads were not found or were rare, this particular trait may have gained a negative association with these raiders and invaders whom they feared.

In the case of the Vikings, this was ALSO one of the groups that maintained its native/pagan religions the longest. Hence their religious practices could easily be associated with the demonic, witchcraft, etc. (DO note that a lot of European ideas about what "witchcraft" looks like --and indeed the WORD "witchcraft" (cf. "wicca") IS connected with pagan Celtic roots and practices. Here again is a fair-skinned population with quite a number of redheads.

One other more distant possibility might be from women who were not NATURAL redheads, but who had DYED/BLEACHED their hair. In Southern Europe, as early as late Roman times, there was some attraction to the fair skin and hair of those from the North, and thus some women would dye their hair blond or (perhaps more easily?) 'redhead'. Not surprisingly, as a behavior meant to make one look younger (fair hair is much more common among the young) and more attractive to men, this was a common practice among "women of ill repute". This in turn might result in the notion of light-haired women as more likely to be loose or evil women, certainly not well-behaved conformists.

So, there are a couple of possibilities for you.

Answer 2

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RE:
Why were redheads accused of being witches all the time in the colonial time period?
I can't seem to find the answer anywhere, and I have to go swimming so I don't have time to. Since I am a redhead I want to find out and it's for extra credit in my U.S. History class and I wanted to be the one to do it since I have red hair and I would like to know about it. So please...

Answer 3

The only requirement of atheism is lack of belief in god or gods. You can believe anything else and still be an atheist. Most atheists are also naturalists and don't believe in the supernatural, but according to the definition of atheism, you could technically be an atheist and believe in supernatural occurrences other than god. Unless you live in some country ruled by the Taliban, I highly doubt you would ever be burned for being a witch. This is the 21st century, not the 15th.

Answer 4

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An atheist can be interested in and emulate the culture of anything they like because there is no rules like religions set for their followers. And I'm guessing any amount of atheists have been burned as witches because we all know now witches obviously don't exist but was used by husbands who's wife cheated on them or someone just jealous of another woman so cry witch and get rid of them.

Answer 5

"Red" is a quite rare color for hairs, as genetically is a color non able to predominate on others. Also red is often linked to Celt original people, and Celts in middle ages went on often making pagan rites to nature, and this was seen as witchcraft in late Middle Ages. Add to this that one of the colors in which in imagined Devil is red and the empering paranoia of the age, and you have the result. However, even in the most blind trials, none was judged simply for being red haired. There were other different proof . But mostly was paranoia for not being able to explain natural events.
PS maybe someone married to a red haired believes that is true that red haired women are witches ;)

Answer 6

Usually, that is too long for me. I consider it depends on the guy and also his face though. Certain guys can easily pull off long hair and others can't.

Answer 7

I have pretty lengthy hair, I like them but I actually think I would have them cut short in about some two yrs

Answer 8

Same reason they are today........She's a witch i tell ya. Girls can't go about getting an education and learning their numbers and stuff.

Answer 9

Because accusers have 'blank heads'......