What is the history of the red hair gene and what began the discrimination of redheads in England that is evident still to this day?
From the Medieval Ages to present day, prejudices and myths about red hair have been a common occurrence. Throughout different cultures and time periods, redheads have been ridiculed and at times have been victims of resentment and condemnation due to their genetic makeup. Though the history of where these stereotypes materialized needs to be examined more thoroughly, it is unmistakable based on evidence that England in particular appears to have intermittent past and present incidences of prejudice toward people with red hair ("Redheads: Myths, Legends, and Famous Red Hair"). By looking at the historical roots …show more content…
Some of these old myths include: Lilith, a red haired mythological Mesopotamian demon who forced a belief that all redheaded women were “overly sexually active, deviant and selfish,” along with Cleopatra of Egypt and Icenian Queen Boudicca’s interactions fighting with the Roman Empire that brought about the belief of redhead’s being highly sexualized and fierce, which then became a known detail in the Christian religion (Kentch). Along with Jesus’ betrayer in the Bible, Judas, having red hair and at one point the hair color being a sign of witchcraft in Europe, it is clear that people with red hair have been the subject of bigotry ("The Myths and History of Red Hair - Witchcraft and Heresy"). With this history around the world, it should not come as a surprise that English resentment of the Irish in the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries resulted in supplementary issues toward those with red …show more content…
Red hair prejudice is also prevalent worldwide due to the religious myths regarding red-haired demons and Judas the betrayer having red hair ("The Myths and History of Red Hair - Witchcraft and Heresy"). The history and evolution of the red hair gene shed some light on what might have sparked this prejudice and why it still continues to this day. Viewing the discrimination from the English perspective gives insight into past and present English and Irish relations and a closer look at cultural bias in the UK from a lesser-known and prevalent minority. WORD COUNT
From the Medieval Ages to present day, prejudices and myths about red hair have been a common occurrence. Throughout different cultures and time periods, redheads have been ridiculed and at times have been victims of resentment and condemnation due to their genetic makeup. Though the history of where these stereotypes materialized needs to be examined more thoroughly, it is unmistakable based on evidence that England in particular appears to have intermittent past and present incidences of prejudice toward people with red hair ("Redheads: Myths, Legends, and Famous Red Hair"). By looking at the historical roots …show more content…
Some of these old myths include: Lilith, a red haired mythological Mesopotamian demon who forced a belief that all redheaded women were “overly sexually active, deviant and selfish,” along with Cleopatra of Egypt and Icenian Queen Boudicca’s interactions fighting with the Roman Empire that brought about the belief of redhead’s being highly sexualized and fierce, which then became a known detail in the Christian religion (Kentch). Along with Jesus’ betrayer in the Bible, Judas, having red hair and at one point the hair color being a sign of witchcraft in Europe, it is clear that people with red hair have been the subject of bigotry ("The Myths and History of Red Hair - Witchcraft and Heresy"). With this history around the world, it should not come as a surprise that English resentment of the Irish in the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries resulted in supplementary issues toward those with red …show more content…
Red hair prejudice is also prevalent worldwide due to the religious myths regarding red-haired demons and Judas the betrayer having red hair ("The Myths and History of Red Hair - Witchcraft and Heresy"). The history and evolution of the red hair gene shed some light on what might have sparked this prejudice and why it still continues to this day. Viewing the discrimination from the English perspective gives insight into past and present English and Irish relations and a closer look at cultural bias in the UK from a lesser-known and prevalent minority. WORD COUNT