Origin Theories of the Redheaded Stepchild
Vikings
Redheaded children were the result of the 11th century Viking invasions of Britain and Ireland. In the course of raping and pillaging, the Vikings left behind a few red-headed children.
The children’s red hair made them stand out from the majority. Because of their Viking heritage, the redheaded children were subject to harsh treatment by parents and discrimination by the rest of the population.
Slavery
The phrase “redheaded stepchild” actually started as “redheaded nigger”. It referred to the frequently redheaded mulatto (mixed race) slave children on plantations as a result of the slave owners having sex with the slaves.
Little Orphan Annie – A Redheaded Stepchild
The phrase originated with the musical Annie. The red-headed Annie would be beaten by her stepmother with a hairbrush.
Irish
The phrase “red-haired stepchild” originated in the early 1800s when Irish emigrants began arriving in America. The newly arrived Irish ranked somewhere below free blacks on the social strata and lived in segregated communities.
The prejudice against the Irish was so severe signs in front of restaurants, bars or hotels used to say, “No dogs or Irish”. As young men are sometimes prone to do, young Irish men were having premarital sex.
This resulted in out of wedlock children with red Irish hair. When these young women did finally marry, usually to a young man not of Irish descent, the new husband was not particularly patient or sympathetic to the red-haired stepchild and treated them harshly.
Some Facts about Redheads
- Throughout history, redheads have been mistrusted and maligned.
- In ancient Egypt, red hair was seen as so unlucky, red-haired girls were burned alive.
- In medieval Europe, the infamous witch-hunting manual, “Malleus Maleficarum”, instructed red hair, green eyes, and freckles were marks of a witch. This idea might have come from the general belief redheads were evil, wanton, and hot-tempered.
- Redheads make up 4% of the European population.
- Scotland has the highest percentage.
- Ireland has the second highest percentage.
- In the United States, redheads make up 2-6% of the population.
- Largest population of redheads in the world: 6 -18 million.
- Redheads have influenced history out of proportion to their numbers. Famous redheads include Roman emperor Nero, Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, the ancient god of love Aphrodite, Queen Elizabeth I, Napoleon Bonaparte, Oliver Cromwell, Emily Dickinson, Antonio Vivaldi, Thomas Jefferson, Vincent Van Gogh, Mark Twain, James Joyce, Winston Churchill, Malcolm X, Galileo, and King David.
- Natural redheads have a high pain threshold than others; they can withstand 25% more electric shock.
- Red hair is a recessive trait. A child must inherit one red hair gene from each parent. Recessive traits often come in pairs, redheads are more likely than other people to be left-handed.
- Red hair doesn’t gray as much as other hair colors. Red hair initially tends to turn blond and then white.
Final Thoughts
Christina Hendricks is not a natural redhead.
Who would have thought? Thank you for pointing this out.
Gerardo