Myths

Gingers have fiery tempers
For centuries, redheads have been said to have fiery tempers. Since we are thought to be descendants of the Vikings, it is possible that this myth came from their warrior reputation.  The Romans were said to have put red haired males born in the empire into training as soldiers since they were believed to be fierce warriors. Rome decided against conquering Scotland due to the number of redheads they saw there and instead built Hadrians wall to keep them out of Roman Britain. Scottish people have higher percentages of redheads than most (13%) and they have historically been known as mad buggers. Red may be the colour associated with anger and danger but the chance of a ginger having a bad temper is around the same as any other hair colour group.

When gingers die they turn into a vampire
The ancient Greeks used to believe that when a redhead died, they turned into a vampire. Our aversion to the sun has something to do with this fallacy.   Scientists have revealed that it is possible that red hair comes from the Neanderthals. Neanderthals were red-haired and semi-nocturnal. It is thought that they worshipped the moon. This doesn’t help our reputation of being daywalkers. Other than that, there is no concrete evidence that we will ‘turn’ at time of death. You will not require a stake, wreath of garlic or holy water at a ginger funeral.

Gingers were conceived during menstruation
Ewww, that’s just wrong. Learn your biology.

Gingers are evil
In the middle of the last millennium, the fear of witches was rampant. Thousands of women were stripped and searched for ‘marks of the devil.’ These included any abnormal features, such as moles, birthmarks, freckles or even red hair. Considering that redheads have two out of the four signs, they were doomed. As a result, many were either burned at the stake or drowned.

Eve’s red hair is seen as the stain of sin like the original scarlet letter. Later her son, Cain, will bear the red hair and also fall from grace. Okay so a couple bad seeds have spoiled our  reputation but I can name plenty of brunettes and blondes in history that could take this reputation from us – Hitler, Attila the Hun, Rasputin – just to name a few.

They will steal your children
In the early 1600’s, at the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the belief of pixies (aka fairies) emerged in southwest England. They were then and have since been strongly associated with red hair for their mischievousness, otherworldly talents and child stealing. I can’t vouch for the pixies – they are what they are.

They are unlucky and untrustworthy
Redheads have always been thought untrustworthy. Judas is most always depicted as a redhead displaying the prejudice against red hair. Lilith [Adam’s lover] was a redhead.  Shakespeare made all his most menacing characters wear red wigs.
Ancient Egyptians considered redheads to be so unlucky, they offered them in sacrifice, to the god Osiris hoping to end the supposed bad-luck streak. Can you imagine being killed in a ritual, simply because your hair was an “unlucky” shade? On the other hand, though, Romans thought redheads might bring luck, so they were particularly desirable… when purchased as slaves.

Endangered and desperate
A mere 2% of the population are redheads, and the number may well be dwindling. A few years ago a Denmark sperm bank announced they no longer required ginger donors. They had too much in the bank and not enough takers. Read more.

Thankfully our mutated gene is recessive. Not every offspring is going to be a blessed redhead but it may come out in second generation offspring.

Gingers have no soul
The phrase “gingers have no soul” comes from the South Park episode “Ginger Kids” that first aired on November 9th, 2005. At the beginning of this episode, Eric Cartman gives a class presentation on the subject of red-headed children and “Gingervitis,” a made-up disease. Strangely Ron Weasley was never attacked by the soul eating dementors in Harry Potter. I did however watch ’28grams’ and there is nothing to suggest that redheads weigh 28 grams less than our blonde/brunette counterparts.

Bees sting redheads more often
This myth about red hair may actually be true, though the science has yet to catch up with anecdotal evidence. Why bees would choose to sting redheads more often than blondes or brunettes? Another odd but possibly true fact? Redheads require more anesthetic. Could these two be somehow related?

Redheads have stolen Hell-fire
During the Spanish Inquisition, redheads by the hundreds died because the Spaniards thought that redheads were witches who had stolen the fires of hell, and as such, had to be burnt at the stake.

Other weird superstitions

In Corsica, if you pass a redhead in the street you are to spit and turn around.

In Poland, if you see three Redheads at the same time, you will win the lottery.

In Denmark it is an honour to have a redheaded child.

A French Proverb states that: `redheaded women are either violent or false, and usually are both`.

It brings you good luck to rub your hand on a Redhead`s head

Facts

Gingers account for 1-2% of the world population. The highest percentage of natural redheads in the world is in Scotland (13%), followed closely by Ireland with 10%. In the US, about 2% of the population are natural redheads.

Most redheads live in the U.K., Ireland, and former colonies of U.K. such as Australia. A common Australian nickname for any redheaded person is ‘Blue’.

Typically redheads are believed to be more sexual than normal. It’s no secret that ginger women are considered firecrackers in bed. Red might be the colour associated with anger but it is also associated with passion and lusty libido.

2% of us are natural redheads.  But at least 2% of the population are fake redheads. Sixty percent of women who dye their hair do so at home. Of them 26% choose to go blonde, 27% go basic brunette, and 30% choose to become redheads. The sale of at home red dye kits has gone up 17% since the year two thousand hit.

All the finger pointing and burning at the stake has made us stronger. Scientifically redheads feel less pain and a 2002 study found that Redheads are harder to sedate than any other people requiring 20% more anesthesia.

Adults have about 120,000 hairs on their head; redheads have fewer, blondes have more, brunettes have the most.

The sun is our worst enemy. Redheads, on average, are more likely to burn in the sun and they are at an increased risk of skin cancer.

Redheads don`t turn grey. Red hair turns sandy, then white.

Famous gingers: Vincent van Gogh, Thomas Jefferson, Eric the Red, Stan Laurel, Ron Howard, Katharine Hepburn, Maud Gonne, Maureen O’Hara, Shirley Manson, Lucille Ball, Ewan McGregor, Lindsay Lohan, Rupert Grint, Damian Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Phillip Seymour-Hoffman, Tori Amos, Queen Elizabeth I , Gerri Halliwell , Ed Sheeran, Prince Harry, Jessica Chastain, Conan O’Brien, Seth Green, Cyndi Lauper, Annie Potts, Carol Burnett, Winston Churchill,  Anne of Green Gables,  Mary Queen of Scots, Galileo, Sarah Bernhardt, Sarah Ferguson, Henry VIII, Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Ginger Rogers,  Rita Hayworth, Molly Ringwald, Bonnie Rait,  Julianne Moore, Tori Amos, Sissy Spacek, Toni Collette, Gillian Anderson,  Sarah Mclachlan, Axl Rose, Emily Dickinson