Red hair
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:''This article is about people with red hair, also sometimes called redheads. For other uses, see [[Redhead (disambiguation)]] and [[Red hair (disambiguation)]].''
[[Image:Woman_redhead_natural_portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Woman with red hair]]
[[Image:Red Headed Young Man.jpg|thumb|right|Man with red hair]]
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'''Red [[hair]]''' (also referred to as ''[[auburn (color)|auburn]]'', ''ginger'' or ''titian'') varies from a deep orange-red through [[orange (color)#Burnt orange|burnt orange]] to bright [[copper (color)|copper]]. It is characterized by high levels of the reddish [[pigment]] [[Melanin#Melanin in humans|pheomelanin]] and relatively low levels of the dark pigment [[Melanin#Melanin in humans|eumelanin]]. People with red hair are often referred to as ''redheads''.<ref>{{cite web | url=
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2329313.stm | title=It's a pain being ginger | publisher=BBC NEWS|accessdate=2006-04-27}}</ref>
Approximately 1% to 2% of the human population has red hair.<ref name="redalert">[http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A47332-2002Mar18¬Found=true Red Alert!] Washington Post: Original Date 2002-03-19. Accessed 2007-02-06.</ref><ref>[[National Geographic]], September, 2007</ref> It occurs more frequently (between 2% and 6% of the population) in northern and western Europeans, and their descendants, and at lower frequencies throughout other parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. Red hair appears in people with two copies of a [[Dominance relationship|recessive gene]] on [[chromosome 16]] which causes a change in the [[melanocortin 1 receptor|MC1R]] protein. It is associated with fair skin color, [[freckle]]s, and sensitivity to [[ultraviolet light]], as the mutated MC1R protein is found in the skin and eyes instead of the darker melanin. Cultural reactions have varied from ridicule to admiration; many common stereotypes exist regarding redheads, and they are often portrayed as the “fiery-tempered redhead”.
As well as in humans, red hair can be found in other [[mammalian]] [[species]] such as [[orangutan]]s, [[squirrel]]s, [[goats]], and [[highland cattle]]. Red hair or fur can be found in some [[breed]]s of [[Irish setter|dog]] and [[cat coat genetics|cat]], and certain species of [[red fox|fox]] and [[red deer|deer]].
==Geographic distribution==
===Historical===
Several accounts by Greek writers detail redheaded people. A fragment by the Greek poet [[Xenophanes]] describes the [[Thracians]] as blue-eyed and red haired. The Greek historian [[Herodotus]] described the "[[Budini]]", probably [[Udmurt people|Udmurts]] and [[Finnish people|Permyak Finns]] located on the [[Volga]] in what is modern-day [[Russia]], as being predominantly redheaded. The Greek historian [[Dio Cassius]] described [[Boudica]], the famous [[Celt]]ic [[Queen regnant|Queen]] of the [[Iceni]], to: "be tall and terrifying in appearance ... a great mass of red hair ... over her shoulders".
The Roman [[Tacitus]] commented on the "red hair and large limbs of the inhabitants of [[Caledonia]] ([[Scotland]])",<ref>''The Life of Agricola'', Ch. 11</ref> which he linked with some red haired [[Gaul]]ish tribes of [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] and [[Belgae|Belgic]] relation.
Red hair has also been found in [[Asia]], notably among the [[Tocharians]] who occupied the northwesternmost province of what is modern-day [[People's Republic of China|China]]. The [[2nd millennium BC]] [[Caucasian race|caucasian]] [[Tarim mummies]] in [[China]] were found with red and blonde hair and most likely were of European origin..<ref> [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/2502chinamum.html Mysterious Mummies of China] PBS Transcript: Airdate 1998-01-20</ref>
<center><gallery>
Image:Thrace-ostrusha.jpg|A fresco of a red-haired [[Thracian]] noble woman in the Ostrusha Mound in central [[Bulgaria]], 4th century B.C.
Image:MirceacelBatran.jpg|Prince [[Mircea I of Wallachia]], fresco from the Episcopiei de Argeş Church
Image:Central Asian Buddhist Monks.jpeg|Red-headed, blue-eyed [[Central Asia]]n ([[Tocharian]]?) and East-Asian Buddhist monks, Bezaklik, Eastern [[Tarim Basin]], China, 9th-10th century
Image:Juan de Flandes 002.jpg|Portrait of a young girl by [[Juan de Flandes]] c. [[1500]]. The subject is possibly [[Catherine of Aragon|Catalina de Aragón]], Spanish [[Infanta]] and later first of the [[Wives of Henry VIII|six wives of Henry VIII of England]].
</gallery></center>
===Modern===
[[Image:Palestinian girl in Qalqiliya.jpg|thumb|Palestinian girl with auburn hair]]
[[Image:Kurdish Girl Armenia.jpg|thumb|right|175px|Kurdish girl with red hair]]
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Today, red hair is most commonly found at the [[Western Europe|western fringes]] of [[Europe]]. It is associated particularly with those in [[Scotland]], [[Ireland]] , [[Wales]], and [[England]]. This matches the movement of the [[Celts]] and [[Picts]] as they were pushed westward and northward in Britain and Ireland during the [[Roman conquest of Britain]], as well as the pattern of Viking settlement in the north of England.{{Fact|date=June 2008}}
Redheads constitute approximately four percent of the European population.<ref>[http://hair.lovetoknow.com/Red_Hair Red Hair - LoveToKnow Hair<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Scotland has the highest proportion of redheads, as 13 percent of the population has red hair and approximately 40 percent carries the recessive redhead gene.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/scotland/819117.stm BBC NEWS | Scotland | Scots ginger 'nuts' appeal<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Ireland has the second highest percentage; as many as 10 percent of the Irish population have ginger, auburn (red-brown) or strawberry blond hair.<ref>http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/110521660/ABSTRACT American Journal of Physical Anthropology Volume 26, Issue 1, 1940]</ref>
It is thought that up to 46 percent of the Irish population carries the recessive redhead gene. Red hair reaches frequencies of up to 10 percent in Wales.<ref>The Annals of Human Genetics, Vol. 20, p. 327, 1955-56</ref> In England, the county of Cornwall, the far north, near the Scottish border, and the counties of Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire also have significant proportions of redheads.
In the [[United States]], anywhere from two to six percent of the population is estimated to have red hair.<ref name="redalert"/> This would give the U.S. the largest population of redheads in the world, at 6 to 18 million, compared to approximately 650,000 <!-- 5,062,011 * 13% --> in Scotland and 420,000 <!-- 4,239,848 * 10% --> in Ireland.
Red or reddish-tinged hair is also found in other European populations particularly in the [[Nordic countries|Nordic]] and [[Baltic countries]] as well as parts of [[the Netherlands]], [[Belgium]], [[France]], [[Spain]], [[Italy]], [[Germany]], [[Russia]] and [[Southeastern Europe]].
The [[Berber people|Berber]] populations of northern [[Algeria]] and [[Morocco]] have occasional redheads.<ref> Stirling, John. ''The Races of Morocco''. Journal of the Anthropological Society of London, Vol. 8, 1870 - 1871 (1870 - 1871), pp. clxix-clxxiii doi:10.2307/3025183</ref>
In Asia, darker or mixed tinges of red hair can be found sporadically from [[Northern India]], northern [[Middle East]] (such as [[Lebanon]], [[Iran]], [[Syria]], [[Jordan]],) and in rare instances in [[Japan]]<ref Name=Yamamoto>Yamamoto M., and Neel J.V. "A note on red hair on the Island of Hirado, Japan". ''Jinrui Idengaku Zasshi''. March 1967. 11 (4), pp 257-62.</ref> and the [[Oceania|South Pacific]]. Red hair can be found amongst those of [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]] descent, such as the [[Pashtun]]s.
In [[Argentina]] people with red hair also make up a significant amount of the population, due to [[British people|British]] and [[Irish people|Irish]] immigration during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. <ref Name=Clarin>[http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/07/17/conexiones/t-01458339.htm El Rojo Como Blanco] Clarin, 07/17/2007</ref>
==Biochemistry and genetics==
[[Image:Redhead close up.jpg|thumb|right|A close-up view of red hair]]
The pigment [[pheomelanin]] gives red hair its distinctive color. Red hair has far more pheomelanin than other hair colors, but far less of the dark pigment eumelanin. Auburn hair has both high levels of pheomelanin and eumelanin.
The [[genetics]] of red hair, discovered in [[1997]], appears to be associated with the [[melanocortin-1 receptor]] (MC1R), which is found on [[chromosome]] [[chromosome 16|16]]. Red hair is associated with fair skin color due to low concentrations of eumelanin. This lower melanin-concentration has the advantage that a sufficient concentration of important [[Vitamin D]] can be produced under low light conditions. However, when the UV-radiation is strong (like in the regions close to the equator) the lower concentration of melanin leads to several medical disadvantages - one of them is the higher rate of skin cancer.
The MC1R [[recessive gene|recessive]] variant gene, which gives people red hair and fair skin, is also associated with [[freckle]]s, though it is not uncommon to see a redhead without freckles. Eighty percent of redheads have an MC1R gene variant,<ref>{{cite journal |author=Valverde P, Healy E, Jackson I, Rees JL, Thody AJ |title=Variants of the melanocyte-stimulating hormone receptor gene are associated with red hair and fair skin in humans |journal=Nat. Genet. |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=328–30 |year=1995 |pmid=7581459 |doi=10.1038/ng1195-328}}</ref> and the prevalence of these [[alleles]] is highest in [[Scotland]] and [[Ireland]]. The alleles that code for red hair occur close to the alleles that impact skin color, so it seems that the phenotypic expression for lighter skin and red hair are interrelated.
Red hair can originate from several different changes on the MC1R-gene. If one of these changes is present on both chromosomes then the respective individual is likely to have red hair. This type of inheritance is described as an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. Even if both parents do not have red hair themselves, both can be carriers for the gene and have a redheaded child. ([http://www.derm.med.ed.ac.uk/06_teaching/redhairgen.htm red hair genetics]).
===Genetics===
The alleles Arg151Cys, Arg160Trp, Asp294His, and Arg142His on MC1R are shown to be recessives for the red hair phenotype.<ref name="harding"> Harding, Rosalind M. ''et al.'' [http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=10733465 Evidence for Variable Selective Pressures at MC1R] ''American Journal of Human Genetics '', 2000 April; 66(4): 1351–1361. </ref>
Also possibly related to red hair is the gene HCL2 (aka RHC, RHA) on chromosome 4.<ref>[http://www.gene.ucl.ac.uk/nomenclature/data/get_data.php?hgnc_id=4842 HGNC Symbol Report:HCL2]</ref><ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=Display&DB=pubmed Major locus for red hair color linked to MNS blood groups on chromosome 4]. Eiberg H, Mohr J. University Institute of Medical Genetics, Copenhagen, Denmark.</ref>
===Evolution===
====Origins====
Red hair is the rarest natural hair color in humans. The pale skin associated with red hair may be of advantage in far-northern climates where sunlight is scarce. Studies by Bodmer and Cavalli-Sforza (1976) hypothesized that lighter skin pigmentation prevents [[rickets]] in colder latitudes by encouraging higher levels of [[Vitamin D]] production and also allows the individual to retain heat better than someone with darker skin.<ref>Bodmer WF, Cavalli-Sforza LL.Genetics, evolution and man. San
Francisco:WH Freeman; 1976.</ref> Rees (2004) suggested that the vividness and rarity of red hair may lead to its becoming desirable in a partner and therefore it could become more common through [[sexual selection]].<ref name="Rees2004"> [http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/AJHG/journal/issues/v75n5/41493/41493.web.pdf The Genetics of Sun Sensitivity in Humans] by Jonathan L. Rees. The American Journal of Human Genetics, volume 75 (2004), pages 739–751. </ref><!-- I haven't seen how Rees says this in his article? Have I got the wrong Rees (2004)? -->
Harding et al (2000) proposed that red hair was not the result of positive selection but rather occurs due to a lack of negative selection. In Africa, for example, red hair is selected against because high levels of sun would be harmful to fair skin. However, in Northern Europe this does not happen, so redheads come about through [[genetic drift]].<ref name="harding"/>
Estimates on the original occurrence of the currently active gene for red hair vary from 20,000 to 100,000 years ago.<ref name="nicole">[http://www.arts.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2002/10/04/ecfhair04.xml&sSheet=/connected/2002/10/04/ixconn.html Nicole's hair secrets] Daily Telegraph 2002-10-02, Accessed 2005-11-02</ref><ref name="ox.ac.uk">[http://www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint/2000-01/3105/11.shtml Red hair genes 100,000 years old] Oxford Blueprint Vol. 1 Issue 11 2001-05-31</ref>
A DNA study has concluded that some [[Neanderthals]] also had red hair, although the mutation responsible for this differs from that which causes red hair in modern humans.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7062415.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7062415.stm] ''News.bbc.co.uk'' </ref>
====Extinction====
A popular myth that red hair is likely to die out in the near future exists.<ref>http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22289183-2,00.html Gingers extinct in 100 years</ref> This is untrue; it stems from questionable research and publicity by a hair products company.<ref name=howstuffworks>http://science.howstuffworks.com/redhead-extinction.htm Redhead extinction</ref> The ''[[National Geographic]]'' article that started the rumor in fact states "''while redheads may decline, the potential for red isn't going away''".<ref>"Red Alert." National Geographic. September 2007. Page 14.</ref>
Red hair is caused by a recessive relatively rare gene, expression of which can skip generations. It is not likely to disappear at any time in the foreseeable future.<ref name=howstuffworks/>
==Medical implications of the red hair gene==
===Bleeding and bruising===
There is little or no evidence to support the belief that people with red hair have a higher chance than people with other hair colors to [[hemorrhage]] or suffer other bleeding complications;<ref>Kumar Veena V., Kumar Naveen V., and Isaacson Glenn.[http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=16235516 Superstition and post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage] ''The Laryngoscope'' 2004, vol. 114, no11, pp. 2031-2033 </ref><ref name= "bruising">Liem, Edwin B. ''et al.'' [http://www.anesthesia-analgesia.org/cgi/content/abstract/102/1/313 Women with Red Hair Report a Slightly Increased Rate of Bruising but Have Normal Coagulation Tests] ''Anesthesia & Analgesia'' 2006;102:313-318</ref> however, one study reports a link between red hair and a higher rate of [[bruising]].<ref name= "bruising"/>
===Melanoma===
[[Melanin]] in the skin aids UV tolerance through [[suntan]]ning, but fair-skinned person lack the levels of melanin needed to prevent [[indirect DNA damage|UV-induced DNA-damage]]. Studies have shown that red hair alleles in MC1R effect increased [[freckling|freckles]] and decreased tanning ability.<ref name+"FlanHeal2000">Pleiotropic effects of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene on human pigmentation. Flanagan, Healy, et al. Human Molecular Genetics, 2000, Vol. 9, No. 17 2531-2537.</ref> It has been found that Europeans who are heterozygous for red hair exhibit increased sensitivity to UV radiation.<ref name="Rees2004"/>
Red hair and its relationship to UV sensitivity are of interest to many [[melanoma]] researchers. Sunshine can both be good and bad for a person's health and the different alleles on MC1R represent these adaptations. It also has been shown that individuals with pale skin are highly susceptible to a variety of [[skin cancer]]s such as [[melanoma]], [[basal cell carcinoma]], and [[squamous cell carcinoma]].<ref name="Rees2002a>Rees JL (2002a) Molecular phototypes. In: Ortonne J-P, Ballotti
R (eds) Mechanisms of suntanning. Martin Dunitz,London, pp 333–339</ref><ref name="Rees2002b">Rees JL (2002b) Skin cancer (including nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome). In: Vogelstein B, Kinzler K (eds) The genetic basis of human cancer, 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp 529–548</ref> Due to this sensitivity many people have advised redheads to wear [[sunscreen controversy|sunscreen]].<ref name="hairfinder"> http://www.hairfinder.com/tips/redheads.htm </ref> However it is becoming increasingly apparent that sunscreen protects against sunburn only and not against malignant melanoma; the FDA has proposed changing SPF to refer to "Sunburn Protection Factor" instead of "Sun Protection Factor" (page49089,49079 and 49077)([http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/07-4131.pdf FDA proposed changes]).
===Sensitivity to pain===
In people with red hair, the cells that produce skin and hair pigment have a dysfunctional MC1R. Researchers have found that this dysfunction triggers the release of more of the [[hormone]] that stimulates these [[Histone|histonal]] cells, but this hormone also stimulates a brain receptor related to [[pain]] sensitivity.<ref Name="Liem">{{cite journal |author=Liem EB, Lin CM, Suleman MI, ''et al'' |title=Anesthetic requirement is increased in redheads |journal=Anesthesiology |volume=101 |issue=2 |pages=279–83 |year=2004 |pmid=15277908|doi=10.1097/00000542-200408000-00006}}</ref>
Two studies have demonstrated that people with red hair have differential sensitivity to pain compared to people with other hair colors, but they differ as to the direction of the effect. One study found that people with red hair are more sensitive to thermal pain (a natural [[vitamin K]] deficiency is to blame for this)<ref>{{cite journal |author=Liem EB, Joiner TV, Tsueda K, Sessler DI |title=Increased sensitivity to thermal pain and reduced subcutaneous lidocaine efficacy in redheads |journal=Anesthesiology |volume=102 |issue=3 |pages=509–14 |year=2005 |pmid=15731586|doi=10.1097/00000542-200503000-00006}}</ref> while another study concluded that redheads are less sensitive <!--than who? --> to pain from electrical stimuli. It has also been found that mutated "red hair" mice with non-functional MC1R are less sensitive to pain from multiple modalities.<ref name= "mogil">Mogil JS ''et al.'' [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract Melanocortin-1 receptor gene variants affect pain and mu-opioid analgesia in mice and humans.] ''Journal of Medical Genetics.'' 2005 July;42(7):583-7.</ref>
Researchers have found that people with red hair require greater amounts of [[anesthetic]], however this is controversial and other research publications have concluded that women with naturally red hair require less of the painkiller [[pentazocine]] than do either women of other hair colors or men of any hair color. A study showed women with red hair had a greater analgesic response to that particular pain medication than men.<ref>Mogil JS ''et al.'' [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract The melanocortin-1 receptor gene mediates female-specific mechanisms of analgesia in mice and humans.] ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA.'' 2003 April 15;100(8):4867-72.</ref> A follow-up study by the same group showed that men and women with red hair (and mutant "red hair" mice) had a greater [[analgesic]] response to [[morphine-6-glucuronide]].<ref name= "mogil"/>
==Red hair of pathological origin==
Most red hair is caused by the MC1R gene and is non-pathological. However, in some cases red hair can be associated with disease or genetic disorder:
* In cases of severe [[malnutrition]], normally dark human hair may turn red or blonde. The condition, part of a syndrome known as [[kwashiorkor]], is a sign of critical starvation caused chiefly by [[protein]] deficiency, and is common during periods of [[famine]].
* One variety of [[albinism]] (Type 3, aka [[Wiktionary:rufous|rufous]] albinism), sometimes seen in Africans and inhabitants of [[New Guinea]], results in red hair and red-colored skin.<ref name="pathguy">
[http://www.pathguy.com/lectures/accdep.htm Pathology Guy: Accumulations and Deposits] Ed Friedlander, M.D., Pathologist. Last updated 2006-09-24</ref>
* Red hair is found on people lacking [[pro-opiomelanocortin]].<ref name="pathguy"/><ref>Human Molecular Genetics. 11: 1997, 2002; Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 994: 233, 2003</ref>
==Culture==
[[Image:John William Godward - Far Away Thoughts.jpg|right|thumb|A red-haired woman, ''Far Away Thoughts'' [[John William Godward]] 1892. Red hair was a popular subject amongst [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood|Pre-Raphaelite]] artists]]
In various times and cultures, red hair has been prized, feared, and ridiculed.
===Beliefs about temperament===
A common stereotype of redheads is that they have fiery tempers and sharp tongues. In ''[[Anne of Green Gables]]'', a character says of [[Anne Shirley]], the redheaded heroine, that "her temper matches her hair", while in ''[[The Catcher in the Rye]]'', [[Holden Caulfield]] remarks that "People with red hair are supposed to get mad very easily, but Allie [his dead brother] never did, and he had very red hair."
During the early stages of modern medicine, red hair was thought to be a sign of a [[Four humours|sanguine temperament]].<ref>[http://www.meridianinstitute.com/eamt/files/brown2/brown7.html The Practical Magnetic Healer] G. M. Brown 1899</ref> In the Indian medicinal practice of [[Ayurveda]], redheads are seen as most likely to have a [[Humours (Ayurveda)|Pitta]] temperament.
Another belief is that redheads are highly sexed; for example, [[Jonathan Swift]] satirizes redhead stereotypes in part four of ''[[Gulliver's Travels]]'', "A Voyage to the Country of the [[Houyhnhnm]]s," when he writes that: "It is observed that the red-haired of both sexes are more libidinous and mischievous than the rest, whom yet they much exceed in strength and activity." Swift goes on to write that: "...neither was the hair of this brute [a [[Yahoo (literature)|Yahoo]]] of a red color (which might have been some excuse for an appetite a little irregular) but black as a sloe..."<ref>[http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/829 Gulliver's Travels on Project Gutenberg] Original by Jonathan Swift 1726</ref>
===Fashion and art===
[[Image:Edmund blair leighton accolade.jpg|thumb|"Accolade" by [[Edmund Blair Leighton]]. A red-headed princess knighting a noble fighter.]]
[[Queen Elizabeth I of England]] was a redhead, and during the Elizabethan era in England, red hair was fashionable for women. In modern times, red hair is subject to fashion trends; celebrities such as [[Lindsay Lohan]], [[Alyson Hannigan]], and [[Marcia Cross]] can boost sales of red hair dye.<ref>[http://www.hairfinder.com/tips/celebrity_redheads.htm Celebrity Redhead Hairstyles] Kendra Van Wagner, Hairfinder.com</ref>
Sometimes, red hair darkens as people get older, becoming a more brownish color or losing some of its vividness. This leads some to associate red hair with youthfulness, a quality that is generally considered desirable. In several countries such as [[India]], [[Iran]], and [[Pakistan]], [[henna]] is used on hair to give it a bright red appearance.<ref>[http://www.plantcultures.org.uk/plants/henna_history.html Henna – history] Plant Cultures: Exploring plants and people. 2004-11-18</ref>
Many painters have exhibited a fascination with red hair. The color "titian" takes its name from [[Titian]], who often painted women with red hair. Early Renaissance artist [[Sandro Botticelli]]'s famous painting ''[[The Birth of Venus (Botticelli)|The Birth of Venus]]'' depicts the mythological goddess [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]] as a redhead. Other painters notable for their redheads include the [[Pre-Raphaelites]],<ref>[http://home.att.net/~r.s.mccain/red1.html The Art of Being a Redhead] - Gallery of 19th Century portraits of women with red hair</ref> [[Edmund Leighton]], [[Amedeo Modigliani|Modigliani]],<ref>[http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/modigliani/modigliani.redhead-dress.jpg Modigliani painting]</ref> [[Gustav Klimt]].<ref>[http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/klimt/klimt.danae.jpg Klimt painting]</ref>
In the [[Gothic subculture]], red hair is desired, right after [[Black hair]]. The reasons are the distinctiveness of red color, its [[aura]] of drama<ref>[http://www.morbidoutlook.com/fashion/articles/2001_02_redhair.html The Cult of Red Hair], Kylie Martin, Morbid Outlook</ref> and the contrast with [[black]] and [[white]].
===Prejudice/Discrimination towards redheads===
Red hair was thought to be a mark of a beastly sexual desire and moral degeneration. A savage red-haired man is portrayed in the fable by [[Grimm brothers]] (''Der Eisenhans'') as the spirit of the forest of iron. [[Theophilus Presbyter]] describes how the blood of a red-haired young man is necessary to create [[gold]] from [[copper]], in a mixture with the ashes of a [[basilisk]].<ref>Palo Galloni, ''Il sacro artefice'', Laterza, Bari 1998 (Italian book, chapter 2 about the recipe of Theophilus ''De auro hyspanico'').</ref>
Montague Summers, in his translation of the [[Malleus Maleficarum]],<ref name"malleus">{{cite book | last = Summers | first = Montague | authorlink = Montague Summers | coauthors = Sprenger & Kramer | title = Malleus Maleficarum | publisher = |date=1484, 1971 (trans) | location = | pages = Ch. 3 | url = http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/msummers/bl-msummers-vampire-3.htm | doi = | id = ISBN 0486228029 }} - see [[Malleus Maleficarum]]</ref> notes that red hair and green eyes were thought to be the sign of a [[witch]], a [[werewolf]] or a [[vampire]] during the Middle Ages;
{{cquote|''Those whose hair is red, of a certain peculiar shade, are unmistakably vampires. It is significant that in ancient [[Egypt]], as Manetho tells us, human sacrifices were offered at the grave of [[Osiris]], and the victims were red-haired men who were burned, their ashes being scattered far and wide by winnowing-fans. It is held by some authorities that this was done to fertilize the fields and produce a bounteous harvest, red-hair symbolizing the golden wealth of the corn. But these men were called Typhonians, and were representatives not of Osiris but of his evil rival Typhon, whose hair was red.''}}
In modern-day UK, despite being it one of the places with the highest populations of redheads, the words "ginger" or "ginga" are derogatorily used to describe red-headed people, with terms such as "gingerphobia" (fear of redheads)<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1999/02/99/e-cyclopedia/686977.stm Gingerphobia: Carrot-tops see red] BBC News, 2000-02-22</ref> or "gingerism" (prejudice against redheads)<ref name =gingerism>{{Citation | last=BBC News | title=Is Gingerism as Bad as Racism? | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6725653.stm | accessdate=2007-07-05}}</ref> used by the media. Redheads are also sometimes referred to disparagingly as "carrot tops" and "carrot heads". "Gingerism" has been compared to [[racism]], although this is widely disputed and bodies such as the UK [[Commission for Racial Equality]] do not monitor cases of discrimination and hate crimes against redheads.<ref name =gingerism/>A UK woman recently won an award from a tribunal after being sexually harassed and receiving abuse because of her red hair<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=464301&in_page_id=1770 £18,000 for the waitress taunted over her red hair] Daily Mail, 26 June 2007</ref>; a family in [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], England, was forced to move twice after being targeted for abuse and hate crime on account of their red hair;<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/6714735.stm Red-haired family forced to move] BBC News, 2 June 2007</ref> and in 2003, a 20 year old was stabbed in the back for "being ginger."<ref>{{ Citation | last=BBC News | title=Man stabbed over "ginger hair" | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/3233392.stm | accessdate=2007-07-05}}</ref>
This prejudice has been satirised on a number of TV shows. The British comedian [[Catherine Tate]] (herself a redhead) appeared as a red haired character in a running sketch of her series ''[[The Catherine Tate Show]]''. The sketch saw fictional character [[The Catherine Tate Show characters#Sandra Kemp|Sandra Kemp]], who was forced to seek solace in a refuge for ginger people because they had been ostracised from society. The British comedy ''[[Bo' Selecta!]]'' featured a spoof documentary which involved a caricature of red-haired "[[Simply Red]]" singer [[Mick Hucknall]] presenting a show in which celebrities (played by themselves) dyed their hair red for a day and went about daily life being insulted by people. In real life, Hucknall has commented that derogatory references to his [[red hair]] are a form of [[bigotry]].<ref>Richard Jinman, July 5 2003, [http://www.smh.com.au/cgi-bin/common/popupPrintArticle.pl?path=/articles/2003/07/04/1057179152947.html "Taking the Mick" ], ''Sydney Morning Herald''</ref>
The pejorative use of the word "ginger", and related discrimination, was used to illustrate a point about racism and prejudice in the "[[Ginger Kids]]" episode of ''[[South Park]]''.
Films and television programmes often portray school [[bullying|bullies]] as having red hair;<ref>{{ Citation | last=Daily Bruin | title=The stigma of TV’s redheads | url = http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/archives/id/35919/ | accessdate=2006-04-03}}</ref> for example, Scut Farkus from [[A Christmas Story]] or the O'Doyle family in the movie [[Billy Madison]]. However, children with red hair are often themselves targeted by bullies; ''"Somebody with ginger hair will stand out from the crowd,"'' says anti-bullying expert Louise Burfitt-Dons.<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3378972 Carrot-Tops: Being Red Not So Easy] - ABC News</ref>
===Religious and mythological traditions===
{{Disputed-section|date=March 2008}}
Red hair in Islam is the most preferred colour for hair. It is reported that the Prophet Mohammed used to dye his hair red using [[Henna]]. Henna or Hina is a flowering plant which traditionally has been used to dye hair red. There are no side effects to this. Al-Bukhari related in his Sahih, from ‘Uthman b. ‘Abd-Allah b. Mawhab: We went to Umm Salma, and she brought out for us some of the hair of the Messenger of Allah, and lo, it was dyed with henna and indigo.” (Bukhari, Libas, 66) And in the four sunan, from the Prophet, it is related that he said, ‘The best you can use for changing the color of white hair are henna and katam.’ (Tirmidhi, Libas, 20). In the two books of the Sahih, from Anas, it is quoted that Abu Bakr used hair dye of both henna and katam. (Muslim, Fada’il, 100)” (Ibn Qayyim; 259) (Katam is a plant from Yemen which produces a reddish-black dye).
According to Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, the name of the Biblical character Adam, the first man of the human race, is identical to the Hebrew word for "red" or "ruddy." (However, 'red' is spelled differently in Hebrew than 'Adam', which is literally the word for 'person'. 'Person' and 'Adam' are spelled and pronounced the same, indicating a common origin.) Some speculate that Adam's name perhaps indicates his skin tone or hair color. [[Esau]]'s entire body is supposed to have been covered with red hair. [[King David]] is also known for having red hair, based on the description of his physical appearance as "''admoni''", the [[Biblical Hebrew]] word normally interpreted to mean '[[ruddy]]' and/or 'red-haired' ([[1 Samuel]] 16-17).
[[Image:Mariya Magdalena.jpg|thumb|right|Mary Magdalene is commonly portrayed with long red hair, as in this picture by [[Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys]].]]
Early artistic representations of [[Mary Magdalene]] usually depict her as having long flowing red hair, although a description of her hair color was never mentioned in the Bible, and it is possible the color is an effect caused by pigment degradation in the ancient paint. This tradition is used as a plot device in the book and movie ''[[The Da Vinci Code]]''. [[Thor]], of [[Norse mythology]], was generally portrayed as having red hair.
Ancient Egyptians associated both red-haired humans and red-colored animals with the god [[Set (mythology)|Set]], considering them to be favored by the powerful and temperamental deity.
There is a tradition amongst [[astrology|astrologers]] that the planet [[Mars]] ("the red planet") is more likely to be rising above the eastern horizon (on or near the astrological [[Ascendant]], which supposedly influences a person's appearance) at the time of the birth of a red haired person than for the population in general.<ref> The Astrological Journal, vol. 5, p. 2224 (September-October 1988)</ref>
The name of the ancient kingdom of [[Kievan Rus'|Rus]] may have been derived from the local word for red hair.
[[Achilles]], the central character of [[Homer]]'s ''[[Iliad]]'', is described as having red hair, possibly contributing to the original myths of temperament.
===Modern fiction===
The [[Sherlock Holmes]] story "[[The Red-Headed League]]" (1891) was a favourite of its author, Sir [[Arthur Conan Doyle]], and included a sub-plot revolving around a pseudo-society restricted to redheads. The 1840 comic play ''Der Talisman'' by [[Johann Nestroy]] is about prejudice against redheads.
In ''[[Still Life with Woodpecker]]'' by [[Tom Robbins]], redheads are said to be children of the moon, thwarted by the sun and addicted to sex and sugar. Similarly, in ''[[The Illuminatus! Trilogy]]'', [[Green eyes|green-eyed]] redheads are said to be the favorite cohorts of [[The Devil]].
In the ''[[Harry Potter]]'' series, members of the [[Weasley family]] all have red hair, as did [[James and Lily Potter#Lily Potter|Lily Potter]], [[Harry Potter (character)|Harry Potter's]] late mother, and [[Albus Dumbledore]] (before his hair went white with age). [[J.K. Rowling]], author of the Harry Potter books, has stated that she is fond of redheads, despite the prejudice she observes they experience in the UK.<ref>[http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/extrastuff_view.cfm?id=7 Some Random Facts About The Weasley Family] ''JKRowling.com'' Retrieved on 2007-07-30</ref>
In [[David Lynch]]'s 1984 movie production of ''[[Dune (film)|Dune]]'' (based on the [[Frank Herbert]] novel ''[[Dune (novel)|Dune]]''), the [[House Harkonnen|Harkonnens]] are depicted as having bright red hair.
The hero of ''[[Time Enough For Love]]'', by [[Robert A. Heinlein]], observes that mutant humans with exceptional longevity tend to have "the mark of [[Gilgamesh]]", i.e. red hair.
Red hair is the mark of the magic-using aristocracy in the [[Darkover]] series by [[Marion Zimmer Bradley]].
In [[Spiderman]], [[Mary Jane Watson]], the partner of [[Peter Parker]] has red hair.
In [[the Simpsons]] animated TV Serie, [[Groundskeeper Willie|William MacMoran aka Groundskeeper Willie]] is a stereotyped Scottish, with red hair.
==See also==
* [[Melanocyte]]s
* [[Melanin]]
* [[Keratinocyte]]s
* [[Human skin color]]
* [[Yuezhi]] or "Moon People" - Ancient Asian people linked to the [[Tocharians]]
==Further reading==
* Allen Sacharov. ''The Red Head Book'' (1985).
* Stephen Douglas. ''The Redhead Encyclopedia'' (1996).
* Tim Collins. ''The Ginger Survival Guide'' (2006).
* Uwe Ditz. ''Redheads'' (2000).
* Marion Roach. ''Roots of Desire: The Myth, Meaning and Sexual Power of Red Hair'' (2005).
* Cort Cass. ''The Redhead Handbook'' (2003).
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
{{wiktionary|redhead}}
{{Commons|Red hair}}
* [http://www.derm.med.ed.ac.uk/06_teaching/redhairgen.htm Red Hair genetics for non-specialists]
* [http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Professional-resources/Education-resources/Big-Picture/How-We-Look/Articles/WTD041629.htm Blue eyes and red hair]
* [http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/jun2001/993598918.Ge.r.html Why is red hair with brown eyes so uncommon? ''MadSci Network'']
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-2534334,00.html A 2007 ''Sunday Times'' article], summarising the latest research on red hair in the British Isles.
* [http://home.att.net/~r.s.mccain/red1.html The Art of Being a Redhead] - Gallery of 19th Century portraits of women with red hair
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6725653.stm BBC news report on prejudice against red-haired people and recognition of medical issues and consideration of genetic persistence of red-hair gene]
* {{cite journal |author=Box NF, Wyeth JR, O'Gorman LE, Martin NG, Sturm RA |title=Characterization of melanocyte stimulating hormone receptor variant alleles in twins with red hair |journal=Hum. Mol. Genet. |volume=6 |issue=11 |pages=1891–7 |year=1997 |pmid=9302268|doi=10.1093/hmg/6.11.1891}}
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