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Introduction
The color red is the color of fire and blood. Hebrew words for blood and red have the same origin: "dm" means red and "dom" means blood. Blood and fire have both positive and negative connotations. Bloodshed, aggression, war and hate on one side and love, warmth and compassion on the other side. Ancient Greeks associated the bright, luminous red with the male principle, red was also the color of the greek gods of war Phoebus and Ares.
Adam was created out of red clay. In the prehistoric cultures, however, red was associated with the female principle. Mother Earth provided the neolithic peoples with red ochre which was credited with life giving powers. The relation of the red color to the female principle in Japan survived up to the present day.
Christ in the Isenheim altarpiece wears a vermilion red robe. The red color entails a whole series of symbols: It is martyrs' red blood, it demonstrates power over life and death, but it also stands for faith, fullfilment and love. The red robe invokes a blazing flame striving towards heaven and towards the Divine.
Altars in catholic churches are decorated in red for the Feast of Pentecost to symbolize the Holy Ghost. Christ's head is surrounded by an yellow glowing corona: Christ defeats Darkness and leads the way to Light. |
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