The “Redheads are Witches” Theory

It’s finally March, and with the closing school year, copious amounts of green, general merriment, and a recurring conspiracy theory–which is more of a joke nowadays–have emerged once again. 

Apparently, redheads don’t have souls. 

Redheads, commonly known as Gingers, are people with the gene MC1R, a gene that, according to the National Institutes of Health, is a recessive and somewhat rare gene that occurs in only about 2% of the world’s population, causing red hair. In our own school, around 3.5% of students have red hair, matching up with the national average. Ireland specifically has the highest per capita percentage of redheads in the world, anywhere from 10% to 30%. Outside Europe, only 0.06% of people are redheaded. It has actually been found that having red hair gives you a genetic advantage over the rest of the population, leading to higher pain tolerance and a need for less vitamin D. 

This conspiracy about redheads not having souls, although ridiculous, comes primarily from the 14th and 15th centuries, when many cultures and religions believed that redheads were witches and worshippers of Satan. Between 40,000 to 60,000 redheads were sentenced during the European witch trials, many of whom were drowned or burned at the stake, in an attempt to cleanse society of all witches. Perhaps the large numbers of redheads reported to have been murdered during the trials are because a large portion of the trials were held in Scotland, where red hair would have been more common, and so a larger percentage of redheads would have stood trial.

That is where the idea that redheads do not have souls stems from, although it also resurfaced after a popular South Park episode that aired joked about this theory being true.

Plenty of people like to ask if anyone with red hair is from Ireland. But why is that? Why does it seem like so many redheads have Irish heritage? Well, contrary to what you might think, the red hair mutation actually can be traced back to South Asia. Either way, the connection is fascinating. 

The redhead gene has been found to be carried on much better in regions where the climate is colder and the sun is harder to find. Places like the British Isles are perfect for someone with red hair, allowing them to thrive in the cloudy conditions. 

While it isn’t much of a conspiracy theory, it is an interesting topic to learn about. Appreciate the redheads in your life. They’ve been through a lot.