Red hair has an unusual attraction. I’m a brunette. Genetics show that blondes are actually the dilute outcome of red heads . The days were shorter and colder which meant that people had less time in the sun and absorbed less Vitamin D. During this time fair skinned ginger people thrived as they were able to absorb Vitamin D at a faster rate than people with darker skin and hair. They also feel cold temperatures more vividly. Red-headed women are viewed as loose, libidinal and wild. Red-headed women are viewed as loose, libidinal and wild. An interesting side effect of this stereotype is that history is often rewritten to give red hair to people that might not have had it. The thing is, the M1CR mutation didn’t start in Norway. When we look back into our family trees, we can see red hair popping up here and there, in half-siblings and grandparents, but there’s no rhyme or reason to it. And it’s not just hair. Whether that’s a result of their coif, a pheromonal change, or something else is hard to say. It’s not just our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, either. That increased pain sensitivity could result in bad temper for sure. In Greek art from that time, they’re depicted with vivid red hair, engaged in fierce and brutal battle. My son Henry was born by C-section, his massive skull too much for traditional methods to push through. In northern Europe, it’s speculated that the M1CR mutation was brought to the mainland from the Viking raiders of Norway. One of the oldest Norse documents, the Prose Edda, has an interesting little bit of redhead history. It’s possible that al-Din embellished his description after the fact to add physical features that his culture associated with violence. In it, Odin the All-Father, ruler of the gods of Asgard, is described as being a wise and thoughtful ruler with blonde hair. I thought DNA results have debunked the notion and theory that ‘we all came out of Africa’? He believes it is more likely that the gene came from Celts and pre dates the Vikings. The best chances of having a trace of Viking blood – remember that quite a few generations have passed since the year 1066 – come from having been born in the UK, ideally with ancestors who didn’t travel much once they killed the monks. I am golden blonde married my husband a blonde now dark blonde and my daughter was bright dark strawberry blonde..over years it turned more blonde. Obviously the color acts as a trigger in their brains as well. I visited the Perm region in Russia as a chaperone for a group of American 10 to 12 year old folk dancers on a cultural exchange in 1996. In England, students at many schools declared November 20th to be “Kick A Ginger Day,” inspired by a “South Park” episode. Whether that’s a result of their coif, a pheromonal change, or something else is hard to say. var s = d.createElement(t);s.type = 'text/javascript'; The greatest concentration of red hair is found in Scotland and Ireland, and the coastal areas where the Vikings settled show the highest number of gingers. They also feel cold temperatures more vividly. The fact that Ireland, along with Scotland and Wales are the only three countries in Europe in which over 10% of the population have red hair suggests that the gene may come from the peoples’ Celtic origins. If the world’s redheads rediscover their wild Viking heritage, they could do a lot of damage. The mutation is recessive in about 40% of the population, but when two carriers of the recessive gene make a baby, that baby can express the mutation — that’s what happened with Henry. Jacky Colliss Harvey’s “Red: A History Of The Redhead” tracks it back to the steppes of central Asia, 3,000 or 4,000 years ago. Although there hasn’t been a scientific study on it, common wisdom is that redheads get stung by bees more often than any other hair color. The greatest concentration of red hair is found in Scotland and Ireland, and the coastal areas where the Vikings settled show the highest number of gingers. In England, students at many schools declared November 20th to be “Kick A Ginger Day,” inspired by a “South Park” episode. One of the most famous examples is the legendary warlord Genghis Khan, who in a history written by the Persian Rashid al-Din is described as “long-bearded, red-haired, and green-eyed.” This seems unlikely, considering the dark-skinned traditionally Asiatic features present in contemporary descriptions of the Mongols, but the M1CR mutation was found in the area. It’s possible that al-Din embellished his description after the fact to add physical features that his culture associated with violence. My wife is blonde. So what lies at the root of these ideas about red hair? Two percent is a pretty scant number by comparison to the oceans of blondes and brunettes out there. Although there hasn’t been a scientific study on it, common wisdom is that redheads get stung by bees more often than any other hair color. I’m not too worried about my son, to be honest. My son Henry was born by C-section, his massive skull too much for traditional methods to push through. Just because one side of your family has red hair and the other side has blonde does NOT mean that you automatically a descendant of the vikings, There … His son Thor, though, is possessed of a full head of red hair, an enormous bushy red beard, and a temper quick to flare. That’s why redheads and blondes are usually both fair skinned people no matter where they are from. When Rome tried to expand their empire to the North, they came into conflict with the ruddy Celts, descendants of those Viking raiders, who presented some of the most vicious resistance they’d yet seen. Two percent is a pretty scant number by comparison to the oceans of blondes and brunettes out there. The chances are that they would have had red hair. A 2011 study on rhesus monkeys had workers place food in front of the animals while wearing shirts and hats in red, green and blue. I was surprised by the number of redheads I saw in the Perm region. Celtic ancestry has been their genetic history. The Vikings weren’t polite sorts, and it’s not terribly surprising that their reputation for violence got married to their hair color. His red hair makes him stand out in the crowd, a wild flame that can’t be quenched by the rain. ScotlandsDNA believes that everyone who carries one of 3 variants of the red-hair gene is a direct descendant of the first redhead ever to have it – two variants originating in West Asia around 70,000 years ago, and a younger variant originating in Europe around 30,000 years ago.