Dragon Colors

Red Dragons

First, this article will explore the symbolism of Red in world cultures, then specifically relate that symbolism to dragons and serpents.

• The Symbolism of the Color Red
• Summary of Symbolism of the Color Red
• Red Dragons
• Footnotes
• Dragon Colors

Red is the color of blood and a main component in the color of fire.² Jung believed that this connection is the reason that red is linked to the surging, tearing emotions like anger and love.⁷ Red is also associated with the sun, masculinity, passion, energy, and war.¹ The association with life and warmth comes from fire's connection with blood and fire,² while its association with war and death come from red's connection to spilled blood, menstruation, and the blood of the placenta after giving birth.^4,7

In Paleolithic times, red ochre had been mined and ground into powder. Anthropologists believe that people imbued this powder with life-giving powers.²

To the Celtics, red symbolized death and the afterlife.⁶ The ancient Anglo-Saxons saw red as a protective color that could be used to ward off evil or evil objects.² Warriors covered their weapons with red paint to endow them with magical powers, and trees and animals both could be protected with red paint and markings as well.²

The practice of using red as a protective color is also done by some Aboriginal groups in Australia.² For some other Australian Aboriginal peoples, red symbolizes the land and earth.⁶

In China, red is regarded as an auspicious color³ because red symbolizes love and fertility.² Traditional wedding gowns and veils in China are red, as white is reserved for mourning and funerals.³ Red eggs are offered to a couple when a child is born.² Red is often used in festivals, as it also represents good luck and celebration.^5,6 Among the five elements, red is associated with the element of Fire and the direction of South.³ The poetical expression of 'the mark of the vermillion pencil' refers to documents written with red ink by the Emperor.³

Other societies also associate red with love and fertility. A practice that still remains in Greece, Albania, and Armenia is that of the flammeum, a veil that brides wrap around themselves as a symbol of fertility and protection.² This practice can be traced back to the times of Ancient Rome, although some sources report that the flammeum actually was colored an orange-yellow, the color of a candle flame.²

In Ancient Egypt, red symbolized the destructive god Set, making it a negative color.² The Ancient Egyptians used an expression roughly translated as "making red" to mean murdering someone, and an evil act or plot would be called "red affairs."² Scribes would use a special red ink when writing words of warning or ill-omen.² Similarly, in the Hebrew tradition, red symbolized both sin and the sacrifice for the sin.⁶

In the West, the color red is used to highlight danger or to draw attention; for example, a red alert is very dangerous and stop signs are red in color.² Red also relates anger and aggression, from its association with Mars, the Roman god of War.² Modern western usage of the color red also includes high energy, high speed,² and low-levels of fuel, pointing to the danger of running out.

For the Apache, an indigenous people of North America, red symbolized victory and success.⁶ Red was also the color of the East.⁶

In India, red symbolizes purity, ⁶ but also sexual passion as in much of Western tradition.² While in South Africa, red is the color of mourning.⁶.

In Feng Shui, red is a color of the element Fire, and it is of the active Yang aspect. It promotes money and good luck and symbolizes respect and vitality.⁶

Modern psychology has found that red stimulates brain wave activity and the heart rate. In some cases, it can even increase blood pressure.⁶ Modern politics associates red with Communism.⁶

Despite red having an auspicious connotation in the East, red Eastern dragons are symbols of the west and are said to cause storms when they fight in the sky.

Famous Red Dragons: Smaug, Stollenwurm, the Red Dragon of Wales

All of the dragon graphics on this page were created by Donna Quinn.

1. Stevens [Ariadne's Clue] 148
2. O'Connell and Airey 115
3. Walters 143
4. Lanse 6
5. Roberts [Chinese] 16
6. Visual Color Symbolism Chart by Culture
7. Cirlot 53

For more information about footnotes and references, please see the bibliography.