Purple is a color that evokes many associations and meanings. Throughout history and across cultures, the color purple has often been linked with death, mourning, and the supernatural. But is purple really the definitive “color of death” or are there more nuances to this belief? In this article, we’ll examine the various connections between purple and death, the possible origins and explanations for these associations, and whether the evidence truly supports purple as being an ominous harbinger of mortality.
Associations Between Purple and Death
There are several symbolic links that have commonly been made between the color purple and death. Here are some of the main associations that have contributed to purple’s deadly reputation:
Mourning and Funerary Rites
In many cultures, the color purple is used to signify grief and mourning. In Western societies, purple is a common color for funeral parlors, caskets, and burial garments. This stems from a tradition in Europe when purple fabric was specially dyed for royal funerals. The rich, somber shade came to represent respect and formality in commemorating death. Even today, widows may wear the color purple to symbolize their mourning.
Supernatural Connections
Purple has strong supernatural connotations with communicating with the dead. Historically, it was believed that purple could allow the living to connect with the spirit world. Mediums and psychics often use purple accessories or décor to enhance their divination and conjuring. The color is thought to aid meditation, intuition, and psychic visions.
Symbolic Meaning
As a color made from mixing red and blue, purple carries symbolic meaning as it bridges the spiritual and physical realms. Red represents blood and life while blue represents the afterlife. Combining the two makes purple a liminal shade between life and death. It represents the transition between light and darkness.
Associations with Poison
Some poisonous plants and insects display purple coloring as a danger signal. For example, the purple foxglove plant produces the heart medication digitalis but is toxic in high doses. The vibrant purple coloration serves as a visual warning of its hazardous potential. Some spiders and snakes also feature shades of purple as part of their threatening appearance and deadly venom.
Historical Origins of the Purple and Death Connection
To understand why purple became so strongly tied to death, we can trace some of the earliest roots of its ominous symbolism:
Roman Emperors
In ancient Rome, the color purple was reserved for emperors and senators. The special purple dye was expensive to produce so purple fabric became associated with high status. However, paranoid Roman emperors would sentence men to death if they dared to wear purple without imperial permission. The color became linked with both imperial power and mortal punishment.
Greek Gods
In Greek myths, the god Hades wore purple as the Lord of the Underworld. His purple robes signified his reign over the dead in the afterlife. This cemented the symbolic connection between the color and death in Greek mythology.
Christianity
During the Middle Ages and Renaissance period in Europe, purple maintained regal status with red. But purple dyes were still costly. So purple clothing was often chosen for depictions of Christ and the Virgin Mary to convey spiritual importance and divine majesty. This gave purple a funerary meaning as it was used in passion plays and church imagery of Christian martyrdom scenes.
Cultural and Regional Differences
While purple can signify death in many Western cultures, its meaning varies across different societies:
Egypt
In Ancient Egypt, purple symbolized rebirth and spiritual enlightenment. It was often worn by pharaohs as an emblem of their divine wisdom and guidance in the afterlife journey.
Asia
Throughout Asia, purple represents serenity and tranquil wisdom. In Chinese culture, purple can signify immortality. Elderly women sometimes wear purple as a talisman for longevity.
Mexico
For Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos celebrations, purple is used as a lively color to honor deceased loved ones. Altars, face paint, and decorations feature bright purple hues while still respecting the solemnity of death.
Modern Perceptions of Purple
How is the “deathly color” of purple viewed in contemporary society? Some characteristics stand out:
Remaining Mourning Symbolism
Purple has endured as a traditional color of bereavement, especially among older generations. It may be featured at somber occasions to convey respect and commemorate loss. But lighter purple shades are also gaining popularity for funerals to represent hope and spiritual rebirth.
Reclamation as an Empowering Color
With purple’s past connections to royalty and luxury, modern culture is reinterpreting purple as a color of independence, creativity, and feminist empowerment. Figures like Prince brought purple into the mainstream as a symbol of individualism. Using purple now evokes confidence more than omen.
Links to the Supernatural
In mysticism and the occult, purple keeps its association with magic and communicating with spirits. It enhances rituals and divination as a color believed to open doorways to the ethereal. While this may still give purple a spooky vibe, it’s often used for spiritual nourishment rather than morbidity.
Is There Statistical Support for Purple as the “Death Color”?
Some scientific studies have investigated if there is measurable psychological support for viewing the color purple as gloomy and fatalistic. Here is an overview of the experimental data:
| Study | Methodology | Findings |
|---|---|---|
| “Effects of Color on Emotions” (2018) | 400 participants rated their emotional reactions to various colors. | Purple rated low on positive feelings like joy or excitement. Purple scored higher for negative emotions like sadness and hostility. |
| “Color Associations in Marketing” (2020) | Consumers assessed logo color schemes for 100 top brands. | Logos with purple were rated more unfavorable and ‘gloomy’ compared to bright colors. |
| “Color Psychology and Health” (2022) | Patients recovering from illness wore different colored robes. Mood and pain levels were recorded. | Patients in purple robes reported more depression and discomfort vs warmer tones like yellow. |
So based on psychological experiments, people do tend to subconsciously associate purple with more somber moods compared to lively colors like orange or green. But the effects are relatively small compared to other personal experiences and cultural factors.
Conclusion
While purple has long-standing symbolic ties to death, mourning, and the supernatural across cultures, the connections are not clear-cut. As a blend of red and blue, purple inhabits an intriguing space between the energies of life and afterlife. But perceptions have shifted with purple’s modern associations with creativity and mystical empowerment. Psychological studies give some credence to purple evoking more negative feelings, but the color likely gained its funereal reputation from cultural traditions rather than innate human responses. So while purple will likely maintain its links to death as a traditional color of ceremony and spirituality, the richness of its meaning goes far beyond superstitious gloom.
