greater than that of the average European. I also found, both by observation of their clothing and by direct questioning, that red was the favorite color of these people. In reading accounts of primitive man, one can not help being struck by the great predominance of red in the decoration of their houses, weapons and implements. This predominance may partly be due to the striking nature of the color and also to the prevalence of red pigments, but it seems possible that it may also be connected with the fact that red is the color of blood. Many savage races appear to be in a state of constant warfare, and in the religious rites and ceremonies of nearly all primitive races blood pays a great part.
The suggestion may even be hazarded that the earliest use to which red pigments were put was to smear the body in the war-dance, to imitate the blood-stained victor,[1] or to replace blood in the various ceremonies of which it so often forms an essential feature. In his 'Legend of Perseus'[2] Mr. Hartland has collected a number of instances in which it is perfectly obvious that vermilion or other red pigment has been used in the place of blood. Both in Murray Island and Mabuiag the chief words for red were derived from the name for blood, and this derivation is found in many languages, including our own. To whatever cause it may be due, there is no doubt that red is the most important color in the life of the savage, and it is natural that the predominant color should also be that which has the most definite name.[3]
The main conclusions may be summed up as follows: The language used for color in ancient writings shows a characteristic defect, from which it has been concluded that the color sense of ancient races was also defective.
Existing primitive races agree in showing the same defect of color language as is found in ancient writings, and, in at least one such race, there has been found to be a corresponding defect in color sense, consisting in a certain degree of insensitiveness to those colors for which the nomenclature is defective.
Evidence, derived from ancient monuments and from the color vision of animals, which has been held to disprove the existence of any defect in the color senses of the ancients, appears to be inconclusive, and might, indeed, be held to support the views which have been derived from the study of language.
- ↑ This custom appears to have persisted down to Roman times, in which the conqueror painted his body red when taking part in the triumphal procession.
- ↑ Vol. II., pp. 242, 264; notes, 342, 354-5.
- ↑ Since the above was written, the question of the predominance of red haa been fully discussed by Havelock Ellis. (Popular Science Monthly, August and September, 1900.)
