Superstitions of German-Russians, List of

Last Update 31 Oct  2002

Stories of Supernatural and Witchcraft told by German-Russians, their Ancestors and their Descendants continued....

Superstitions Connected To Colors

The various colors became symbols of a variety of things through the ages.  The following are the most commonly believed with each color:

BLACK:  grief or death

• Black Cat which crosses your path is considered the barrier of "bad luck"
• Black raven represented death or the site of one meant death was near....
• Blackballed eliminated a person from a club or society
• Black Books which held names of those who were in disgrace
• Black Cap or head covering was worn by a judge he passed sentence
• Black Death was the term used for those who died from typhus with occurred in 1348 and killed twenty-five million people
• Black Dogs were unwanted in taverns, bars and posting stations
• Black Flag flown indicated the ship was under pirates
• Black Leg was a man who cheated in cards and races
• Black Letter Day indicated an unlucky day, a day to recall with regret.....
• Black Monday refers to Easter Monday of 14 April 1360 then spread to other Mondays, such as the first Monday of school after the holidays.....
• Black Ox was unlucky for it would trod upon your foot
• Black Strap was a sailor's term  which referred to bad liquor
• Black Thorn Winter is when the weather turns while the thorn blush is in blossom

BLUE: hope, peace, love, piety, sincerity

• To be true blue meant you were never to disgrace oneself
• The children of Israel (Numbers XV.38) placed upon them fringes of blue
• When used in the garment of an angel if signifies faith and fidelity
• The Virgin Mary is shown in blue
• A child's coffin is often covered in blue
• In coat-of-arms  the blue known as azure shows chastity, loyality, fidelity and a spotless history
• To look blue meant to look sad
• Blue beans were bullets
• Blue Monday was / is the day before Lent
• Blue Moon occurs on 10 Dec, if there is an unusually mid winter and is often mentioned when an ocurance is rate or once in a blue moon.
• Blue Wonder refers to a German "Blaues Wunder" [odd story; cock and bull story; tall tale]

PALE BLUE:  peace, love of good work, serene conscience, Christian prudence

GOLD: glory, power

• Represents the sun because the precious metal gold reflects the same luminous reflection 
• Midas turned everything he touched to gold
• Times which are viewed as good times are often referred to as the "Golden Age"
• The bible describes the moral laws sent down by God as the "Golden Rules"
• Would it  be "good luck" if given a "Golden Shower" [of gold coins]?  Only if you wish to accept bribe money.
• Would it be  "good luck" to wear the "Golden Slipper"? It referred to when a person dies and they are wearing the golden slippers they have entered Paradise.
• The "Golden Rose" is given to the woman for their faith, justice and charity.
• To have a "Golden Mouth"  or "Golden Tongue" meant one had eloquence in his / her speech.
• "Golden Throat" meant  he / she held an exceptional singing voice
• "Golden Horn" is the inlet of the Bosphorus on which the great old city of Constantinople is situated
• "Golden Calf" refers to those who worshipped the golden calf, an idol, of those of pre-Christian times, made by Aaron while Moses was absent from Mount Sinai  (Exodus. xxxii)
• "Golden Bull" is the label given the Diet of Nuremberg created in 1356 for the intent of setting down rules of how a German emperor was to be elected created by the edict of Emperor Charles IV..

GREEN: faith, gladness, immortality, the ressurection of the just, faithfulness

• There are more than 106 shades of green which create an interesting rainbow of meanings of everything new and fresh such as a "green horn" to "imperial green" of the old Merovingian clan, or the Aztecs or Ireland to the Chinese militia.
• Green Knight was a pagan who demanded the hand of Orson in marriage.  Sir Gauvaine, the knight of the Round Table, is, also, called the Green Knight.
• Green Man was the gamekeeper who's dress was often in green.
• Green-eyed Monster was an expression used for jealousy
• Green-hands was often used for the term referring to a sailor who was inexperienced
• Green Bag was a charge against a man who was arrested
• Green Bird was a person who talked your leg off and told you everything you wanted to know and more
• Green Goose means a goose not fully gown
• Green Gown referred to a girl / woman who had a roll in the hay who sent beyond the bounds of innocent play

PALE GREEN:  baptism

GREY:  tribulation

• Grey mare is the better horse the wife said and the man yield
• Grey coats refer to Russian soldiers of the line
• Feeling grey refers to feeling out of sorts

PURPLE:  justice, royalty

• The mixture of blue and red makes purple, therefore, it is the symbol of love of truth which is sometimes carried to the point of martyrdom
• The Catholic church gave these colors to the rank of cardinal

RED: martyrdom for a faith towards charity, divine love

• The color of red is magic in every country since very early times....
• "Red Boots" is a Tartar saying which refers to a cutting the skin of a victim around the upper part of the ankles and then stripping it off at the feet; so, if you are disliked by a Tarter and he voices that if you come his way and he will give you red boots,  it is best to turn and leave as quickly as possible
• "Red Button"  [badge, sometimes a cross] was an honour worn by the bearer
• "Red Coat" was refering to the red jackets worn during a fox hunting during and after Henry II's time
• "Red Cock" If a red cock crows in the house, the house will burn
• "Red Flag" in Roman times signified war and a call to arms, now, it is used as a warning signal of danger
• "Redhanded" indicated a person was caught with blood still on their hands
• "Red Herring" was drawing a falsehood across a person path so the person does not realize they are being set on a false trail
• "Red Letter Day" is a day to be recalled with delight and happiness
• "Red Rot" is a nickname for the Sun-dew which will cause things to  decay because of it's wetness that doesn't dry late in the season of fall
• "Red Snow" or "Glory Dew" is caused by the red algae that grows making it appear a wall is stained with blood
• "Red Tape" means there are a lot of "things" connected with a subject 

SAFFRON: confessors

• "Saffron Heart" refers to a person being light hearted

SCARLET: the fever of glory

• "Scarlet Woman" since biblical times has referred to a woman who sins with other women's husband
• Protestants referred to the Church of Rome as being scarlet and in turn those of the Church of Rome call London scarlet,  they are referring to what they view as a placed being like the city of sin  [Babylon].

SILVER: chastity

• The ancient alchemists Dianna [goddess of the moon] created silver
• Silver was often used for the term referring to money
• "Silver Cooper" was a kidnapper
• "Silver Lining" referred to happier times
• Silver Pheasant referred to a young lady of high aristocracy
• "Silver Spoon" referred to the wealthy person who was born into money and was not fed with a peasants wooded spoon but a silver spoon;  "Born with a silver spoon in his /her mouth."
• "Silver Star of Love" referred to Gam who tossed Bacchus a silver star of love and the sea grew calm and harmony was restored upon the earth
• "Silver Tongued" meant a person could talk birds out of the trees
• "Silver Wedding" is the 25th year of an anniversary created in Germany when someone presented  a silver wreath t to the wife during this marital celebration

VIOLET: truth of love and the love of truth

• "Corporal Violet" referred to Napoleon after he was imprisoned at St. Helens because Napoleon had promised that one day he'd rise up again and return to the city of Paris to wear the "violet crown" which the crown of Athens was called, however, Napoleon did not return and Paris became the city of Lilies  [pun on Louis' name lys = lily].

WHITE: purity, temperance, innocence, chastity

• In olden times the priests, shamans, druids, magis wore white robes to show they were leaders of purity, hope, innocence and truth.  Osiris in Egypt was adorned with a white tiara. The Persians affirmed their divinities wear white.  Jupiter and Flamen Dialis of Rome were clothed in white. Even or "good guys" in our old western movies wore white hats.
• "White Bird" referred to a person's conscience [soul]
• "White Tsar" referred the the Tsar of Moscovy who wore white robes and the King of Poland was called the Black King
• "White Elephant" refered a present that the receiver didn't like
• "White Feather" was given to a person who showed cowardice
• "White Harvest" was a late harvest when the ground was already turning white with hoarforst.
• "White Horse" was a saying that held different meanings.
• "White Lady" is a ghostly legend found in various countries.  In German legend it was a woman dressed in white who appeared / appears at the castle of German-princess to foretell coming death.  The last report  of seeing just such a white lady in Bohemia was said to have been in 1879 just before the death of Prince Waldemar.  Some give her the name Bertha von Rosenburg of Bohemia.  In Ireland she is called the "Banshee".
• ":White Lies" are not often counted as real lies for they are often spoken when one does not wish to heart another person's feelings
• "White Night" means a person has had a sleepless night.
• "White Stone Days" were good days marked with stones;  this often times meant the host would give his/her visitor a white stone when they left showing it had been a good time by all
• "White Witch" was a cunning person who knew all the arts of magic but used them only for good or "White Art"
• "White as the driven snow," meant a person was as innoscent or pure as the first snow that fell which had not been tainted by dirt
• "Whitewashed" meant a person had covered over a bad deed or bad event with white lies to protect himself or others
• "White Sunday  [Whitsunday" is the seventh Sunday after Easter

YELLOW: inconsistancy, adultery, cowardice and faith in the christian church

• "Yellow Bellies" meant a person was a coward and in some countries a man / woman accused of being a coward was instructed to paint their house yellow so all would know
• "Yellow Boy" refered to a gold coin
• "Yellow Jack" was the nickname given yellow fever

Colors Represented Directions

East = red

West = black

North = blue

South = white