I read an article in a folk and fairy tale journal, which interestingly investigates the use of colour as symbolic in the presentation of heroine figures in lore. The article, by Vaz Da Silva, argues that the use of pure colors in folktales 'has little do with empty abstraction; rather, it is part of a general encoding of cultural values in sensory-based categories.' He lays his points out using historical contextual examples that colours are used in a patterned way, as functions are used. He explores chromatic codes as a means to uncover folk notions regarding womanhood.
I wanted to investigate this a bit, as I am now starting my character design, and wanted to know if I should be coding my colour schemes in any particular way to give even more historical and emotional resonance to the characters. 'Colo[u]rs are in practice semiotic codes.'
'Max Lüthi once remarked that whereas “[t]he real world shows us a
richness of different hues and shadings . . . [b]y contrast, the
folktale prefers clear, ultrapure colors.”'
Mainly discussed is the primacy of the triad of Black, White and Red. Vaz Da Silva refers mainly to the Snow White fairy tale to give context of how these three are used symbolically in heroine-making. 'Berlin and Kay have shown the primacy of white, black, and red in most color terminologies; and, as one might expect, a fundamental chromatic trio tends to convey foundational notions. they found that if a given language contains only two color terms, these refer to white and black. But if a language contains three terms, then it contains (in addition to the previous ones) a word for red. And so on and so forth concerning—in the following order—green or yellow, then blue, then brown, and finally purple, pink, orange, and gray.' This shows that the most striking three colours used, that contain the most cultural importance, are red, white and black. Such 'three principles of being' stand for, among others, heaven and chieftainship (white), blood spilling as in war (red), and sexual desire and regeneration (black). There is a link between tricolour heroines and feminine perfection, as witnessed in Snow White for example. Already I know that the Crane is white and black with a red streak on its head, and will play into this well. I plan to usitlize this triad even more in the design of the human version of the Crane, to connect her to the bird and also to give her cultural and historical value and significance.
The use of red and white goes beyond being emotionally symbolic. The red-on-white contrast used to be important in daily life. In studies on on colours and dyeing, it is found that 'European sources throughout many centuries contrast the relative dullness of natural hemp or wool colors to the expensive production of bright white and its even more luxurious tinting with purple. This means that for a very long time, dyeing amounted to tinting white with red.' In terms of feminine symbolism, there is a clear association between red on a white face; roses; and menses. Snow White has skin as white as snow, but blood red lips and full, blushed cheeks.
The
contributions of Ovid, Shakespeare, and the Grimm Brothers suggest that red
flowers stand for the fruitful aspect of womb blood as well as for
youth. The red present in a woman's appearance suggests her fertility. Sometimes this can go so far in a western perspective as to suggest 'harlotry,' as opposed to the prudery of blue or the purity of white.' Artists have garbed the Virgin Mary in red and blue for centuries. blue
signifies heaven and heavenly things. First, although Mary was heavenly
begotten, she is still a woman able to conceive, which is where the red was usedin representation. In later depictions, the red was abandoned and her holiness and virgin pureness were emphasised in the use of just blue or red garments.
In folk tales, as elsewhere, white stands for luminosity and untainted
sheen, thus for luminous heaven as much as for purity. But, precisely,
our theme of red and white combined denies such untainted otherworldliness. White is pertinent regarding our heroine insofar as it is tinged with red. In sum, the purity of whiteness is there
to be tinted. First, the ideal woman is otherworldly (which white
represents). Therefore, as in real-world ancient techniques of dyeing, so in the symbolic realm of fairy tales white is the precondition for
red—its chromatic background. They work more effectively as canvases for the other.
Both white and red stand for life, 'as they represent life-giving elements, such as milk and semen on the one hand, and blood and its attendant power on the other,' whereas black symbolizes
darkness and death. Black is the least commonly used and studied in terms of chromatization of female figures. It acts as a foil for the other two. As well as death and destruction, it also makes way for rebirth and renewal. This is interesting in terms of the ending to my story, when the Crane changes back into her bird form and starts life anew. She returns again to her natural state, and rebirths a life outside of the human world for her self; and enters the spiritual. I do not want to recolour the bird with black feathers, and it would take on more of the appearance of a cormorant rather than a crane. I have imagery in mind though, for one of the concluding shots to be of the bird flying from her home, into the distance above the tree tops. I could easily set this scene at night time, when her silhouette against the stars and moon in the sky would be black. This could add in the element of symbolic rebirth through darkness, and the suggestion that her whole figure is black.
Reference: Vaz Da Silva, F. (2007). Red as Blood, White as Snow, Black as Crow: Chromatic Symbolism of Womanhood in Fairytales. Marvels & Tales, 21(2), pp.240 - 252.
