Why does purple represent

The color changing process had to be stopped at the right time to get the desired color and although its hue varied somewhere between violet and crimson, it was always a bright, rich and lasting color. Naturally, the pigment was rare and highly valuable. It became known as the color of kings, nobility, magistrates and priests during that time. It was also popularly worn by magistrates, priests and some citizens as well. Later on, a slightly different version of the Toga came in solid purple and embroidered with gold.

This was worn by magistrates who handled the public gladiatorial games, the consuls and the emperor on very special occasions. The Ancient Chinese made purple dye not through the snail but from a plant called purple gromwell. Back then crimson was one of the primary colors in China and purple was secondary.

However, in the 6 th century the colors swapped ranks and purple became the more important color. During the early Christian era, Byzantine rulers used the color purple as their imperial color.

In Western Europe, Emperor Charlemagne wore a mantle made of Tyrian purple for his coronation ceremony and later on, was buried in a shroud made of the same color.

However, the color lost its status with the fall of Constantinople in and scarlet dye made from scale insects became the new royal color. Instead, the cloth was first dyed with indigo blue and then overlaid with red kermes dye to get the desired color. During the 18 th century, purple was worn only by rulers like Catherine the Great and members of the aristocracy since it was expensive. However, in the 19 th century it changed due to the creation of a synthetic aniline dye produced by a British student called William Henry Perkin.

After all, violet is located at the far end of the visible spectrum, lying at the edge of the imagination as well. Purple is an intense color, but it is also the most powerful visible wavelength of electromagnetic energy. The smaller the wavelength, the smaller the structures with which they interact, and the more powerful the energy.

Of all colors of the spectrum, purple is the closest to x-rays and gamma rays, which are harmful. Because of its shorter wavelengths, violet is the hardest color to distinguish. As we touched on earlier, every color has physical effects on us, including the color purple. Purple can:. If purple is your favorite color, or you have many purple things in your home, it will reflect on your personality and how you interact with others.

It has a direct impact on who you are too. Curious now? Then, you might want to read about the personality color purple. It is mostly considered feminine in western cultures. Its association with flowers conjures innocence, nostalgia, and youth. Violet: Standing at the end of the visible light spectrum, violet evokes royalty, creativity, confidence, and individuality. Indigo: As a natural pigment that comes from plants, indigo is considered one of the seven major spectral colors.

It symbolizes wisdom, higher knowledge, devotion, frustration, and sad feelings. Here are some more shades of purple : lavender, orchid, lilac, violet, Russian, Fuschia, plum, puce, thistle, mauve, magenta, royal, mulberry, pomegranate, eggplant, wine, amethyst.

Purple is commonly used to promote feminine products, toys, and spiritual and technology services. In business, purple is commonly used to promote feminine and technology items as well as brands that want to promote themselves as superior and wise.

Each chakra color has its meaning rooted in the meaning of those colors. The crown chakra, Sahasrara, also known as purple chakra , is located at the top of the head, and it controls the spiritual connection and self-knowledge. It stimulates people to express themselves the way they feel and to connect with the higher power. Violet has the shortest wavelength of the spectrum.

Behind it, the invisible ultraviolet. Roses are Red, Violets are Blue. Poor violet violated for a rhyme. Purple puts us in touch with the part of ourselves that is regal. Purple is the queen in all women; it helps us keep our backs straight and heads held high. Because of its rarity in nature, purple is seen as a mysterious and supernatural color associated with royalty and religion — yet some people perceive it as artificial.

It is a color that resonates with creative souls, and encourages self-knowledge, deepening our understanding of our innermost thoughts. Purple means: spirituality, imagination, royalty, mystery Effects of purple: encourages, uplifts, inspires wisdom, enlightens Positive traits: creativity, wisdom, compassion, mystery Negative traits: emotional, arrogant, immature, overly vigilant. Purple is the color of spiritualism, supernatural, and imagination This article is about the symbolism and meaning of the color purple, which is part of the Color Meaning Series.

Color purple meanings Where do we find the meaning of the color purple? Purple tends to occur rarely in nature, so it is viewed as rare and intriguing. Purple is a combination of blue and red. So what are some of the most common associations people have with the color purple? Like many other colors, the feelings that the color purple evokes are often due to cultural associations.

Because purple is so strongly associated with royalty, people often perceive it as being a very regal color. These associations with royalty were originally due to the fact that the Phoenician purple dye that was used in ancient times was very rare and extremely expensive.

These associations with extravagance and aristocracy persist to this day. Purple is the symbol of royalty and wealth. In ancient times, creating dyes to color fabric often required a great deal of effort and expense, especially for certain colors.

Because purple is less common in nature, the resources needed to create a dye in this color were much harder to come by and much more costly. The color purple became associated with wealth and royalty because very often the rich were the only individuals who could afford such expensive items.

Around B. The resulting color became known as Tyrian purple and was so well known it was mentioned in Homer's "Iliad" and Virgil's "Aeneid.

This connection with royalty was not just restricted to ancient times. Purple also represents wisdom and spirituality. Its rare and mysterious nature perhaps causes it to seem connected to the unknown, supernatural, and divine.

Different shades of purple have different spiritual meanings. For instance, light purples are associated with light-hearted, romantic energies while darker shades can represent sadness and frustration. In some parts of Europe, purple is associated with death and mourning. In the U. The award, originally called the Badge of Military Merit, was created in by George Washington to give to soldiers for commendable action.

The color represents courage and bravery. Any idea or superstition about this? Purple is also the colour used to represent epilepsy awareness just as pink is used to represent breast cancer.

Tisha, the good news is that the Internet and media have blurred the cross-cultural lines and there is a much broader view of what colors mean than there was traditionally. Very interesting, and complete dissertation of my fave color. I was very interested in the Crown Chakra piece. Thank you, Angela. Here is a post about colors related to depression and happiness that might interest you.

Purple is a very divisive color. People often have a strong affinity for it or they are repulsed by it. Some find the color calming. In others large amounts of purple can be disquieting or cause feelings of anxiety or even anger. For those people, purple is representative of arrogance, old age, death and decay. Perhaps it would benefit the artist, or the designer, to remember that purple is a color that appears in small doses in nature, or is fleeting as twilight on a mountain.

In those proportions it is most likely to be enjoyed by more people. The current fad for over-use on television game shows and in graphic lay-outs already has a dated look. It reminds me of an apartment with gold shag carpet and avocado kitchen appliances — something that designers should have known better than to do in the first place.

Thanks for sharing another purple song. Apparently city rail Australia must love purple as they have decided to re-upholster our train Newcastle line carriage in purple…. Purple seats, walls, carpet and stairs… Needless to say I currently feel trapped inside a box of meter long grape hubba bubba bubble gum. I will have to check that out. Color Meaning. Color Psychology.

Color Theory. Books About Color. Quotes About Color. Color Around the World. Business Colors. Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. Member Login. Be a color insider! Meaning Of Purple: Explained. That book was nothing more than purple prose. The purple of kings.

What do we know about purple? Click to Tweet. Symbolism And Meaning Of Purple. Positive Associations. Read About the Color Purple. Purple Words, Phrases And Idioms. Examples of how the meaning of purple colors our language: Purple prose : a phrase meant to insult or disparage flowery language or an elaborately written poem or paragraph. Purple heart : a medal awarded to a US soldier wounded in battle Born to the purple : a person who is born into a noble or royal family Lay it out in lavender : very cool, relaxed, and in control.

Quotes About the Color Purple. More Intriguing Facts About Purple. Purple As A Signature Color. Prince - the music icon loved the color purple - this of his wardrobe, stage set, album and of course, Purple Rain.