The symbolism of colour

THE OLD LANGUAGE OF WHITE

It is to be remembered in studying ancient colour symbolism that it was not realised that white was the sum of the seven colours of the rainbow. To us, because we know this fact, white is more naturally the colour of unity than yellow. Thus Shelley writes:—

White, in fact, symbolised not so much unity as purity, innocence, and the great joy of the man who has fought the good fight and attained the spiritual life. It is to symbolise this joy that the souls of the Redeemed in Revelation are clad in white robes. For the same reason Dante sees the souls of the blessed in Paradise in form of a white rose:—

Tennyson, in “St Agnes’ Eve,” uses white in the same way to convey the ecstasy of St Agnes:—

The Archangel Gabriel is usually known in pictures from the fact that his emblem is the lily—sometimes called the “lily of the annunciation,” as a sign that a pure soul is necessary before Christ can take possession of it. Gabriel is usually said to be the Angel of the Moon, to which the colour white and the metal silver were given by astrologers and mystics.

It was the custom of Roman ladies to wear white. The wearing of bright colours was looked upon as portraying a lack of virtue. The word “candidate” tells us that integrity was expected of all persons desiring office.

Hesiod the poet sees Modesty and Justice in white robes:—

Hermas sees the Church as a virgin in white:—

The Japanese use white as symbol of death, and a bride wears white as her parents consider her dead to them and belonging only to her husband.

In Revelation there is a curious statement: “To him that overcometh will I give the white stone.” It was the custom to give the victor in the games a white stone, so that the sentence seems a truism, as “To him that overcometh will I give the sign of victory”; but when we dig more deeply into the meaning of the white stone we find that it is a sign of deity, of the Spirit of God marking out His chosen one. In the Amaravati tope at the British Museum Buddha is seen sitting on the white stone, and sometimes the white stone is used in place of Buddha. In Ireland, until recent times, white stones were placed in a coffin and called “God’s stones.” Hence “To him that overcometh will I give the white stone” means that to the victor shall be given the joy of the presence of God, the joy of harmony, the music of the spheres—

There was a similar idea among the Egyptians. In the papyrus of Ani you will note that when he is justified he is shown with white hair. Similarly, Christ in Revelation has hair[19] as white as wool.

[19] Revelation i. 14.

In Revelation Christ rides on the white horse. St George is nearly always depicted on a white horse. Castor and Pollux were said to ride on white horses. A horse, as I have said before, means knowledge. Thus to ride on the white horse means to have all heavenly counsel to aid you in gaining the victory and in obtaining the reward. It is said that there will be one more incarnation of Vishnu, when he will carry the sword of justice and ride the white horse, like Christ in Revelation. We must remember that the horse was used by the Hindoos instead of the Ram. Now as Aries or the Ram is the constellation in which the sun starts his zodiacal journey each year, the ram or horse means the opener of new thought, the dawn of a new era. Hence to ride the white horse means to begin a new kingdom on earth of joy and happiness and purity. When Mahomet comes again he will ride the white horse Alborac. In ancient Rome the white horse was sacred to Jupiter, and once a year the consul, clad in white robes, rode to the Capitol to adore Jupiter as the Sun-god.

Buddha is said to have been borne to earth on a white elephant, i.e. on Divine Wisdom or the Holy Ghost. In some of the old Buddhist zodiacs the elephant takes the place of the sign Capricorn or the goat. Capricorn is the sign governing from 21st December to 19th January, and this is the time during which all world-saviours are said to have been born.

Osiris and Zeus are spoken of as white bulls, for the bull betokens cosmic energy and creative force. When Yasôdhara dreams that Siddartha or Buddha is escaping from the palace, she sees “a white bull with wide branching horns.”

The Druids proper of Wales wore white robes. It may be mentioned that it took twenty years to train a Druid, so that surely the white robe in their case was a sign that the wearer had laboured much and conquered many things. The work of a Druid is given in the Triads:—

1. To keep his word.
2. To keep his secret.
3. To keep the peace.

It must be remembered that he was a bard previous to being a Druid. Druidship was the last stage of initiation, and what he learnt in this was not to be given out directly to the world but to be expressed only in the inward power that accrued to him. He kept the peace because he knew that the arts flourish in times of peace and are destroyed during war. Still we must remember that when war came he was ever ready to lead the people, and many a Druid died in the forefront of the battle, for to him death was the gate of life and the entrance to the joy of the Mighty Hu.

The symbolism of silver is related to that of white, for silver is the colour of the moon, of chastity, and the ability to radiate purity and joy, however dark the night and difficult the circumstances. Artemis and Diana are both virgin goddesses of the moon, punishing evil deeds and immorality.

Solomon speaks of the “silver cord.” It is the bond between the mortal and the everlasting: when it is loosed then the soul is released and regains the music of the spheres.

Sir Walter Raleigh writes:—

In the Paradise of the Brahmins, Brahma has his being in the heart of a silver rose (Tamura Pua); that is, in the heart of all fragrance, sweetness, beauty, purity, and joy there is God.

In its opposite symbolism white means lack of courage and sometimes deceitfulness—e.g. “whited sepulchres.”