THE OLD LANGUAGE OF PURPLE
“And they put upon him a robe of purple.”--ST JOHN.
The next and highest colour of the spectrum is violet. Like green and
blue, it is calming and soothing in its influence. Like green and blue,
it is said by the mystics to be a feminine colour. It seems as though
the ancient people used the term purple to include violet, and in fact
any tint made up of blue and red in whatever proportions. Pliny tells
us that the colour of the amaranth is a far more beautiful purple that
any the dyers can obtain. This, however, does not help us much, for the
amaranth can be almost any shade from red to blue. Even to-day we see
how carelessly the word purple is used when we have in a great writer’s
book the phrase, “the purple rainbow.”
The symbolism of purple partakes of the Red of Love and Self-sacrifice
and the blue of Truth; hence it was considered symbolic of Wisdom,
and is mentioned as being the colour of the canopy[18] of Solomon’s
chariot. Purple was considered the most glorious of colours, for
the purple dye was so costly that it became part of the insignia of
royalty. In England it is used as the sign of royal mourning.
[18] Song of Solomon iii. 10.
Before we really comprehend the symbolism of purple, however, we must
reflect that purple was said by the Egyptians to be the colour of the
earth. At evening, in some parts of the world, looking across the
ploughed fields that seem so red in the daylight, we see that they
appear tinged with purple. Our painters of landscape show this purple
colour, while our poets speak of purple shadows.
Thus the colour became symbolic of the basic qualities in our nature
that form a sure foundation on which to build the very highest
qualities--patience, endurance, perseverance, ability to be long
suffering and slow to anger. All these qualities are a _sine qua non_
to the evolved soul. This is why the suffering Christ was given a
purple robe before His crucifixion. It is to show that the King of
kings is also the lowliest and most gentle of all beings--that He had
such humility as was expressed in the washing of the disciples’ feet.
As He Himself said: “He who would be the chief among you, let him be
your servant.” How we think here of the humble, fragrant violet.
We remember the story of Sir Gareth in the _Idylls of the King_.
“And Gareth bowed himself
With all obedience to the king, and wrought
All kind of service with a noble ease
That graced the lowest act in doing it.”
The Egyptians often made their soldiers talismans of amethyst because
they said that this stone could give them the necessary calmness of
mind to ensure victory. The Magi of Persia said that amethyst was
born of the Sun and of the Moon, which confirms us in the belief that
purple has all the symbolism of the red and of the blue, the masculine
and feminine forces, the spirit and the soul. It evidently seems
to have been used in this way by the Finns, for in the “Kalevala,”
Wainomoinem sails over the “blue back of the waters” till he “gains the
purple-coloured harbour” of the next world. Here purple is used of a
greater realm than that of the ocean.
Many old rosaries were made of amethyst, because its effect was to make
the wearer withdraw from all the trials of the world and worship in a
holy calm.
In King’s _Ancient Gnostic Gems_ we are given a translation of a poem
by Marbodus:--
“On high the amethyst is set
In colour like the violet,
With flames as if of gold it shows
And far it purple radiance throws;
The humble heart it signifies
Of him, who in the Saviour dies.”
So we see why the martyrs are often represented as being clad in
purple. This ability to endure for the truth brings them the fullest
reward in the love of the Saviour.
When we see the angels with purple robes it signifies that they partake
of the sorrows of Christ and desire to help men with loving messages
to attain the heavenly home beyond the blue firmament. In some of
the ancient orders of nuns the women wore purple veils as a sign of
repentance and of faith in the divine love of God.
Shakespeare, in _A Midsummer Night’s Dream_, speaks of the
“Flower of purple dye
Hit with Cupid’s archery”
--a flower that we now consider to be the pansy, the name of which is
probably derived from “Pensez à moi,” and emblematic of humility and
sweet, loving thoughts.
* * * * *
Purple in its debased meaning gives us over-weening pride, pomp, and
vanity. It is the colour of the rich man who has no love in his heart
for Lazarus, and no belief in anything but the things of the world.