Have you ever noticed that porches in Charleston usually have a light blue paint upon their ceilings? The Gullah Geechee descendants of the enslaved African planters thought that soft, blue-green paint would keep the “haints ,” or evil spirits, away.
The belief of Blue Haint’s protection stems from cultural influences originating from Barbados . Yes, Barbados. Did you know that Charleston became a colony of this island? Here you can learn how this came about when the British landed in Barbados in 1627 , where they settled + developed sugarcane plantations– which were largely operated by enslaved Africans + indentured servants.
This settlement brought along many island aesthetics + beliefs from Barbados, including Blue Haint. It is believed that Gullah people combined milk, indigo dye, lime + other pigments to create this special blue paint known to ward off bad spirits. Some also believe the blue paint can be used as a bug repellent because of the lime in the mixture, which can be a natural insect deterrent. More haint blue historic ties can be found here .
In today’s era, you can even find paint companies selling colors within the “Haint Blue” spectrum . Next time you are standing on a porch in the Lowcountry, look up. What color do you see? Haint Blue just might be offering you some protection.
Poll