Haint Blue and Yellow Fever

Today, beautiful porches painted with the same stunning light blue can be seen all over South Georgia and South Carolina. This daring style is unique to Southern culture, and its presence pays homage to one of the oldest traditions of Lowcountry.

This light blue color is called “haint blue”, and it originated within the Gullah-Geechee people in South Carolina prior to the American Revolution. The word “haint” comes from the English word “haunt” and refers to a ghost or a spirit in the physical realm. The Gullah people would paint all of their doors, shutters, and window panes in this color that was made to represent water. It was commonly thought that spirits could not cross water, so by painting all entrances of the home with this aquatic color; they deterred spirits from entering their home.

The haint blue coloring is made by mixing crushed indigo plants with milk paint, which is made from lye. Indigo was a common crop on Southern plantations prior to the revolution era, though its use for the paint survived long after the decline of indigo trade. When Gullah cultured began to mingle with southern culture, the tradition became more widely used.

The use of haint blue spiked during the first outbreak of Yellow Fever in 1820. Communities in the south believed that the epidemic was caused by evil spirits and demons attacking the cities. Soon, almost everyone had a haint blue porch. Interestingly enough, the people who painted their homes with the blue paint saw a decrease in household cases of Yellow Fever! The paint was actually working and protecting the families, but it wasn’t due to the deterrence of evil.

Today we understand that Yellow Fever is carried by mosquitoes, who pass on the arbovirus when they bite humans. The indigo and lye featured in the original haint blue paint happen to be natural bug deterrents. This means that whoever painted their home with this mixture was unknowingly keeping the mosquitoes from wreaking havoc in the home! Soon enough, the citizens of Lowcountry made the connection, and haint blue was used to deter spiders, mosquitoes, and even wasps. Nowadays, despite all the other more effective bug sprays, traps, and deterrents; haint blue is still used by many homeowners as a calling to the history of our beloved south.