Yellow is the colour of sunlight, ripened wheat, golden crowns, and buzzing bees. It glows with warmth and curiosity—always somewhere between joy and warning. Across cultures and mythologies, yellow has taken on layered meanings: it comforts, energises, and sometimes even unsettles. In this post, we explore how yellow has been seen in folklore, art, and spiritual tradition—and why this vibrant hue still speaks to something deep in us today.
The Light of Life and Growth
In many traditions, yellow is a symbol of life-giving power. It’s the colour of the sun, a force of creation, harvest, and rhythm. Ancient Slavic cultures often associated yellow with Perun, the god of sky and thunder, whose golden lightning fed the soil and lit the skies. It was the colour of the fields—abundance in late summer.
In Egyptian mythology, yellow was the colour of eternity. The gods had golden skin, and gold (a form of eternal yellow) was sacred—unchanging, untarnished, divine.
Joy, Curiosity, and Childhood
Psychologically, yellow sparks feelings of happiness, curiosity, and mental stimulation. In fairy tales, yellow often marks characters who are innocent, bright, or on a path of discovery. Think of golden-haired children or glowing lanterns in dark woods. Yellow can be a guide—a colour that encourages movement, questions, and the spirit of play.
Warning and Duality
But yellow has another side. In folklore, it can also be ambiguous or dangerous. It’s the colour of jealousy in many old tales—of golden objects that tempt or deceive (like cursed gold or false promises). In medieval Europe, yellow was sometimes worn by outsiders or marked the sick. The warning sign of yellow persists today in traffic signs, hazard labels, and wasp stripes.
This duality gives yellow a special symbolic weight. It’s not just cheerful—it’s powerful and unpredictable.
Rituals and Traditions
In Slavic spring festivals, yellow flowers like dandelions and marigolds were offered to the earth spirits to call in warmth and growth.
In India, turmeric, with its rich yellow hue, is used in purification rituals and weddings—symbolising prosperity and sacred transformation.
In Chinese culture, yellow is associated with the center of the earth and imperial power. It was long reserved for the emperor and seen as the most prestigious of colours.
Yellow in Art
Artists have long used yellow to capture light, emotion, and magic. In your own work, yellow might show up in glowing skies, radiant figures, or symbolic threads of meaning. It’s a colour that pulls attention and radiates life, whether it's subtle like flax or bold like fire.
Yellow is never just one thing. It can mean hope, danger, wisdom, or transformation—all depending on how it's used. It’s a colour that holds stories, both bright and shadowed, and invites us to look closer at what we feel when we see it.
In folklore, just like in art, yellow reminds us: light doesn’t just illuminate—it reveals. See Yellow Wall Art Prints.
