by Sohini Sengupta
The ocean, in its infinite hues, has inspired myths, rituals, and art across cultures. Its ever-changing colors, from the azure of shallow waters to the dark indigo depths, have not only shaped how humanity perceives the sea but have also influenced spiritual practices and artistic expressions. This article explores how different cultures—especially indigenous ones—interpret and incorporate the ocean’s colors into their traditions and worldviews.
Shades of Reverence: Spiritual Significance of Oceanic Hues
Colors of the ocean often carry profound spiritual meaning, tying communities to their natural and divine surroundings. In Shinto traditions of Japan, Ryūjin, the dragon god of the sea, is worshipped as a kami (spirit), with rituals often evoking the green-blue hues of the water. These ceremonies underscore the connection between ocean colors and life-sustaining forces, such as rain and abundant harvests. Similarly, in Samoan culture, the sacred concept of va tapuia—the relationship between humans, nature, and the divine—sees oceanic hues as part of a cosmic genealogy. The term sami, meaning both sea and celebration, represents the interplay of oceanic blue-green tones with spiritual rituals.
In West Africa, Mami Wata, the water deity, is adorned in red and white—colors symbolizing her duality as nurturing yet powerful. However, the vibrant hues of her artistic depictions often extend into aquamarines and blues, reflecting her aquatic domain and the mesmerizing quality of the sea.
Naming the Ocean Through Color
Many languages around the world reflect the ocean’s shifting palette, encapsulating its diverse moods and characteristics. Polynesian languages hold a rich lexicon for oceanic hues. In Maori, wai pounamu refers to “greenstone waters,” tying the color green to sacred jade-like stones. This reverence for turquoise shades is mirrored in Samoan, where lanu moana describes blue-colored waters.
In Japan, the term ao intriguingly blurs the distinction between blue and green, reflecting how the ocean’s shades shift between these hues depending on the light and angle of observation. This linguistic fluidity embodies a nuanced understanding of the sea’s dynamic nature, often missed in Western categorizations of color. Similarly, in Inuit communities, specific terms describe variations in water and ice colors, such as qajaqtuq—icy blue-green waters safe for kayaking.
Greek and Latin traditions have historically associated ocean colors with emotion and gender. Homer’s kuaneos (dark blue) and glaukos (light blue or grey-blue) distinguish between the ominous deep sea and the shimmering surface waters. In Greek mythology, these hues are personified through Thalassa, the sea goddess, whose children embody the nurturing yet unpredictable nature of the ocean’s blues and greens.
Oceanic Hues in Art and Adornment
Artistic traditions worldwide use oceanic colors to tell stories and honor the sea’s role in human lives. Pacific Islanders incorporate deep blues and aquamarines into their tattoos, mimicking wave patterns and celebrating the ocean as a life-giving force. Similarly, Aboriginal Australian dot paintings often feature oceanic motifs using aquamarine and turquoise tones, which symbolize water spirits and marine ecosystems.
The Navajo, while not coastal, tie the color blue to water’s vitality and directionality, incorporating turquoise in their jewelry and art. For the Rapa Nui of Easter Island, the ocean’s horizon becomes a spiritual canvas, with petroglyphs and statues aligning with the sea’s blue backdrop, connecting earthly rituals with celestial realms.
A Language of Ritual and Reverence
In many cultures, ocean colors are integral to rituals, blending visual symbolism with spiritual purpose. The Bajau people, known as sea nomads, use the ocean’s colors in their rituals by submerging sacred items, believing these hues embody the spirits of the sea. While predominantly Islamic, their burial practices often take place on the mainland, contrasting with their vibrant and ocean-focused ceremonies aboard boats.
The Maori use blue and green in cleansing and blessing rituals, with green symbolizing fertility and nature, while blue represents purification and water’s transformative powers. In China, the black of the water element ties the ocean to yin energy, symbolizing darkness and depth. This contrasts with Hindu traditions in India, where the ocean’s vast blueness is evoked in names like Neelambudhi (blue ocean) and tied to divine figures like Krishna and Vishnu, whose depictions reflect the infinite and eternal nature of the sea.
Conclusion
The colors of the ocean are more than just reflections of light; they are a canvas of cultural meanings, spiritual beliefs, and artistic expressions. Across the world, from the turquoise lagoons of Polynesia to the inky depths described by the Norse, the ocean’s shades shape how communities view their place in the natural and divine order. Through language, art, and ritual, humanity celebrates the ocean’s ever-changing hues, ensuring that the colors of the sea remain as enduring as the waves themselves.