The idea that royals and nobles have "blue blood" originates from medieval Spain, where the term sangre azul — blue blood — emerged as a way to distinguish the aristocracy from others in society.
Origins in Medieval Spain
Between 711 and 1492, much of the Iberian Peninsula in Spain was ruled by the Muslim Moors. This created a multi-ethnic society where different groups lived together, and intermarriage was common.
But some Spanish aristocrats, especially in Castile, refused to marry outside their class. They proclaimed that they had sangre azul, or blue blood, symbolizing their pure, noble lineage.
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According to the Danish history magazine Historie, this idea was tied to their belief that they descended from the Christian Gothic nobility that ruled Spain before the Moorish conquest. These noble families often had lighter skin than the North African Moors, Spanish Jews, and commoners, who spent long hours working under the sun.
The lighter skin of the nobility made their veins appear blue under the surface, giving the impression that their blood itself was blue.
Blue Blood as a Symbol of Nobility
The term "blue blood" became a metaphor for noble birth and untainted lineage, signifying the supposed purity of the aristocracy.
From Spain, the expression spread to other European countries, where it was used to highlight the perceived superiority of noble families over the common people.
The concept of blue blood gained popularity through Renaissance literature and art, which often used the metaphor to emphasize noble character and the distinctiveness of the aristocracy.
Over time, the term "blue blood" has evolved into a widely used phrase to describe royalty and nobility across Europe.
