I love natural rainbows; it gives me a feeling of renewal. Maybe its because of the legends, myths and stories associated with them…or because of their aesthetic appeal. Whatever the case, rainbows make me happy and hopeful; especially considering all the variables that have to be in alignment for them to appear. Science has labeled this wonder an optical illusion but what if there is more to this manifestation than meets the eye?
In this Post
Over the rainbow
…is treasure beyond compare.
Literally, the treasure is a not physically evident but can manifest in a variety of ways. Figuratively, the treasure is a desired state of existence, when you are in harmony with the elements. But let’s talk about implied meaning.
The Circle of life
Depending on your position, this beautiful illusion can be a bow or circle.
A circle can be seen where the light reflects on a large body of water like when the sky meets the sea.
A bow is seen where the sky meets land. This does not diminish its beauty in any way.
I like to imagine that seeing a circle indicates that my treasure is trapped in an infinite loop while a bow means I should work @ achieving any set goal.
Seeking treasure on our journey through life, we desire the imagined and purse the unattainable. The primal call of the wild to conquer is what keeps us delving deeper into the unknown.
We always find what we seek but our insatiable nature keeps the hunger alive and the expectations morphing continuously. Now, the rainbows original meaning has been hijacked and used impliedly. But @ the root of whatever meaning, is freedom.
Whether myth or legend, the cultural & historic significance of Rainbows should not be disregarded as they may contain some facts that have been passed down the eons – lost in translation or @ least, provide food for your imagination.
Water is life, Light is hope and the rainbow marries the two. How much is mystery…what could be fact
The Messenger
In Greek mythology, the goddess Iris personifies the rainbow. In many stories, such as the Iliad, she carries messages from the gods to the human world, thus forming a link between heaven and earth.[2] Iris’s messages often concerned war and retribution.[3] In some myths, the rainbow merely represents the path made by Iris as she flies.[4
Anuenue, the rainbow maiden, appears in Hawaiian legends as the messenger for her brothers, the gods Tane and Kanaloa.[5]
The Omen
The Sumu of Honduras and Nicaragua refer to the rainbow as walasa aniwe, “the devil is vexed”. These people hide their children in their huts to keep them from looking or pointing at the rainbow.[19] Similar taboos against pointing at rainbows can be found throughout the world, in over a hundred cultural traditions.[20]
In Amazonian cultures, rainbows have long been associated with malign spirits that cause harm, such as miscarriages and (especially) skin problems. In the Amuesha language of central Peru, certain diseases are called ayona’achartan, meaning “the rainbow hurt my skin”.[21] A tradition of closing one’s mouth at the sight of a rainbow in order to avoid disease appears to pre-date the Incan empire.
In the mythology of ancient Slavs, a man touched by the rainbow is drawn to heaven, and becomes a “Planetnik” – half-demonic creature – which is under the power of the thunder and lightning god Perun.
In Latvian legends it was believed that the rainbow drank from river or lake like a living creature and thus released rain from its body. It was forbidden to approach the water source if there was a rainbow, or they would risk being accidentally swallowed by the rainbow, and later fall down during rainfall as nothing but bones.
The Covenant
In the Hebrew Book of Genesis, after the flood had almost wiped out the entire human race, Yahweh told Noah that he will set the rainbow as a token of his promise that he would never send another flood large enough to destroy all life.[23] It is said that no rainbows appeared during the lifetime of 2nd-century rabbi Simeon bar Yochai, as his own righteousness was sufficient to guarantee God’s mercy.[24]
In a Chinese folktale, Hsienpo and Yingt’ai are star-crossed lovers who must wait until the rainbow appears to be alone together. Hsienpo is the red in the rainbow, and Yingt’ai is the blue.[25]
The Fang of Gabon (Africa) are initiated into the religion by a “transcendent experience when they arrive at the rainbow’s center, for there they can see both the entire circle of the rainbow and of the earth, signaling the success of their vision”.[25] The Fang also prohibit their children from looking at the rainbow.
For Buddhists, the rainbow is “the highest state achievable before attaining Nirvana, where individual desire and consciousness are extinguished.” Accordingly, there is mention of a rainbow body.[26]
According to syncretic Malay shamanism and folklore, the rainbow is said to have been formed from the sword of the earth serpent Sakatimuna who was defeated by the archangel Gabriel.[27]
For Treasure
Rainbows are widely seen in Native American stories and prophecies. The Cherokee believe the rainbow forms the hem of the Sun’s coat.[28]
In Ireland, a common legend asserts that a pot of gold is to be found at the end of a rainbow, guarded by a leprechaun.
Transmutation
Children Eater
For the Karen people of Burma, the rainbow is considered as a painted and dangerous demon that eats children
The Bridge
Norse religion, a burning rainbow bridge called the Bifrost connects Midgard (earth) with Asgard, home of the gods.[10] Bifrost can be used only by gods and those who are killed in battle. It is eventually shattered under the weight of war – the Ragnarok (German Götterdämmerung). The notion that the rainbow bridge to heaven is attainable by only the good or virtuous, such as warriors and royalty, is a theme repeated often in world myths.
In Japanese mythology, the Floating Bridge of Heaven may have been inspired by the rainbow. The creator deities Izanami and Izanagi stood upon this bridge as they brought the Japanese archipelago into existence.[11]
In Navajo tradition, the rainbow is the path of the holy spirits, and is frequently depicted in sacred sandpaintings.[12]
Māori mythology tells a tale of Hina, the moon, who caused a rainbow to span the heavens even down to the earth, for her mortal husband to return to earth to end his days, since death may not enter her celestial home.[6]
Shamans among Siberia‘s Buryats speak of ascending to the sky-spirit world by way of the rainbow.
In Philippine mythology, there are various legends about the rainbow and its origins. The Bagobo credit Pamulak Manobo as the creator of the rainbow;[13] in Tagalog folklore, “bahaghari”, the local word for rainbow comes from the name of Bighari, Bathala‘s tardy daughter who created the rainbow out of colorful flowers to ask him to forgive her for missing important family meetings
The Divine
Several West African religions incorporate personified rainbow spirits. Examples include Oxumare in the Yoruban religion Ifá; Ayida-Weddo in Haitian Vodou, as practiced in Benin; and the pythons Dagbe Dre and Dagbe Kpohoun in West African Vodun, as practiced by the Ewe people of Benin.
In Chinese mythology, Hong is a two-headed dragon that represents the rainbow.
In Mesopotamian and Elamite mythology, the goddess Manzat was a personification of the rainbow.[1]
A Weapon
The rainbow is depicted as an archer’s bow in Hindu mythology. Indra, the god of thunder and war, uses the rainbow to shoot arrows of lightning.[10]
In pre-Islamic Arabian mythology, the rainbow is the bow of a weather god, Quzaḥ, whose name survives in the Arabic word for rainbow, قوس قزح qaws Quzaḥ, “the bow of Quzaḥ”.
The Sumerian farmer god Ninurta defended Sumer with a bow and arrow, and wore a crown described as a rainbow.[18]
Fredoom
Be it a useless meteorological occurrence or a mythical phenomenon, rainbows are a gift that soothes the senses. As the meaning varies from culture to perception should not stop anyone from enjoying the beauty and ethereal serenity
