As you know, in ancient times there was no belief in any one god, people believed in many deities, and also associated the forces of nature with them. And every nation, be it Slavs, Greeks, Romans, Germans, Gauls or other tribes, had their own gods.
Ancient Greece
This ancient state is remembered to this day thanks to its rich culture. Hellas became the birthplace of many famous ancient philosophers, writers, whose works are known today, scientists who made a huge contribution to the science of that time. Also, many are interested in ancient Greek mythology. It consists of many interesting stories about gods, titans and heroes, about various feats, ancient wars and other events. Many deities passed from Greek mythology to Roman mythology under other names.
Gods of Olympus
Special attention in the mythology of Ancient Greece was paid, of course, to the Olympic gods, that is, the most powerful. Most stories have been written about them.
The number of gods who lived on the sacred Mount Olympus included Aphrodite - the goddess of love and beauty; Apollo is the god of art; Artemis - goddess of fertility, huntingand chastity, the patroness of nature and all living things; Athena - goddess of wisdom and strategy; Themis, personifying justice; Ares - the god of military affairs; Hephaestus - the patron of blacksmiths and the god of fire; Hermes - god of cunning and trade; Dionysus - the god of winemaking and fun; Demeter - the goddess of fertility and the patroness of farmers; Hades - the patron of the kingdom of the dead; Hestia - goddess of the hearth and sacrificial fire.
Well, the most important of the gods on Olympus were, as you know, Zeus the Thunderer and his wife Hera. According to beliefs, she guarded a woman during childbirth, and was also the patroness of marriage and family life. Also on Olympus, next to Hera, there was always the goddess of the rainbow Irida, her messenger, who at any moment was ready to fulfill any order of the great goddess. She always stood next to the throne of the mighty Hera and waited for her orders.
How was the Greek goddess of the rainbow depicted?
Iris, according to Greek mythology, had wings. The rainbow goddess was often depicted with a cup of water in her hand. With it, she delivered water to the clouds.
Irida was considered the messenger of the Olympic gods, the mediator between them and people. The Greeks believed that just as a rainbow connects the earth with the sky, so the goddess Irida connects people with the almighty gods. Since she served as a messenger, she was most often depicted flying on her large wings. She can also often be found in drawings dedicated to Hera.
What was named after the rainbow goddess?
According to one of the legends, a beautiful iris flower was named after Irida. This legend says that this plant was named so by the famous ancient scientist Hippocrates.
An asteroid was also named after this deity, which was discovered in 1847.
In addition, the chemical element Iridium was named after the rainbow for the colorfulness of its various compounds. For example, the combination of atoms of this element with fluorine atoms has a light green color, iodine - black, cesium and iodine - red, sodium and bromine - purple, potassium and fluorine - white, and so on. Pure iridium itself has a silver color.
Myths that mention Irida
The Greek goddess of the rainbow acts as a messenger who conveys news from the gods to people. There is no special myth in which she would act as the main character. The goddess Iris is present in the myths of the Argonauts, and is also often mentioned in the narrative of the Trojan War. In the myths about this war, she repeatedly acts as a messenger of the gods. In particular, the goddess of the rainbow appeared before Menelaus, the Spartan king, to inform him that his wife Helen had left the palace with Paris, the son of the king of Troy. Also, on behalf of the Olympic gods, Irida brought the news to the Trojans that numerous Achaean troops were approaching Troy. The goddess of the rainbow appeared before Elena in the form of the daughter of Priam, the king of Troy. She did this in order to call her to the tower at the Skeian Gate, where many gathered to watch the duel between Paris and Menelaus. In addition, at the behest of Zeus, the goddess Iris orderedto stop interfering in the war with Poseidon, who was on the side of the Achaeans. Irida is repeatedly mentioned in the cycle of myths about the Trojan War.
Iris family tree
The goddess of the rainbow among the Greeks, according to their mythology, was the daughter of Thaumant (the sea deity of miracles) and the oceanid Electra. As the appearance of a rainbow is impossible without rain, so the origin of Irida is associated with water deities.
Her sisters were harpies - terrible mythical creatures that guarded Tartarus. These creatures, according to ancient Greek beliefs, could steal souls.
The rainbow goddess was the mother of Eros, the deity of love, who served as an assistant to Aphrodite and accompanied her everywhere. He is also present in Roman mythology under the name Cupid.
Irida's husband was Zephyr - one of the four gods of the wind, who dominated the western part of the world. From him she gave birth to Eros.
Goddess Iris in art
The goddess of the rainbow in Hellas was often depicted in various reliefs and drawings. Basically, these were images dedicated to the most powerful goddess - Hera, whose messenger was Irida. Most often, she was drawn flying on rainbow wings or standing near her patroness Hera.
As the main character, the goddess of the rainbow is represented in the play by Achaea of Eretria "Iris".
In addition, this deity also acts as one of the characters in the comedy work of Aristophanes "Birds", the tragedy "Hercules", writtenEuripides.
The painting “Iris and Morpheus” by Pierre Narcisse Guerin, which he created in 1811, is dedicated to the ancient Greek goddess-messenger. It depicts the goddess of the rainbow and the ancient Greek winged god of sleep.
Rainbow in the myths and beliefs of other peoples
In the mythology of different countries and peoples, the rainbow is given an important role. It is mainly associated with a kind of bridge between heaven and earth, a connection between ordinary people and immortal gods.
The ancient Slavs had a belief that the rainbow is the path along which the souls of the dead rise to heaven. The same meaning was given to the rainbow in Scandinavian mythology.
Many other interesting beliefs are connected with the rainbow. So, the Celts believed that after a strong storm, in a place under a rainbow, you can find treasures buried in the ground.
According to Indian legends and traditions, it was the place where all the bright flowers of the planet were located after their short-term flowering on earth.
Many Slavic peoples also have this sign: if a woman has repeatedly given birth to children of the same sex, for example, only girls, then she should go to a pond over which a rainbow hangs and drink water from there. Then the next child will be of a different gender.
In Christian iconography, the rainbow serves as a symbol of divine mercy and justice.
Muslim peoples believe that the rainbow consists of four colors (red, yellow, green, blue) and is associated with the four elements.
However, despite their beauty, not everyoneThe peoples of the rainbow is considered something good. For example, Malaysians believe that if a person passes under it, he will certainly become seriously ill. The Hungarians have a sign that you can not point at the rainbow with your finger, as it will wither. And in Nicaragua and Honduras, it is not customary to even look at the rainbow, especially for children.
