In ancient cultures, the appearance of a rainbow in the sky after a rainstorm is a natural phenomenon imbued with many mysterious meanings.
The Karen people in Myanmar once believed that rainbows were spirits that stole human souls and caused violent or unexpected deaths. They thought that such actions made the rainbow so thirsty that it appeared in the sky and descended to the earth to drink water.
The Polynesians believe that rainbows are among the steps that lead heroes to heaven.
According to ancient Greek mythology, it was the wife Iris of the god Zephyrus who created the rainbow. Iris was the messenger between the dead and the gods. She traveled back and forth in shimmering, colorful robes. The term “iridescence” in English is derived from Iris’s robes.
An ancient proverb states that any house covered by a rainbow like a dome overhead will soon face disaster, or if you go to the end of the rainbow, your family will encounter some misfortune within the year.
