Rainbows

Occasionally I Google mythology in the news category and see what pops up. Most of the time it is not about actual mythology but someone invoking the word to mean "not true." Sometimes, like today, it yields something neat.

In an Indian newspaper, we have a story about rainbows. It tells mythological origins of the rainbow in Greek (Iris), Japanese (Niji), Norse (Bifrost), German, Hindu, Greenland, Croatia, the Bible, and others. It did leave out Hawaiian, which states that a rainbow is formed every time a god comes to earth. If you have ever been to Hawaii, then you know that the Hawaiian gods really rack up their frequent flyer points.

It also tells a few facts about how rainbows are made. Personally, I have the distinction of having seen an upside down rainbow once as a kid (where everybody told me I was making it up or didn't see it correctly) and once as an adult. There is something about a rainbow that makes most people stop and look, no matter what their age is. To me, it is the ultimate proof that God, gods, divine being, ______ (insert your choice here) exist(s). Chance cannot* be that creative. I mean come on, we are lucky enough to be on this planet that happen to be in the right spot and happen to have life form on it AND we get rainbows too? Come on, even for a mythology teacher, that's got to be a bit hard to swallow! :)

I'm not going to plagiarize the story. One because I'm an English teacher and we all took oaths to track down plagiarist and hang them up to dry. Two because the story is well done. Short and simple. You can read it here: http://living.oneindia.in/expressions/factual-expressions/2008/myths-facts-rainbow-070708.html.



* See "cannot" is listed as one word. From this point on, make sure you spell it that way (told you I was an English teacher).