Wichita eagle., 1888-05-06
RAINBOW FOLK LORE.
ANTIQUE FANCY FREQUENTLY Al.
lUDED TO IN THE CLASSICS.
The Rainbow Drinks from Ponds and
Rivers-Its Great Power for Good or
1ief-Hindoo Law.

Rivers-Its Great Power for Good OF
Evil-Healing Potency-A Strange Be-
lief-Hindoo Law.
As survival of the serpent myth, we find
almost universally belief that the rain
bow drinks the water from ponds and rivers
This idea is found in antiquity, alluslon TO 1t
being frequently made by classical authors
Slovaks say of one who drinks much, that he
"drinks like a rainbow" Many European
peoples think the rainbow drinks up the
water Throughout Russia it is generally
believed to feed the clouds with the water
thus drawn. In Little Russia it is called
VeseIka, and is said to be maiden, who,
with her bucket, draws water from the riv-
ers and waters the earth with it Esthonlars
say it has bulls head, which it thrusts into
the water when it would drink. In Finis-
terre it is said to drink " fish, frogs, etc.,
from the shallow ponds. In Cornwall it is
said to be the devil drinking up the water OF
the ponds and streams In the Tyrol it Is
called the drinking bow in Votiak the
'sdrinker of water" Children are assured
In the French department Of Cotes du Nord
that the bow drinks in the river or In the
pond.
In many places the rainbow is said to be
great pump or tube, drawing water by me
chanical means. So in parts OF Russia 1t Is
called the ''bent tube" and IN Hungary 1.-The
pump while in Slavonian dialect 1t Is the
''siphon." In one part of France 1t is said TO
come from the sea and to pump up the water
in the streams In the Charkov province of
Russia the bow is likened to a tube, with one
end in the sky and the other In the wells,
while in the Sarotov government 1t IS said TO
be controlled by three angels, one OF whom
pumps the water, the second feeds the clouds,
and the third sends the rain. In Lettonia,
showers of fish, frogs, ETC., are believed to
come from the rainbow, which has sucked
them up from ponds and rivers. Similar be-
liefs exist among the Wends. In many parts
of Russia it is compared to water carrier,
dipping its buckets into the ponds and
streams. In the Charente department of
France they saw the bow fishes in the streams,
and demonstrations are drawn from the
selection it makes Malay Mas say it is the
net of Nadaoja fishing in the streams.
The rainbow is frequently credited with
great power for good or evil 1t is wide
spread belief that it hides great riches, or
brings fortune or good luck with 1t. In
Swabia, it is said to rest on bowls of gold; in
Hungary, that cups of silver will be found
where it touches the earth or water, and the
finder will divine the future. 1t is quite
likely that shoe cast over it will fall on the
other side filled with gold, as it is believed IN
Berne and among Swabian peasants. The
difficulty is to get it over. In Carinthia 1t Is
a hat. Czech tradition says that If iron or
other base metal be cast into the rainbow it
will turn to gold, and similar things are
recorded of it in the Tyrol. In many parts
of Germany golden key, or q treasure, Is
said to be found where the bow touches the
earth; in Portugal, silver hen, and in mod
ern Greece, a curious Byzantine coin, called
Constantine coin. Any one finding this
will be endowed with marvellous power.
In Norway, it is said that cup and spoon,
with kind of cruel, will be found where the
bow rests 1t is also believed to bestow
health. Among the Let's, if you can reach
the bow and touch it you will have the heal
ing power. The water found Immediately
beneath the arch WILL it is believed, cure
those afflicted with demoniacy. Old women
keen this water in trenches dug in the ground
or In a hollow tree, but not in the house,
where it will lose its force or bring some
disaster on the household 1t is also said that
Hocks should not be pastured where the bow
rests, or they will fall sick. German peas
ants say they touch of the bow will render
plants odorant. On the other hand, in some
departments of France the rainbow is said
to niure plants on which it rests, to dry up
vines and to ruin the harvest In Bohemia
also it withers up the heritage, say the peas
ants. In the Ukraine, you must not put out
your tongue at the rainbow, or it will dry
it up In Hungary there is a Villa or fairy
sitting on the water where the rainbow
touches it, and whomsoever she sees first will
die Esthonians say the bow is but The
scythe used by the thunder to chase wicked
souls In Austro- Hungary the sick are not
allowed to lie stretched at full length when
the first bow of spring appears, for it is
thought they would die if permitted to do
So Many ordinary tasks must not then be
performed for fear of evil consequences.
Another strange belief has existed, that
the rainbow has power to change the sex
This obtains in districts widely separated. A
story from the Mayo tribe III Africa relates
the adventures of young man so trans
formed. Slovenian peasants have similar
notion, and it is general belief in modern
Greece among the common people that any
one jumping over the rainbow will have their
sex changed. Among the Albanians, Ser
vians, and in Upper Loitre, France, it is by
passing under the rainbow that the sex is
changed.
The notion that the luminous bow Possesses
so great power for good or evil has probably
led to another curious belief, that harm will
come to any one pointing at it The ancient
Eindoo laws Of Manou forbade this, and it is
said in the Hartz mountains that God will
punish any one who points at the rainbow.
In modern Greece and in Amiens you viii
lose a finger, and in Bohemia the same disas-
ter will occur unless it immediately thun-
ders. The Chinese say your hand Will be at
tackled with ulcers, and German peasants tell
you that you dig out the angels eyes when
you point at the rainbow. Ancient Peru
vians said that the mouth must be kept, shut
when a rainbow was IL sight or the teeth
~a. III hs sI.oi.sd-
ST. Petersburg's Novel Ceremony.
The spring break UP usually occurs about
the middle Of April, when all crossing upon
the ice is stopped by the police, and the cere-
monies If opening the river take place. No
boat is allowed TO be launched till the COVER