The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-03-23
RAINBOW FOLK LORE.
BELIEFS CONCERNING BEAUTIFUL
LUMINOUS PHENOMENA
Divine Honor~ and Worship Paid to the
Bow---yarious Names Glveu--A Messep-
ger from Heaven-The Road OF souis.
A Demon.

ger from heaven-lhe koau OF sottn.
A Demon.
Many curious beliefs concerning the
rainbow--the most beautiful of the lumin-
Gus phenomena of the sky or air--have
prevailed in all ages, and do still survive.
The ancients have left on record many OF
these strange beliefs They grew and
spread during the Middle Ages. The
symbolism of Christian art employed the
rainbow as an ornament Christ being
frequently shown seated on the many
colured arch Of heaven.
The bow has been recognized as the
deity himself, and divine honors and wor-
ship have been paid to it, Ancient Greeks
of Delos offered cakes of flour, meal and
dried fruits to the rainbow Iris, the
charming and swift messenger Of the gods,
was the rainbow in early mythology, and
one of the lesser divinities in Olympus.
In Samoa the rainbow is recognized as
the village god, and Pava tgod Of war;
appeared in its shining arch. Mozambique
Turks regard it as the bow of Mouloueou
genius of good, and Turks as the bow of
Cousa tangel of clouds.) In the Philip
pine Islands vows are addressed to it, and
after rain prayers are said to it. 1t was
one of the servants Of the sun in ancient
Peru, and niche was reserved for Ii In
the Quito temples. In Tahiti it is one of
the children Of the God Taaroa.
When not regarded as the deity himself,
it is often believed to be in some way con-
nected with him, as many Of modern
names for it indicate. Caribs consider it
the "basket of the God Joulouka;"
Samoyedes, ''the edge of the garment of
supreme being" and Kamschatkans
1.-THE God Biloucay." It's name in San.
scrit was the ''arm" or the 'bow OF
Indra," God of the Elements. In Finnish
it is called "Ukko's bow" Tsigane peas
ants call it the 'ring Of God, and Scla-
vonians the 'seal of Cod" Croatians, the
"belt," "rod, =" foot, " or ''stave OF God,n
while to inhabitants of Archsngel, the
Walloon country, and to Arabs and
Czecks it is the ''bow of God" 1t is
known in one part of France as the
"girdle of God"
Others credit the saints with power
through it. Various saints have been se-
lected as patronymic. In is ''St. Marks
bow" in parts of Italy and France; ''St
Martins ring" in other localities Of
France, and his "bow" in still other
places, and in Spain also. In Belgium it
is called 'St Mchael's humble bee;" in
France "St Bernard's crown" and in
Lorraine his 'body;" in Provence and
Dauphny his bridge" 1t is 'St. Leon
ards crown" in one place, his carriage"
in another. Basque folk lore records its
name as the 'arm of st. John.' One
Arab name is the ''bow of the prophet"
In accordance with the tradition that
the rainbow was sign and a promise to
Noah, we find it connected with his name
in many place, and frequently shall also
find it in weather indication. Sicilians
call it "Noah's arch;' provincial Rus
slams, "Noah's legacy and it is named
the "boat of the Holy deluge" in Franche
Compte. Regarded in many lands as
messenger from heaven, or a way to the
celestial regions, the luminous bow is
named in accordance with these beliefs.
In old French and in modern Finnish dia-
lects it is the celestial arch" while in
Spanish it is the ''heavenly bows" in Ar
deche, the bridge of the Holy Spirit"
in Welsh, the 'arch of the Trinity" and
in central Russia the ''bow of pardon"
Ancient EddGic lore named it "Bifrost,
the bridge between heaven and earth,"
over which the gods journey. Later
Greek mythology represented it as the
road to the gods by which Iris travelled
"Arcanum non Trim, sed viam Irdis
diXit,n says Suevius.
In Austria Hungary, the rainbow is the
bridge by which st. Elias descends from
heaven, and the thunder is the sound OF
his chariot wheels. Central Asian tribes
also call it ''St Elias Bridge" and Rus
sian peasants of Kazan name it the an
clined Bridge" In one portion of France
| it is said to be the shadow OF bridge
which exists between earth and heaven.
In Greenland and Slavonia it is the road
| of souls, ana is thus confounded with the
| Milky Way. Welch tradition represents
| the rainbow as the way by which the
| man in the moon climbed to his elevated
| perch. 1t is the way by which saints de-
| scend to earth to punish and reward men,
| according to Lettonian traditions. Souls
of the just ascend to heaven Jnus in many
beliefs, and it is frequently named q lad
der. Ukraine peasants say the angels de-
scend by it to draw water from the earth
toreplenish the heavenly reservoir, whence
fall the copious showers. New Zealapders
thought it a ladder by which their chiefs
climbed into the sky, and Philippine
Islanders, stairway by which the souls
| of those dying violent death assembled to
heaven. An Indian folk tale relates that
mice climbed its threadlike steps TO
| heaven, gnawing them to liberate u cap
tive there imprisoned.
Contrary TO this idea of celestial ori-
gin, the rainbow Is sometimes regarded as
| demoniacal. The karens of Durmah
point il out TO their children as demon
that will devour human souls The un-
fortunate possessor of these WILL they say,
die Il sudden and violent death. 1t is alsa
said TO devOur human beings, which
causes it great thirst and it is then that
it is seen over pond drinking the water
Fl S. Bassett in Globe Democrat.