


The Legend of . 
Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow 
The poets have often reminded us that the RAINBOW reveals the ow : 
pathway of the Goddess IRIS from the heavens: 
“And thus the child of Thaumas speaks 
Heaven's beauty flushing in her cheeks: 
E’en as she spoke, her wings she spread, 
And skyward on her rainbow fled.” 
VIRGIL: Aeneid.. 
“Flower of light! Who knows if fables old 
First gave Olympus’ messenger thy name 
- Or gave thee hers;—but this | know—there came 
Down the arch’d bow in multicoloured flame 
To star our Earth with purple and with gold 
Thy beauty;—for a breath of Heaven yet clings 
About thy robes, and thy translucent stillness brings 
Faint Seraph songs, half heard, and winnowings of wings.” — 
BLISS: Iris, Fleur De Luce 
In Greek ia ee IRIS, the rainbow were was a em 
senger of the gods: 
“Jove descending shook the Idaean pills, 
And down their summits pour'd a hundred rills, 
The unkindled lightning in his hand he took, 
. And thus the many-colour'd maid bespoke: 
‘Tris with haste thy golden wings display, 
To godlike Hector this our word convey— ft 
He spoke, and Iris at his word obey'd; . ‘ a 
On wings of winds descends the various maid.” ey 
HOMER: Iliad. | Bae: a 
And finally, legend has it that under each of RS foostps fi 
earth rose a flower that bears her name: 
“There's crimson buds, and white and blue— 
The very rainbow showers 
Have turned to blossoms where they fell, 
And sown the earth with flowers.” 
HOOD: Song-O Lady. 
No need to wonder, then, from whence comes the beauty of 
flowers. 
