Myth meets Mystery: For the Love of Rainbows
“Somewhere over the rainbow Skies are blue. And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.” (Lyrics from ~ Over the Rainbow)

Mystery meets Myth: For the Love of Rainbows: Rainbow over Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe by Zest_pk
Judy Garland singing “Over the Rainbow” in The Wizard of OZ movie…
“Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.”(Lyrics from ~ Over the Rainbow)
I have always loved seeing the colors of a rainbow suddenly form in the sky or near a body of water. As a child, I remember sitting by the window, after a downpour, inventing stories about visiting mystical places on a rainbow ride through the heavens. I also heard others tell stories about why we see rainbows and what, from a mythological perspective, forms them.
In Hindu mythology, the rainbow “Indradhanush” symbolized the gigantic, protective bow of Lord Indra; God of lightning, thunder and rain. (In Sanskrit and Hindi, dhanush is bow). In Christian biblical record, the rainbow became the eternal symbol of God’s promise to Noah, after the flood, that life would never again be destroyed by water (Genesis 9.13-15). My favorite was always that a rainbow was a reminder of God’s bountiful mercies and the promise of good fortune coming our way.
Another fond rainbow memory is of the song “Over the Rainbow” in the Wizard of Oz. Who could ignore the message in the song “Over the Rainbow” written by Harold Arlen/Yip Harburg and sung by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy, a key character, imagines a world over the rainbow where life is perfect and everyone lives in peace and harmony. I loved the movie and the quirky characters. Years later, I had fun watching the colorful, though panned version of “The Wiz” with Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
“The true harvest of my life is intangible – a little star dust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched.” Henry David Thoreau

Myth meets Mystery: For the Love of Rainbows: A magnificent Double Rainbow in Alaska by Eric Rolph

Myth meets Mystery: For the Love of Rainbows: Reflection Rainbow at Skagit Bay, WA by Terry L Anderson
Barbara Streisand singing “Over the Rainbow at a concert in 1986 at her Malibu, CA home.
“Someday I’ll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
A way above the chimney tops
That’s where you’ll find me.” (Lyrics from ~ Over the Rainbow)
What is a rainbow? From a scientific perspective, it is an optical and meteorological event that causes a band of light to appear on the surface of water or in the sky, when the Sun reflects off moisture in the Earth’s atmosphere. The moisture could be from a fountain, rain, mist, spray, and even early morning dew. A rainbow is a colorful arc formed by seven colors, some of which are, at least, apparent to the human eyes; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
Even in the world of rainbows, there are complexities and unique variations on the standard arched rainbow we find familiar. A supernumerary rainbow consists of several pastel colored rainbows on the inner side of the primary rainbow. They rarely appear outside the secondary rainbow. A reflection rainbow occurs when sunlight reflects off a body of water before reaching the raindrops especially if the water body is large and quiet over its entire surface. The reflection rainbow intersects a normal one, reaches further in the sky and appears above the horizon; it is rarely visible. A reflected rainbow appears on the surface of water as a mirror image. The sunlight is reflected off the water after it is first deflected by the raindrops falling into the calm body of water.
More Below!
“If happy little blue birds fly beyond the rainbow … Why oh why can’t I?” (Lyrics from ~ Over the Rainbow)

Myth meets Mystery: For the Love of Rainbows: Rainbow Fountain at Ossining Park, NY
“Somewhere over the rainbow
Blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then oh why can’t I?” (Lyrics from ~ Over the Rainbow)
Interestingly enough, looking back to the world of music, I believe that rainbows strike a chord with many people because they remind us to hold unto our dreams; rainbows support the importance of dreams and creating a better world. “Over the Rainbow” is considered the #1 Song of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. It is also rated the greatest song in a movie by The American Film Institute. In 1986, Barbara Streisand sang a new version at a concert at her Malibu home and included it on her new album.
Rainbows make me smile and lift my spirits. The glorious spectrum of colors that stream through the sky or reflect off the surface of a lake, ocean or other water source calms me and brings back seemingly ancient stories from my childhood. The mystical nature of rainbows always manages to evoke romantic, mythical stories in my mind. They evoke stories filled with ancient battles fought by valiant knights over beautiful, powerful damsels. In my stories, the women are not in distress; they are valued and smart. What emotions are stirred when you see a rainbow? Do you have memories or stories of your experience with rainbows? Do Share.
Photo Credits: Victoria Falls Rainbow by Zest PK
Reflection Rainbow at Skagit Bay, WA by Terry L Anderson
A magnificent Double Rainbow in Alaska by Eric Rolph
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
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Hmmm, that was interesting. Looks like somethings will always remain a mystery.
I myself have been trying to solve the mystery of this legend for a while now. Could not understand much though.
Let me know in case you get to understand the mystery of the Old Hound and the Legend
By the way, good writing style. I’d love to read more on similar topics.
Eliz says: Thanks for your feedback! I will look into the legend…
Thanks for your feedback! I will look into the legend… Come back and chat again! 🙂
Very fascinating blog. Definitely bookmarked! I even want to advertise here… My site is dedicated to video games tournaments.
Thanks for the visit and good luck on your video game business! Back in the day, I didn’t realize your comment was considered spam… who knew? 🙂
Rainbows are so magical aren’t they? I always love when I see them.
Exactly. I am always in awe when I see them… even at my age. haha! 🙂
Now you have me singing that song. Lol
Enjoy it… it is uplifting!
Even after all these years I still get excited when I get to see a rainbow. It definitely makes sense that so many stories have made use of them throughout history.
I feel the same way… It still leaves me in awe.
I love rainbows and the reminder of the promise they bring. I also love the song somewhere over the rainbow, it was on pandora last night. Always brings a smile to my face!
Isn’t that wonderful. I love the hope and promise the song brings. 😉
So amazing! Thank you for all this information!
I think rainbows bring happiness and hope of something good to happen.
I love seeing rainbows and I love seeking them out – they provide me with a little beacon of hope and light 🙂
Likewise Kindred spirit. I love them! <3
Gorgeous! My son is obsessed with rainbows. Actually, all three of my children love color and rainbows are a favorite obviously.
That is wonderful… You’ve instilled a spirit of wonderment in them. Precious! <3
I have always loved any quote from Henry David Thoreau- I always find him so inspiring! Dolly Parton picked rainbows and butterflies to be her trademark so it has to be pretty fabulous 🙂
Hahaha! I’m with you on both counts. 🙂
I always love the feeling every time I see a rainbow. It’s colorful, it brings hope and inspiration.
Who doesn’t love seeing a rainbow!?!? Lots of great info here. And I love listening to Judy Garland sing that song!
Some people think it’s silly; like unicorns and such. They need to get a life and let the rest of us enjoy the beauty of rainbows and its many messages. TY! 🙂
I love watching the rainbow. Rainbows always bring a smile on my face.
The top photo is so beautiful. I remember being in the midst of a storm and I asked God for a sign that thins were going to be okay. The next day I saw a double rainbow. Rainbows are my favorite sign from God.
Omg now these are some breathtaking photos!!! That waterfall OMG…. Amazing!!
You are so funny Courtney. TY! 🙂
I still remeber the first time I actually saw a real live rainbow. I was in awe. I still get the same feeling today.
My favorite version of Over The Rainbow has to be Patti LaBelle! She brings a whole new energy to it.
She has her special brand of musical talent. I love her too.
I think of peace and beauty when I see a rainbow. When we were kids we would try finding the end of the rainbow if we could to look for gold. The rainbow at Rainbow Fountain at Ossining Park is just gorgeous. Thanks for sharing..
I used to imagine finding that pot of gold too. Haha!
There is just something about seeing a rainbow that truly brightens the day. The colors and how they usually appear right after the rain is symbolic in itself.
Exactly… It has so much promise.
I love rainbows. Besides just admiring their beauty and rareness, I love being reminded of God’s promise.
You and me both Tami… The reminder is heartwarming
Rainbows always remind me of God’s promise and always make me smile. They are so beautiful!
I love that you drew a line from rainbows to being reminded to hold onto our dreams. There’s certainly something magical about them, isn’t there?
There is and I wish people would stop being so sarcastic about it all. If they don’t believe, they need to move on.