>>211962916In ancient Greece, the rainbow was personified as Iris, a goddess and divine messenger who served as a bridge between the gods and humanity. Her name literally means “rainbow” in Greek (Ἶρις), and she was often depicted as a winged maiden of dazzling beauty, trailing color and light as she moved between realms.
Symbolically, the rainbow represented:
- Divine communication – Iris carried messages from the Olympians, especially Hera, to mortals and other gods.
- Connection between heaven and earth – much like Hermes, Iris traveled freely between the mortal world, Mount Olympus, and even the underworld.
- Ephemeral beauty and grace – her presence was fleeting, like a rainbow, and often associated with peace after storms.
Interestingly, in The Iliad, Zeus sometimes sends a rainbow as a harbinger of war or divine intervention, showing that the symbol could carry both awe and foreboding.
>tldr rainbow symbol meant different shit before gays adopted it in the 20th century or whenever