The Story Of Iris [Greek Mythology]

 

Never before had Deucalion and Pyrra seen this wonderful arch in the eastern sky, with its rich colors of red and purple and orange; but they knew it must bring a messenger of good to them, so beautiful was it, and so softly did it reflect its beauty in the waters below.

Then again Hermes came to them and whispered the story of Iris into their willing ears and into their ready hearts ; for it is only into such hearts that the gods can speak; and it is only such ears that can hear the music and the messages the gods bear always to the earth-people.

Of all the gods and goddesses, not even excepting Apollo, the glorious Sun-god, none were as beautiful as Iris whose delicate rainbow colors Deucalion and Pyrra saw now in the radiant sky, and reflected in the sparkling raindrops

that glittered upon every leaf and upon every blade of grass.

And so loved by all was this beautiful Iris, that Hera had chosen her for her own loving companion, who should bear from her to the suffering earth-children messages of helpfulness and gentle words of cheer.

And Iris, in whose heart was never a thought unloving towards either gods or the earth-people who needed her warnings in times of danger, and her loving messages in times of trouble, sped always upon her errands with fleet and willing feet; and the people, when they came to know her, and saw her wonderful colors in the sparkling waters, and sometimes dancing upon the walls of their simple homes, would smile and say, u Iris is near! Iris is near!”

And this evening when the fierce floods had disappeared, and only the soft rains had been falling through the day, and Demeter and Persephone were happy in the strength and fresh courage the floods should bring to the fruits and flowers, behold, there appeared in the east, this arch of red and green and purple, with rare tints of yellow and pink and blue. Never in all the earth, even at sunset time, had such beauty of color been seen in the eastern sky.

And in the lakes and rivers, even in each tiny raindrop was the beauty reflected, till all the earth seemed filled with the rich glow of the beautiful arch.

Then Hermes came and whispered to Pyrra and Deucalion, “This is a rainbow bridge from Olympus to the sea. Most gracious Hera makes this gift to Iris, and down its beautiful arch none but Iris shall be allowed to pass; for it is Hera’s own gift, her token to all earth-people of her love for the beautiful messenger queen, the gentle, loving Iris.”

And from that time when the rainbow appeared in the sky, the people would look up in wonder at its wondrous beauty and would say, “See, Iris approacheth. She hath wrapped herself in a cloud of purple and red; she hath stepped into her chariot and she guideth it down her rainbow bridge.”

The beautiful Iris came to love to wander up and down the valleys of earth, and to look into the clear waters of the rivers and the lakes; for in them she could see often the colors of her own beautiful bridge.

She would sprinkle the waterdrops in her hair; she would string them like pearls, and wear them around her neck and around her shining white arms.

It was joy to her to shake them out from the clouds, and see them chasing each other down through the air, every one of them reflecting the same rich colors of red and orange and purple.

And it is said that one day she found by the water’s edge a beautiful flower, as blue as the heavens above; and that she kissed the flower, saying, 110 flower, thy blue is like the blue of the sky and of my own rainbow bridge of mist!”

And as she stooped to kiss the flower, some of the raindrops in her hair fell upon it; and there they remain, even to this day, reflecting the same beauty and glory that is seen in the wonderful rainbow bridge.