From: slag310
Message: 66464
Date: 2010-08-17
>I'm not sure if there is any PIE word for rainbow (not that I ever saw), but I can say that there is no mythological concept that is general. As noted, in Scandinavia, a rainbow is a solid object one could ride a horse on, whereas the Greek form is actually the cloak of Iris. In India there is also a story involving flowers of Krishna. These concepts don't even have the same physical qualities. Three things I noticed in Indo-European mythology, butterflies, rainbows and constellations, do not have similar stories. I think this may just be because people like making up stories about these things, especially rainbows and butterflies because they are so bizarre and pretty, that they were replaced too quickly and too often to show the source -- assuming there ever was one.
> Is there any PIE word for "rainbow" ? Any common mythological trait for PIE
> religion? In Scandinavia, Bifro¨st was the bridge between Midgard and Asgard; in
> India was the bow of Indra; in Greece, Iris was the messenger of goddess Hera.
>
> JS Lopes
>