Here’s a little quiz for you…
Guess which of my posts has become the most popular over the past month or two?
Nope, it’s not my tattoo post, although that one continues to draw a lot of hits. Neither is it the video of my walking over hot coals.
My most popular post here has become the one on “The Legend of the Rainbow,” which I first posted back in early June. Nearly six months later, it still hasn’t lost any of its magic…over the past thirty days it has accumulated nearly 2400 hits, receiving over six hundred in one day. That’s nearly five times the number of my second most popular post, which has received only a paltry 483 hits in comparison.
Everyone loves rainbows. Heck, even young gingham-clad country girls from Kansas and little green frogs sitting in the middle of the swamp love them. There is something about rainbows that just seems to bring out the best in us, and put a smile on our face.
Rainbows mean different things to different people.
From a scientific perspective, a rainbow “is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines onto droplets of moisture in the Earth’s atmosphere.”
But to many of us, rainbows mean more than a mere dispersion of sunlight through raindrops.
First of all, there’s that big multi-striped arc with all those beautiful colors – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. It’s hard not to marvel at such an elaborate display of nature’s beauty.
In the book of Genesis in the Bible, the rainbow was sent by God at the end of the Great Flood, as a symbol of his promise never to destroy the world in such a way again.
The Rainbow Bridge refers to that special place where our beloved pets go when they die, to run and play while they wait to be joined by their owners.
The multi-colored rainbow motif has long been used by gay and lesbian people around the world as an expression of their sexuality.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu and President Nelson Mandela used the term “Rainbow Nation” to describe the country of South Africa after apartheid rule officially ended, and the Revered Jesse Jackson founded the Rainbow Coalition as a political organization reaching out to disenchanted voters from a broad spectrum of society.
And who can forget about the pot of gold found at the end of the rainbow?
Yes, indeed…rainbows have played a significant role in our society, and in our language. They have come to represent that diversity, that sense of unity, that desire for peace, that sense of hope.
Interestingly, two songs about rainbows have been nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards – “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz in 1939 (for which it won the Oscar), and “The Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie in 1979 (which didn’t win, but was a big hit nevertheless).
Who can forget a 16-year-old Judy Garland leaning against the haystack as she sings wistfully of finding a place where “troubles melt like lemon drops?” Indeed, the song represents that desire to escape from the hopeless chaos of the world…
Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly,
Birds fly over the rainbow,
Why then, oh why can’t I?If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow,
Why oh why can’t I?
Forty year later, that same dreamy wistfulness was expressed by a short, green, amphibian version of Judy in the form of Kermit the Frog, at the beginning of The Muppet Movie. Much like Dorothy, Kermit sings of that urge for something more out of life…
Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what’s on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
And rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we’ve been told and some choose to believe it
I know they’re wrong, wait and see.
Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.
All things considered, it should hardly be surprising that “The Legend of the Rainbow” would be one of my most popular posts. I think many of us are attracted not only to the beauty of rainbows, but to their symbology ~
A world of lovers and dreamers…a place where dreams really do come true…a sign of hope for tomorrow.
This sculpture shows the sign for "connect"...and that is what Deaf Pagan Crossroads is all about - making connections. Connections between Deafhood and Paganism, connections between the Deaf Community and the Hearing Community, connections between myself as the writer and you as the reader. I hope you will take the time to read my various posts, some of which are listed below. Welcome to the Crossroads, and I hope you make some connections here!
Nice post, Osh.
I think you have done a good job of describing the universal appeal of rainbows for all of us… and how the diverse symbology of this natural phenomenon really can be summed up in one basic concept…
Hope.
Hmmm….my favorite time of day at work is in the mornings…when it’s sunny. I’ve had my coffee and am well into whatever project I’m working on at the time. My company had received an award for superior quality from one of our larger customers a few years ago, and it is made of crystal. It is displayed on a counter in the lobby which is in front of where my office is.
Depending on the time of year, anywhere between 9 – 10 in the morning, the morning sun shines in the front windows of my company for about a half hour or so, and hits the crystal award – which then casts little rainbows all over my office walls.
It always makes me feel cheerful. 🙂 Oh, and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “Rainbow Connection” are two of my all-time favorite songs!
Great post Sistah! Thank you for brightening my day again after all my little office rainbows were no longer adorning my walls.
[…] For more about rainbows, visit Ocean’s post “The Rainbow Connection.” […]
just wached the wizart of oz recently i love all the songs, but over the rainbow will allways be my favorite.
Aww, you gotta love Kermit. He is one of my heroes 🙂
The Rainbow Bridge refers to that special place where our beloved pets go when they die, to run and play while they wait to be joined by their owners.
I was quite surprised by this reference until I googled and saw that it has indeed been used to represent that.
However, the rainbow bridge comes from the much older idea of Bifröst in Norse mythology.
Speaking of rainbows, check out my guest article at Colour Lovers… Colours of Religion: Paganism
I encourage everyone to check out Yvonne’s article… I think you will find it to be very interesting! Thank for sharing, Yvonne!
Here’re a couple to add to your collection.
Classic songs and performances from one of Canada’s most loved trios, “Sitting On A Rainbow” marks the trio’s third recording and features great renditions of such classics as Lady Be Good, Mood Indigo, Sweet Sue and many others. Guest musicians include Amos Garrett, Jeff Healey, George Koller and Chris Whiteley.
Sitting on a Rainbow
Scarlett, Washington & Whiteley
Sitting on a rainbow looking at the world
Standin’ by the roadside waiting for my girl
Earning time and let it pay
When the sunshine’s on its way
This ie what you’ll hear my say
Riding on a jet plane
Higher than a bird
Looking out the window
Don’t believe a word
Earning time, earning pay
When the sunshine’s on its way
This is what you hear me say
And my favorite line sung by Frank Sinatra
“I’ve got the world on a string, sittin’ on a rainbow. Got the string around my finger. What a world, what a life, I’m in love…”