The Rainbow Bridge -- Rainbows in Art, Myth, and Science

The authors of this history of iridescence attribute the fear of rainbows, prevalent in many cultures, to their uncanny remoteness: something that can never be outrun can be both tantalizing and awful, not to mention divine. No wonder the rainbow sunlight bent by raindrops inspires belief in Wotan's heavenly bridge, the elusive pot of gold and the Greek goddess Iris, herald of war and revenge. Lee, a meteorology professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, and Fraser, who teaches meteorology at Pen...