Iris And The Triggers In Greek Mythology

Cascading down from the Heavens on a rainbow is one way to make heads roll. In Greek Mythology, alongside of Hermes was another messenger who entered the mortal world by rainbow. Iris was a goddess of the rainbow and the sky who carried messages to and from the Heavens, the mortal world, and the underworld. Unlike many other gods or goddesses, Iris was not born from a thigh, neck, or because of an interesting event. According to one source, Iris “was born in the mists of the sky just when the sun came out,” (rwaag.org 2002). Elektra “the amber” was a cloud nymph whose husband was Thaumas “the wondrous” marine god (Atsma 2015). Together, they gave birth to Iris and her sisters, the Harpies. The name Iris has a double meaning of “rainbow” and “messenger,” which explains why she was goddess of the rainbow who delivered messages for the gods to other gods and goddesses and even to mortals. As for her appearance, in one website, they state that “Iris appears in ancient Greek vase painting as a beautiful young woman with golden wings, a herald’s rod
These siblings of hers were the dreaded Harpies. The Harpies were known as the “hounds of Zeus,” and were despised by most (Atsma 2015). However, Iris defended her sisters, and she would always make sure they weren’t harmed. In the book Mythology, it describes a few events where Iris intervened to protect them. For example, “They would assuredly have cut them (the Harpies) to pieces if Iris the rainbow messenger of the gods, gliding down from heaven, had not checked them,” (Hamilton 127). In the same source, “They were on the point of killing the horrid creatures (Harpies) when Iris intervened,” (Hamilton 231). Iris also had a husband, which was Zephyrus (greekmythology.com 2015). Zephyrus was god of the wind, and with Iris, they born a son named Pothos. Some sources also believe Eros was also a son of Iris’s, but it is a controversial