66 § The Bridge and the Rainbow
As we have pointed out, in connection with the bridge and its essentially axial meaning, its symbolism is less often associated with that of the rainbow than is commonly thought. Assuredly, there are cases where such an association exists, and one of the most obvious is that which is to be found in the Scandanavian tradition, where the bridge of Byfrost is expressly identified with the rainbow. Elsewhere, when the bridge is described as rising in a part of its length and sloping downwards in the other, that is, as having the form of an arch, it seems rather that these descriptions may have quite often been influenced by a secondary comparison with the rainbow without this implying a true identification of these two symbols. This comparison is easily explained, moreover, by the fact that the rainbow is generally considered as symbolising the union of heaven and earth. Between the means by which communication of earth with heaven is established and the sign of their union, there is an obvious connection; but it is one which does not necessarily entail an assimilation or an identification. We will add at once that this very meaning of the rainbow, which is found in one form or another in most traditions, results directly from its close relationship with rain, for rain, as we have explained elsewhere, represents the descent of celestial influences into the terrestrial world.[1]
The best known example in the West of this traditional meaning of the rainbow is naturally the Biblical text where it is plainly expressed.[2] It is said here: 'I shall place my bow in the clouds, and it will be for a sign of the covenant between me and the earth'. But it is to be noted that this 'sign of the covenant' is in no way presented as allowing the passage from one world to another, a passage to which there is not the least allusion in this text. In other cases the same meaning is expressed in very different forms: with the Greeks, for example, the rainbow was assimilated to the mantle of Iris, or perhaps to Iris herself at a time when, in symbolic representations, 'anthropomorphism' had not yet been pushed so far by them as it was to be later. This signification is implied here by the fact that Iris was the 'messenger of the gods' and consequently played a part as intermediary between heaven and earth. But it goes without saying that such a representation is in every respect remote from the symbolism of the bridge. On the whole the rainbow seems to have been above all connected, in a general way, with the cosmic currents by which an exchange of influences between heaven and earth operates much more than with the axis along which the direct communication between the different states is effected; and this does
moreover accord better with its curved form, [3] for as we remarked earlier, even though that form itself is not necessarily in contradiction with an idea of 'verticality', it is none the less true that this idea is not readily suggested by the rainbow at first sight as it is, on the contrary, in the case of all strictly axial symbols.
It must be recognised that the symbolism of the rainbow is in reality very complex and has multiple aspects; but among these, perhaps one of the most important (although it may appear rather surprising at first sight), and in any case the one most clearly related to what we have just been saying, is the aspect which assimilates the rainbow to a serpent, and which is to be found in very diverse traditions. It has been shown that the Chinese characters designating the rainbow have the root 'serpent', even though this assimilation may not be formally expressed elsewhere in the Far Eastern tradition, so that a kind of memory could be seen in this of something that probably goes back to a very remote past.[4] It would seem that this symbolism may not have been entirely unknown to the Greeks themselves, at least in the archaic period, for according to Homer the rainbow was represented on the breastplate of Agamemnon by an azure serpent. There were three on each side, 'like unto rainbows that Zeus imprinted in the clouds as a memorable sign to men'.[5] In any case, in certain regions of Africa, for example in Dahomey, the 'celestial serpent' is assimilated to the rainbow and, at the same time, is regarded as the master of precious stones and of wealth. It might seem that there is here a certain confusion between two different aspects of the symbolism of the serpent; for if the function of master or guardian of treasures is in fact quite often attributed to serpents or dragons, among other entities of various forms, this makes them distinctly subterranean rather than celestial; but it is also possible that there might be a correspondence between these two apparently opposed aspects, comparable to that which exists between the planets and metals.[6] From another angle it is curious, to say the least, to note in this connection that the 'celestial serpent' has a rather striking similarity to the 'green serpent' of the well known symbolic tale of Goethe, the serpent that transforms itself into a bridge, then fragments itself into precious stones. If this 'green serpent' must also be considered as having a connection with the rainbow, that would bring us back to the identification of the rainbow with the bridge, which would be all the less surprising in that Goethe, on this point, could indeed have been thinking of the Scandanavian tradition. Besides, it must be said that the tale in question is very unclear, both as to the provenance of the various elements of the symbolism by which Goethe might have been inspired, as well as to the meaning itself, and that all the
interpretations that have been attempted are really on the whole unsatisfactory.[7] We do not wish to dwell further on this, but it seemed to us that it might not be without interest to note in passing the somewhat unexpected comparison it gives rise to.[8]
It is known that one of the chief symbolic meanings of the serpent is related to the cosmic currents that we alluded to above, currents which in fact are nothing other than the effect and as it were the expression of the actions and reactions of the forces emanating respectively from heaven and earth.[9] It is this which gives the only plausible explanation of the assimilation of the rainbow to the serpent, and this explanation is in perfect accord, on the other hand, with the recognition of the rainbow as sign of the union of heaven and earth, a union which is in a way manifested by these currents, for without it they could not exist. It must be added that the serpent, when it has this meaning, is most often associated with axial symbols such as the tree or the staff. This is easy to understand, for it is the very direction of the axis which determines that of the cosmic currents, but without these being confused with the axis, any more than-to use the corresponding symbolism under its most rigorous form-a spiral drawn on a cylinder is confused with the axis of this cylinder. Between the rainbow and the bridge as symbols, a similar connection could, on the whole, be considered as the most normal one; but this connection has led, in certain cases, to a kind of fusion of the two symbols, which would not be entirely justified unless the duality of the differentiated cosmic currents were considered at the same time as being resolved into the unity of an axial current. None the less, account must be taken of the fact that the representations of the bridge differ according to whether or not it is assimilated to the rainbow; and in this respect, it could be asked if between the straight [10] and the arched bridge there is not, at least in principle, a difference in meaning corresponding in a certain way to that
which exists (as we have indicated elsewhere) between the vertical ladder and the spiral stairway, [11] the difference between the 'axial' way, which leads the being directly to the principial state, and the more 'peripheral' way which implies the passage through a series of hierarchic states one by one, even though in both cases the final goal is necessarily the same.[12]