As the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris was considered the swift-fooded "Messenger of Light." And her son is Pothos (god of passion). She was shown serving wine to the gods or escorting them to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. From fruits to winged sandals, test your knowledge in this study of Greek and Roman mythology. IMAGE DETAIL. Family of Iris. Described as “wind-footed” and “storm-footed,” as well as “golden-winged” and “dewy,” just like her male counterpart Hermes, Iris was often portrayed with winged sandals (talaria) and a messenger’s staff (kerykeion). Today we take a look at another of the lesser known and under appreciated Goddesses of Greek mythology. Who was she, and what did she do? In Greek Mythology, Apollo was the God of Light, and it was his job to pull the sun across the sky in his 4-horse chariot every day. The goddess of messages had several allies that include Hera, Hermes, and Leto. Iris is also mentioned in the third “Homeric Hymn to Apollo” in connection with the delayed birth of Apollo and Artemis. Titanomachy - The goddess Iris would appear in the works of many ancient writers, and although today no complete story of the Titianomachy remains, Iris was said to have taken part in it. Goddessof s… It is said that Iris saved the lives of her sisters, the Harpies, when she restrained Zetes and Calais, from killing them by promising the Boreads that the Harpies will not bother Phineus anymore. Iris usually was seen as a errand runner or a messenger in many stories. She was considered to be the goddess … It is distinguished from symbolic behaviour (cult, ritual) and symbolic places or objects (temples, icons). The clouds caught the tears from the eyes of Iris, and quickly made ready for her the glorious rainbow bridge, reaching from Dreamland to the wonderful Garden of the Gods. She is a beautiful young woman described as wearing a multi-hued gown. Iris was one of the few Olympians who was able to travel to the underworld. Updates? Iris was a very special goddess and was extremely important to the ancient Greeks and in the stories of other Greek gods and goddesses. Iris' symbols were the Rainbow, the Talaria (winged sandals) and the Kerykeion (messenger’s staff). Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Iris-Greek-mythology. She is regarded as the messenger of the gods to humankind, and particularly of the goddess Hera whose orders she brought to humans. Her siblings were The Harpies. Iris frequently appears in Homer’s “Iliad,” relaying messages to Helen, scolding gods for meddling in the Trojan War against Zeus’ orders (especially Poseidon) or encouraging Achilles to retrieve the body of his dead friend Patroclus from the battlefield. Stories of Iris in Ancient Greece. Making Iris and Arkhe enemy goddesses of messaging. Family of Iris. She was a sister of the winged Harpies. A daughter of Thaumas and Electra, it seems that Iris was the only divine messenger in the earlier days, but at a later time, when Hermes assumed that function as well, she became Hera’s faithful servant. The coloured rays of the rainbow are caused by the…, Myth, a symbolic narrative, usually of unknown origin and at least partly traditional, that ostensibly relates actual events and that is especially associated with religious belief. Iris flies on wind and moves just like a blast of bright air. The Greek Goddess of Rainbows! The Greeks do not seem to have a myth of the creation of rainbows but they do realize its nature: The rainbow, everlying just beyond reach, even suggests the whole world of myth, hovering just beyond imagination, just beyond history (Bell, 267). Titanomachy - The goddess Iris would appear in the works of many ancient writers, and although today no complete story of the Titianomachy remains, Iris was said to have taken part in it. The daughter of Thaumas and Electra, she’s sadly deficient in followers.. One day over the rainbow she used to bring Hera’s messages to mankind, but now spends most of her time stuck on Greek vases waiting to be noticed as bypassers gabble into their cell phones.. Once her courier service for Hera and Zeus was second to none. Iris is frequently mentioned as a divine messenger in the Iliad which is attributed to Homer, but does not appear in his Odyssey, where Hermes fills that role. Iris is an important and well-appreciated goddess throughout Mount Olympus. Iris was to be found during the Titianomachy, the war between the Olympians and the Titans. The Titanomachy was the war between the Titans, and Zeus and his siblings. Iris is also the goddess that According to the Greek poet Hesiod, she was the daughter of Thaumas and the ocean nymph Electra. 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