When going to the dictionary developed by the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), we can see that the term rainbow can also be written as an expression of two words: rainbow. In both cases, the notion refers to an optical phenomenon that appears with certain meteorological conditions.
A rainbow is an arc formed by stripes of different colors, which is generated by the reflection or refraction of sunlight in water dispersed in the atmosphere. This is because sunlight breaks down in the sky when it passes through the water droplets. That is why the phenomenon usually appears when it rains and, simultaneously or almost immediately, sunlight filters through the clouds.
The rainbow exhibits a red line towards the outside and a violet line towards the inside, passing in the middle through other shades. The colors, with different variations in intensity, are the seven fundamentals: violet, blue, cyan, green, yellow, orange and red. Sometimes, a double rainbow phenomenon occurs, where a less intense rainbow is added to the traditional rainbow with the inverted colors.
Beyond the explanation of science, humans have tried different hypotheses about the appearance of the rainbow throughout history. Biblical tradition, for example, holds that the rainbow is a creation of God as a testimony to his promise to Noah that there would never be a worldwide flood again.
Some legends, on the other hand, maintain that the rainbow is a kind of bridge that links the sky with the Earth. One of the best known in the world says that when the rainbow appears, at the end of it it is possible to see a goblin carrying a pot full of gold.
In the world of video games, the rainbow is a fairly recurring element. In the series of racing titles called Mario Kart , which has had eight installments since 1992, the rainbow tracks are the most difficult and are characterized by their sinuous curves, by the absence of a guardrail and by being suspended in outer space.
The myth of the seven butterflies
One bad day, one of the fairies was badly injured by a thorn. The others came very concerned to attend to her, and they soon realized that they could not save her. As they could not bear the idea of parting with their friend, they expressed aloud that they would give anything to always stay with her. Then a strange voice asked them if they were willing to give their lives to achieve their goal; Without hesitation for a second, they all answered affirmatively.
Immediately, the sky was covered with thick dark clouds, and a strong storm hit the jungle. Amid the rain and wind, a tornado engulfed the butterflies and lifted them until they could no longer be seen from Earth. When the weather calmed down, the sky cleared and the sunlight shone brighter than ever. The former neighbors of the butterflies soon noticed a beautiful luminous arc in the sky, which exhibited with unsurpassed beauty the seven colors that characterized them.
Thus the rainbow was born, as a symbol of friendship between seven butterflies that did not find meaning in life if they could not experience it together.