There are about 170 varieties of iris, with a huge range of different colours. The flower is named after the Greek Goddess Iris, Goddess of the rainbow and messenger to the Gods. As Goddess of the rainbow she joined the human realm to the place of the Gods. She restored calm and balance to the forces of nature after a storm. She was the handmaiden to Hera and served nectar to the Gods. She was one of the few Olympians who was able to travel to the underworld. It was the rainbow Goddesses job to collect for the swearing of solemn oaths. For the coastal-dwelling Greeks, the rainbow's arc was most often seen spanning the distance between cloud and sea, and so the goddess was also believed to replenish the rain-clouds with water from the sea. ~ Goddess-Guide.com

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