What is it?

What is this thing I saw this afternoon? Is it "an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a nearly continuous spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the sun shines onto falling rain."?

To some, it might be Bifröst Bridge, leading from the realm of the mortals Midgard to the realm of the gods Asgard. To others, it is God's sign that he will never again destroy the world -- not with water, anyway.

Is it a path made by the goddess Iris between Earth and Heaven, or a leprechaun's secret hiding place for his pot of gold? It might be a slit in the sky sealed by Goddess Nüwa using stones of seven different colours, or perhaps it's Indradhanush, the bow of Indra, God of lightning and thunder. Perhaps, as some say, it is the belt of the goddess of beauty (and later Catholic saint) Prenne, or else the hem of the Sun God's coat, a goddess's chair, God's seat, or the bowl God used to hold his paints while coloring the birds.

Whatever this thing might be, it's comforting to know that it is and always has been something wonderful to all people and all cultures of this beautiful planet.

Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life.
The evening beam that smiles the clouds away,
and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray."
Lord Byron