“Over all swept the magnificent arch of Bifröst,[26] the treble-hued rainbow, and Odin turned and said: ‘See, children, how Bifröst bids us climb yet higher, humbly to learn of the holy Nornir (the Fates) and drink in wisdom from the fountain of Urd (Norn of the Past). Let us mount and ride.’ And the glorious procession took its way across the plain to the luminous trembling end of the bridge, where golden-toothed Heimdal (the sleepless guardian of Bifröst) stood on guard. With a smile of welcome he threw open the gate, and they swept proudly on, singing a song of joyous thanksgiving for the beauty and peace of all around them; but, when great Thor would have set his foot on the bridge, Heimdal barred the way with his spear.”[27] [26] Bif-rost--the wave-rest, _i.e._ the resting place of the waves. [27] _Asgard._ K. F. Boult. So of all the gods Thor might not tread the rainbow; still, he was allowed to make his journey into the council of the gods by other paths. The rainbow is said to have been given to Noah as a sign that there should be no more flood or no more sea of trouble, for the sea or the salt water stands mystically for the troubles, the trials, and the suffering which the soul has to surmount before it receives blessing and peace. How this makes us think of the meaning of Bifröst. The promise that there shall be no more sea does not stand for the drying-up of actual oceans but is a promise given to every true navigator of the soul--such as Noah was--if only the ark or soul is constructed according to divine instructions and has its little window above into which light may shine. In the “Kalevala,” Wainomoinem builds a magic boat, but forgets the last three words of his enchantment, and so he cannot complete the boat. He journeys over the whole world to find these words, and when he does eventually find them he finishes the boat and gives it as a dowry to the Maid of Beauty:-- “Sitting on the arch of heaven On the bow of many colours.” Among the Peruvians the rainbow was worshipped under the name of Chucychu. Ezekiel[28] sees the rainbow beautiful and bright around his vision of God and the Cherubim. St John[29] also has a vision of Christ manifesting within a rainbow glory. [28] Ezekiel i. 28. [29] Revelation iv. 3. We should naturally expect from the above that the opal should have much the same meaning as the rainbow. We certainly do find that in the East it was considered a most sacred stone, and it was said to contain the Spirit of Truth. The Greeks were probably responsible for our belief that it brings ill-luck in love affairs; but we must remember that they considered it capable of giving the gift of prophecy, provided that the gift was used for the benefit of others. If this was not so, then bad fortune came to the seer.