
01/07/2025
72: RAINBOW CONNECTION | Legends of the Bahag-Hari in Philippine Mythology
There’s a rainbow always after the rain–but is it always a good thing?
This episode, to cap off pride month, we cover the various myths and legends about the heavenly phenomenon: THE RAINBOW, also known as Bahag-hari.
In this episode we meet Bighari, the flower-loving daughter of Bathala who got grounded for tardiness, and a star maiden who lost her wings and learned to be happy in her mortal husband’s earthly home. We also learn why the Ibaloi think the rainbow isn’t straight, why you shouldn’t point at rainbows and how early Visayan saw it as an omen of war.
Lastly, we cover the various rainbow myths around the world, involving half-demons, godly weapons and spontaneous gender transformations.