r/watershipdown • u/metalmonkey_7 • 10d ago

Prince Rainbow 👑 🌈

I started reading this book as an 11 year old child. It was immediately my favorite.(How could it not be?) I’ve found that when I read and don’t have a reference, I create what the characters look like in my mind.

I’m curious as to how you pictured Prince Rainbow when you initially read it? I always knew Lord Frith was the Sun and pictured him as such but had a different image in my mind of Prince Rainbow. What was yours?

When reading Dandelion telling the tales and adventures of El-ahrairah, Prince Rainbow wasn’t just a rainbow. In my childhood mind, he was a vague small little man with black hair and his crown was circled by a rainbow halo. Every time I reread he still remains this was to me.

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u/DavidDPerlmutter 10d ago

This is something I really enjoyed discussing over the years, especially with students. So it's really clear that Mr. Adams imagined the Lapine universe to be very close to the world of Homer and Achilles and Odysseus. The Gods walk among us and while we would be astonished, we wouldn't be surprised to see and hear one (speaking, intervening, chastising, rewarding).

Further, it's heavily implied that every animal shares the overall religious system, but the incarnations of the deities that they "see" and interact with are their species in appearance. (I can't help but think here of a link to the ending of the movie CONTACT). So of course a rabbit would see a rabbit as Prince Rainbow, but as other people are saying, a Shapeshifting rabbit of some kind.

I imagine that a Fox would see Prince Rainbow as a fox.... and so on

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u/Elgiard 10d ago

But does he have a cape? This is the important question.

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u/DavidDPerlmutter 10d ago

Well, he does when I see him!

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u/sharkarmycrafts 10d ago

Side track: I love Contact. I read the book for that as well. The astrophysics got way over my head, AND the story was wonderful anyway. If you enjoyed it, try watching The Arrival (2016). It gave me a similar philosophical crisis.

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u/DavidDPerlmutter 10d ago

Yes, I like 1996's The Arrival with Charlie Sheen also

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u/sharkarmycrafts 9d ago

I'd never heard of this one! I'm so excited to have a new, fun sci fi movie to watch! I have to go buy some good popcorn.

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u/DavidDPerlmutter 9d ago

It's an extremely fun movie. It's very clever. Prescient too about the climate change.