For most people, waking up to a grey day with rain sleeting out of the sky makes us want to pull the blankets over our heads and forget getting up. For someone who has experienced drought in its most extreme forms the sight of rain would likely have the complete opposite effect.
There are differences in cultures which cause humanity to look at rain in many and varied ways. Rain is associated with sadness in the West, with tears and the blues. Cultures used to having little to no rainfall understandably see rain as something joyful to be happy about.
Consider nursery rhymes. 'It's raining, it's pouring', 'Rain rain go away', even the traditional 'Dr Foster' rhyme which sees a doctor falling into a puddle and refusing to return to that place ever again. All negative towards something that is a vital part of our environment. A necessary evil if you stick with the negative attitude.
The sun, in comparison, brings feelings of warmth and happiness. The songs are upbeat, 'You are my Sunshine', Here comes the Sun' and 'Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows'. Yet the sun in excess is perhaps more deadly than the rain we seem to loathe.
It is clear that a cultures attitude to rain is largely based around how much that culture sees of it. In the West it has become an inconvenience, something that gets in the way of our day. We have water on tap and don't need any more of out of the sky as we head to work.
We hide from rain under macs and umbrellas. Getting wet in the rain has associations with sickness, colds and flu. It 'gets into our bones' and makes us suffer. Look at the faces of people who wait for the bus as rain pours down. There are no smiles, only misery and the desire to be out of the horrid stuff as soon as possible.
Head to Africa and other hotspots about the world and see the difference. Rain is welcomed, sometimes literally with open arms. People who haven't seen rain for years will rush out into the open and soak themselves with that precious liquid. Smiles and laughter will be everywhere.
Traditions of rain dances and practices to encourage rain usually come from these dry lands. Consider rain dances. Whilst the West complains about their abundance of rain, these arid lands have turned asking for rain into something with music, movement and energy. It is something upbeat and expressive, something that will please the gods, gods who have to be tired of hearing complaints.
Even the Ancient Egyptians had a variation of rain dances used in times of drought. Most people are familiar with the concept of Native American rain dances, with their hypnotic rhythms. Today rain ceremonies are still performed in the Balkans in the form of Paparuda.
These were an opportunity for the entire community to come together. This may have been especially important in times of great hardship, a way of supporting each other until the better times arrived as well as appeasing the gods.
From Maoris through to Norse myth, there are a myriad of rain gods with as many myths telling of the importance of water for life. Rain has always been a vital part of living on Earth and our ancestors were tuned into this. They had a story to tell to help the following generations learn of the importance of clean water, of constant water, of living near water.
The gods were wise and knew that withholding water would bring their followers to heel. Water was the most precious thing and that has not changed. Only our attitude has altered. The attitude of the Western world at least. For vast swathes of humanity the need for and lack of water is a daily worry.
Many Africans believe that the Earth is female and when the rains do not come, she withdraws into herself waiting for better times. When those times come she bursts into exuberant growth, sharing her joy with all of humanity in bright colors and abundance.
In Maori legend, rain and mist are the sorrow of the Earth and Sky.
In Bali, light rain during a religious ceremony is seen as a blessing from the happy gods.
The Native American myth 'Why it Rains' tells the tale of Morning Dove and how the hatred, jealousy and greed of warring tribes broke the hearts of the gods manifested in tears of rain.
The beliefs are as diverse as the people who made them and as fascinating. Water underpins our lives and its dearth or abundance shapes the way any culture views the 'bounty from the skies'
Sources
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/ mythology/planets/Earth/earth_aspects.html