Bifrost; a Rainbow Bridge?

Karl Georg Zschaetzsch makes the interesting observation in his Atlantis. Die Urheimat der Arier (Atlantis. The Original Home of the Aryans), that the bridge linking Midgarth with Asgarth is not a rainbow bridge but consists of only three colours, red, white and black (the colours of the Prussian and old German flag):

"Nach Plato war die Bruecke hundert Fuss breit und aus weissen, schwarzen und roten Steinen erbaut. Diese Bruecke wird auch in der nordischen Ueberlieferung unter dem Namen Bifrost erwaehnt, es heisst darueber: 'Sie hat drei Farben und ist sehr stark und mit mehr Kunst und Verstand gemacht als andere Werke.' In der Erinnerung der nach dem Norden ausgewanderten Arier war die Bruecke Bifrost so schoen und farbenpraechtig wie der Regenbogen. Im Laufe der Zeit, als der richtige Sinn der Ueberlieferungen mehr und mehr in Vergessenheit geriet, wurde dann die Bruecke, die 'schoen wie der Regenbogen' war, fuer den Regenbogen selbst gehalten. In der nordischen Ueberlieferung heisst es ferner: 'Dass die Goetter eine Bruecke machten vom Himmel zur Erde, die Bifrost heisst.'" (page 24) 

My translation:

"According to Plato the bridge was a hundred feet wide and built out of white, black and red stones. This bridge is also referred to in the Nordic tradition under the name Bifrost. It is said about it: 'it has three colours and is very strong and made with more artistry and understanding than other works.' In the memory of the Aryans who emigrated to the north the bridge Bifrost was so beautiful and and gloriously colourful as the rainbow. In the course of time, when the correct meaning of the traditions were more and more forgotten, then the bridge, which was 'as beautiful as the rainbow', was mistaken for the rainbow itself. In the Nordic tradition it is further said: 'That the gods made a bridge from heaven to earth, which is called Bifrost.' "

My readers will no doubt note that the reference to Plato concerns his works on Atlantis; Timaeus and Critias. Plato does indeed tell us that the walls of Atlantis were constructed of red, white and black stones, covered with brass, tin and orichalcum. People have speculated what kind of metal orichalcum was. It may have been platinum or some other type of alloy. We are not told what kind of stone the bridges in Atlantis were constructed of so Zschaetzsch is clearly presuming that they were made of the same kind of stone as the walls. It is a reasonable hypothesis.

Re-reading the passage in Zschaetzsch's book caused me to read again the passages relating to Bifrost in both of the Eddas. In the Poetic (Elder) Edda it is referred to as Bilrost and no description is given concerning it. More detailed information is to be found in the Prose (Younger) Edda where it is called Bifrost. In Gylfaginning High says to Gangleri: "You must have seen it, maybe it is what you call the rainbow. It has three colours and great strength and is built with art and skill to a greater extent than other constructions."
(Translated by Anthony Faulkes, published by Everyman, 1987)

In modern artwork Bifrost is usually depicted as a rainbow bridge and this is no doubt due to that single reference in Gylfaginning to its appearance. Indeed the passage itself is contradictory; having only three colours and yet compared to the rainbow. The etymology of Bifrost-'swaying road to heaven' (see Dictionary of Northern Mythology, Rudolf Simek) is not particularly helpful but Simek suggests that its earlier name, Bilrost means either 'the fleetingly glimpsed rainbow' or 'the multi-coloured way' but favours the former. An alternative name in Gylfaginning 4 is Asbru; 'bridge of the Aesir'.We have to conclude that there is no clear answer to this puzzle but the reference to three colours in Gylfaginning cannot be ignored and on that basis I feel that there is merit in Zschaetzsch's argument.

Most students of Norse mythology will notice the prevalence of the number 3 in the Eddas. This was noted especially by Lionel Fanthorpe in his Mysteries and Secrets of Numerology, 2013. There are of course 3 primary colours in light: red, green and blue but this does not explain the Atlantis-Bifrost connection. White, red and black are the representative colours of the Germanic caste system (see page 40, The Indo-Europeans by Professor Jean Haudry). As I have previously noted, these 3 colours are present in the old Prussian and German flag as well as the flags of other Indo-European founded countries. Thus finding these colours in the construction of the walls of Atlantis helps to reinforce the Atlantis-Aryan connection which is the basic premise of Zschaetzsch's book.