what does the rainbow symbolise in the royal ark mariner degree

The rainbow colouring associated with the Royal Ark Mariner degree represents its connection to the biblical legend of the Deluge and Noah's Ark 12. Members of the degree traditionally wear a broad sash ribbon representing a rainbow, accompanied by an apron embellished with symbols of the ark and the dove 2.

Arthur Edward Waite observes that the degree is represented by rainbow colouring for the simple reason that its ritual and legend are grounded in the story of the Flood 1. The available sources offer no further mystical or philosophical interpretation of the rainbow beyond this direct reference to the Noahic narrative 12.

The rainbow colouring in the Royal Ark Mariner degree is grounded directly in the biblical narrative of Noah and the Flood, rather than carrying an extended mystical interpretation 12. Arthur Edward Waite observes that the degree uses rainbow colouring for the obvious reason of its connection to the Flood legend 1. While he notes elsewhere that a blending of red and blue serves as an emblem of union in Masonic symbolism, he attributes the Royal Ark Mariner's rainbow ribbon strictly to the Noachic narrative 1.

Albert Mackey similarly treats the rainbow as a visual reference to the Deluge story 2. Citing a 1798 account of the early Royal Ark Mariners, Mackey records that members wore a broad sash ribbon representing a rainbow alongside an apron embellished with the ark and dove 2. He confirms that the degree, as conferred under the Grand Mark Lodge in England and the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland, derives its significance from the biblical account of Noah's Ark, the Deluge, and the Dove 2.