The Greek word ~Iris~ means ~rainbow.~ The flower got its name from the Greek goddess Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, who was a messenger on Mount Olympus. Iris would take messages from ~the eye of Heaven~ to earth by the arc of the rainbow. The word iris also means ~eye of heaven.~ It was the name given to the goddess, this flower, and the center of your eye. This means that each of us carries a piece of heaven with us. The iris is the symbol of Idea and Message. Greek men would often plant an iris on the graves of their beloved women as a tribute to the goddess Iris, whose duty was to take the souls of women to the Elysian fields. The three leaves of the iris represent faith, wisdom, and valor. Iris flowers have three petals often called the ~standards~ and three outer petal-like sepals called the ~falls~. It has been a symbol of royalty and divine protection for centuries throughout the world. During the 5th Century, the iris was used for various purposes, including art, where Clovis, King of pagan Franks, created banners to illustrate royal standards for his subjects. Also, Indian and Egyptian cultures used the flower in art to depict life and resurrection.