"the earth is full of saltpetre and sulphur, which rise in the form of mist, and, uniting in the sky, become a vapour that possesses the properties of gunpowder. when this nears the intense heat of the sun it explodes, like a natural gas; and the terrible sound is heard by all the world. the shock, striking animals and birds wandering in the clouds, hurls them to the ground. therefore thunder, and lightning, and the creatures that tumble from the clouds during a storm, are not one and the same thing."
"shin-rai-ki" (record of thunder).
raiden
there are many quaint legends in regard to thunder, and in bakin's kumono tayema ama yo no tsuki[1] ("the moon, shining through a cloud-rift, on a rainy night") the famous japanese novelist, who is an ardent believer in many of the superstitions of his country, has much to say in regard to raiden, the god of thunder, and the supernatural beings associated with him. raiden is usually depicted as having red skin, the face of a demon, with two claws on each foot, and carrying on his back a great wheel or arc of drums. he is often found in company with fugin, or with his son, raitaro. when the mongols attempted to invade japan they were prevented from doing so by a great storm, and, according to legend, only three men escaped to tell the tale. raiden's assistance in favour of japan is often portrayed in japanese art. he is depicted sitting on the clouds emitting lightnings and sending forth a shower of arrows upon the invaders. in china the thunder god is regarded as a being ever on the look-out for wicked people. when he finds[pg 251] them, the goddess of lightning flashes a mirror upon those whom the god wishes to strike.
the thunder animal
raiju, or thunder animal, appears to be more closely associated with lightning than with thunder. he is seen in forms resembling a weasel, badger, or monkey. in the shin-rai-ki ("thunder record") we read the following: "on the twenty-second day of the sixth month of the second year of meiwa [july 1766] a thunder animal fell at oyama [great mountain], in the province of sagami. it was captured by a farmer, who brought it to yedo, and exhibited it for money on the riyo-goku bridge. the creature was a little larger than a cat, and resembled a weasel: it had black hair, and five claws on each paw. during fine weather it was very tame and gentle; but, before and during a storm, exceedingly savage and unmanageable." in china the thunder animal is described as having "the head of a monkey, with crimson lips, eyes like mirrors, and two sharp claws on each paw." during a storm the thunder animal of japan springs from tree to tree, and if any of the trees are found to have been struck by lightning it is believed to be the savage work of, the thunder animal's claws. this being, in common with the thunder god himself, is said to have a weakness for human navels, so that for this reason many superstitious people endeavour, if possible, to lie flat on their stomachs during a thunderstorm. bark torn by the thunder animal is carefully preserved, and is supposed to be an excellent remedy for toothache.
the thunder bird and thunder woman
raicho, thunder bird, resembles a rook, but it has spurs of flesh, which, when struck together, produce a[pg 252] horrible sound. this is the bird to which the emperor of goto-bain referred in the following poem:
"in the shadow of the pine-tree of shiro-yama
thunder-birds rest, and spend the night."
these birds feed upon the tree-frog named rai (thunder), and are always seen flying about in the sky during a thunderstorm.
little is known concerning kaminari (thunder woman), except that on one occasion she is said to have appeared in the guise of a chinese empress.
a strange belief
bakin remarks that those who are afraid of thunder have the in, or female principle, predominating, while those who are not afraid have the yo, or the male principle, in the ascendency. the same writer gives the following custom in regard to those who have suffered as the result of a thunderstorm, and we must note that emphasis is laid upon thunder as the destructive power—noise rather than light: "when any one is struck by thunder make him lie upon his back, and place a live carp in his bosom. if the carp jumps and moves the patient will recover. this is infallible. when thunder scorches the flesh burn ko (incense) under the sufferer's nose. this will cause him to cough, and break the spell of the thunder god."
the child of the thunder god
most of the legends relating to raiden and his kindred spirits are of a malevolent nature; but in the following story we learn that the thunder god's child brought considerable prosperity.
near mount hakuzan there once lived a very poor farmer named bimbo. his plot of land was extremely small, and though he worked upon it from dawn till sunset[pg 253] he had great difficulty in growing sufficient rice for himself and his wife.
one day, after a protracted drought, bimbo dismally surveyed his dried-up rice sprouts. as he thus stood fearing starvation in the near future, rain suddenly descended, accompanied by loud claps of thunder. just as bimbo was about to take shelter from the storm he was nearly blinded by a vivid flash of lightning, and he prayed fervently to buddha for protection. when he had done so he looked about him, and to his amazement saw a little baby boy laughing and crooning as he lay in the grass.
bimbo took the infant in his arms, and gently carried him to his humble dwelling, where his wife greeted him with surprise and pleasure. the child was called raitaro, the child of thunder, and lived with his foster-parents a happy and dutiful boy. he never played with other children, for he loved to roam in the fields, to watch the stream and the swift flight of clouds overhead.
with the coming of raitaro there came prosperity to bimbo, for raitaro could beckon to clouds and bid them throw down their rain-drops only on his foster-father's field.
when raitaro had grown into a handsome youth of eighteen he once again thanked bimbo and his wife for all they had done for him, and told them that he must now bid farewell to his benefactors.
almost before the youth had finished speaking, he suddenly turned into a small white dragon, lingered a moment, and then flew away.
the old couple ran to the door. as the white dragon ascended into the sky it grew bigger and bigger, till it was hidden behind a great cloud.
when bimbo and his wife died a white dragon was carved upon their tomb in memory of raitaro, the child of thunder.
[pg 254]
shokuro and the thunder god
shokuro, in order to stand well with tom, the magistrate of his district, promised him that he would catch the thunder god. "if," said shokuro, "i were to tie a human navel to the end of a kite, and fly it during a stormy day, i should be sure to catch raiden, for the thunder god would not be able to resist such a repast. the most difficult part of the whole business is to secure the meal."
with this scheme in view shokuro set out upon a journey in quest of food for the thunder god. on reaching a wood he chanced to see a beautiful woman named chiyo. the ambitious shokuro, without the least compunction, killed the maid, and, having secured his object, flung her corpse into a deep ditch. he then proceeded on his way with a light heart.
raiden, while sitting on a cloud, happened to notice the woman's body lying in a ditch. he descended quickly, and, being fascinated by the beauty of chiyo, he took from his mouth a navel, restored her to life, and together they flew away into the sky.
some days later shokuro was out hunting for the thunder god, his kite, with its gruesome relic, soaring high over the trees as it flew hither and thither in a strong wind. chiyo saw the kite, and descended nearer and nearer to the earth. at last she held it in her hands and saw what was attached. filled with indignation, she looked down in order to see who was flying the kite, and was much astonished to recognise her murderer. at this juncture raiden descended in a rage, only to receive severe chastisement at the hands of shokuro, who then made his peace with chiyo, and afterwards became a famous man in the village. truly an astonishing story!
[1] see translation, entitled a captive of love, by edward greey.
