She flashes her mirrors so he can see and, after a short delay, he releases his thunder. In the myth, Leizi uses light to guide Lei Gong’s thunderbolts. Thunder is caused by lightning but the difference in speed makes it seem as though it comes later. Modern science has shown us that lightning is seen before it is heard because light travels faster than sound. Leizi’s myth also explained the observable phenomenon of lighting shortly preceding the sound of thunder. Such randomness did not fit into the orderly ideals of Taoism, however, so it was logical that part of Lei Gong’s mythology would involve an effort to make his power more precise.Ĭhinese folklore used another recognizable phenomenon, the way light reflected off a mirrored surface, to explain why lightning only appeared in the sky for a moment.
Lei Gong’s poor aim and confusion over what acts should be punished was used to explain why thunderbolts did not only strike down the wicked. The role of Leizi in Lei Gong’s mythology provides a rationale for thunder and lightning that is based on observation. Often, lightning is seen as just a by-product of this power, so Leizi’s mythology is somewhat unique. Thunder gods are a nearly ubiquitous archetype used by ancient cultures to explain a powerful natural phenomenon. Although its shortened version gives her a more personal name, her primary job is as an assistant to the more powerful god of thunder.
#Thunder and lightning in december full
Leizi’s full name in Chinese is Leigong zi qi, or Lei Gong’s wife.
In some later traditions, he was replaced by Feng Po Po, Lady Wind, instead. Moving all of them was Fengbo, the Earl of Wind. Yu Zi, the Rain Master, dripped his sword into a pot of water to make drops fall to Earth. Yun Tong, the Cloud Youth, brought the clouds that darkened the sky when Lei Gong traveled. They often traveled in a large group that worked together to bring storms. Leizi was not her husband’s only companion. She used the mirrors she carried to make light flash through the sky so Lei Gong could aim his thunderbolts better. Because he had killed her, he was responsible for her and would have to care for her as his wife.Īs Leizi traveled with her new husband, she realized how often his strikes missed their mark because he could not see in the dark. He resurrected her as a goddess because she had been dutiful and diligent in life. When the Jade Emperor learned what had happened to the innocent girl, he took pity on her. When Lei Gong saw her doing this, he assumed she was committing a sin by wasting food and struck her down with thunder. One of Leizi’s tasks in caring for her elderly mother was to dump out the rice husks that were too hard for the old woman to chew. He also caused darkness to fall wherever he went, making it difficult for him to see his targets.Īs a result, Lei Gong often struck those who did not deserve his punishment. Lei Gong often failed to distinguish between truly evil deeds and more benign actions. Lei Gong had been giving the job of punishing wrongdoers by the Jade Emperor, but he did not always fulfill his task well. One day, Lei Gong, the god of thunder, passed over their village. She lived with her elderly mother in a rural village. Leizi’s Marriage to the Thunder GodĪccording to legend, Leizi was born as a mortal woman. While they were said to still sometimes struck the wrong target, this system used observations of the natural world to explain how storms form and what people saw during them. To the people of China, the flash of lightning that came before the sound of thunder was Leizi showing her husband where to aim his destructive bolts. Leizi, also called Dianmu, married the god of thunder and became his assistant. He would be helped, eventually, by a victim of his terrible aim.
He had been charged with using powerful thunderbolts to strike down those who sinned against the Jade Emperor, but darkness and poor aim hindered his job. The strongest of these was Lei Gong, the god of thunder. In Chinese folklore, a number of deities were responsible for causing storms. Read on to learn how she became linked to the thunder god and what her role was in his duty! In Chinese mythology, Leizi is the goddess of lightning.
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