 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2008) |
Raijin (雷神 raijin) is a god of thunder[1] and lightning in Japanese mythology. His name is derived from the Japanese words rai (雷, meaning thunder) and shin (神, god). He is typically depicted as a demon beating drums to create thunder, usually with the symbol tomoe drawn on the drums.
Raijin is sometimes credited with eating the navels or abdomen of children, and in the event of thunder, parents traditionally tell their children to hide their navels so that they are not taken away. Raijin's companion is the demon Raiju.
Raijin is also known by the following names:
- Kaminari-sama: kaminari (雷, thunder) and -sama (様, a Japanese honorific)
- Raiden-sama: rai (雷, thunder), den (電, lightning), and -sama
- Narukami: naru (鳴, thundering/rolling) and kami (神, god)
In Japanese art, the deity is often depicted together with Fūjin, the wind god.
Raijin is a well-known deity and his fame has spawned characters in many forms of Japanese media. He is often mocked, for example in an episode of Kyorochan. In the West, Raijin entered pop culture in the fighting game Mortal Kombat, which contained a character called Raiden. He also appears in a minor role in the Japanese role playing game Final Fantasy VIII as one of Seifer Almasy's henchmen. In Chrono Trigger, he and his brother join to form the Masamune. There is also a character in Metal Gear Solid called Raiden. Raijin has been depicted as part of the pantheon of gods in other contexts, including an appearance with other Eastern elemental gods in the film Big Trouble in Little China. In the tokusatsu series Madan Senki Ryukendo, all three Madan Warriors, right after transforming, say their names followed by the word "Raijin!", which stands for "wake up!" or "stand up!".
See also
- Tenjin, almost same meaning with Raijin, but in many cases this word is used in the meaning of Sugawara Michizane.
- Lei Gong, a Chinese god of thunder with similar characteristics.
References
- ^ Ashkenazi, Michael (2003). Handbook of Japanese Mythology. ABC-CLIO. pp. 236. ISBN 9781576074671. http://books.google.ca/books?id=gqs-y9R2AekC&pg=PA236&dq=raijin. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
This article relating to Japanese mythology is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This article relating to Shinto is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
