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Raijin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Raijin (雷神 raijin?) is a god of thunder 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.
Raijin is sometimes credited with eating the bellybuttons 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 Fujin, the wind god.
Raijin is a well-known deity and his fame has spawned characters in many forms of Japanese media. In the West, Raijin entered pop culture in the fighting game Mortal Kombat, which contained a character called Raiden. Eneru is a powerful, immortal character from one piece that has thunder drums and can turn into a Raijin like creature made of lightning. 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.
- Tenjin, another Japanese god of thunder
- Lei Gong, a Chinese god of thunder with similar characteristics
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