9. Susanoo: The Tempestuous Japanese God
Although Raijin is usually connected with thunder in Japanese mythology, lightning lore also revolves mostly on Susanoo, the deity of storms and the sea. Renowned for his explosive personality, Susanoo is supposed to unleash terrible storms when enraged. One well-known legend relates of Susanoo’s banishment from paradise for his misbehaviour. His tears became lightning bolts as he dropped to Earth. This narrative not only clarifies the lightning phenomena but also offers a warning about the results of unbridled emotions. With the use of a strong sword and sake—rice wine—Susanoo’s most well-known exploit is killing the eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi. Though not specifically about lightning, this story highlights Susanoo’s relationship with strong, destructive natural elements.
10. Taranis: The Celtic Wheel-Rolling Thunderer
Often related with the wheel and the bull, Taranis is the deity of thunder in Celtic mythology. In Proto-Celtic, his name exactly means “thunder”. Taranis was supposed to roll his wheel over the heavens, generating thunder, shown carrying a lightning bolt and a wheel. In many ancient societies, the wheel—a symbol of the sun—links Taranis to both celestial and solar cults. Seeking Taranis’s protection or favourable weather for harvests, Celtic tribes would frequently burn wheels or toss them into rivers. Taranis’s relationship to fertility and agriculture as well as his raw force is underlined by his affiliation with the bull. Taranis’s multifarious character captures the complicated knowledge the Celts possessed of natural forces and their effects on daily life.