Raiju - Lightning god 3D Render, Digital Artwork by Henry1850

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Raiju - Lightning god

3D Render by Henry1850

Raiju is the companion of Raijin, the Shinto god of lightning. While the beast is generally calm and harmless, during thunderstorms it becomes agitated and leaps about in trees, fields, and even buildings (trees that have been struck by lightning are said to have been scratched by Raiju's claws). Its cry sounds like thunder.

One of of Raiju's peculiar behaviors is sleeping in human navels. This prompts Raiden to shoot lightning arrows at Raiju to wake the creature up, and thus harms the person in whose belly the demon is resting. Superstitious people therefore often sleep on their stomachs during bad weather, but other legends say that Raiju will only hide in the navels of people who sleep outdoors.

Raiju (or Raijū), meaning thunder animal or thunder beast, is a legendary creature from Japanese mythology said to be companion of Raijin, the Shinto (i.e., an ethnic religion of Japan) god of lightning.

Descriptions of Raiju appearance vary, ranging from dog to squirrel, but it’s more often seen as a wolf or badger. Its celestial form is that of a wolf wrapped in lightning, and it is said that its cry sounds like thunder.

While Raiju is generally a calm and harmless creature, during thunderstorms it becomes agitated, it falls from the sky with the lightning, and jumps from tree to tree, to fields and even buildings. After the storm has passed, evidence of the Raiju’s presence can be seen in the torn, deeply gouged tree trunks and woodwork where Raiju dug its claws in. Raiju-damaged trees are much sough after, felled and harvest for bark, for the Raiju-touched bark cures toothaches.

During storms, Raiju will also pounce on anyone taking shelter beneath a tree and enter any unprotected house. However, it cannot pass through mosquito net, so house windows, doors, and chimneys are often covered with net to prevent the entrance of the beast. This creature also hates the smell of incense, which is often lighted before and during a storm.

Despite their elusive nature, the physical form of Raiju has been captured on multiple occasions. The Edo period (i.e., between 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan) in particular has many such cases. Once, Raiju got tangled in the ropes of a well and was taken alive. To be later exhibited in a brass cage in the Temple of Tenjin in Matsue. There, it took the shape of a badger that slept during fair weather, but would become active during storms with its eyes flashing.

Created in Daz Studio, Affinity Photo.

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