Raijin

Raijin

Raijin is a god of lightning, thunder and storms in the Shinto religion and in Japanese mythology.

His name is derived from the Japanese words rai (雷, meaning ‘thunder’) and shin (神, ‘god’ or 'kami'). He is typically depicted as a demon beating drums to create thunder, usually with the symbol tomoe drawn on the drums. He is also known by the following names:

• Yakusa no ikazuchi no kami: Yakusa (八, eight) and ikazuchi (雷, thunder) and kami (神, spirit or deity)
• Kaminari-sama: kaminari (雷, kaminari, thunder) and -sama (様, a Japanese honorific meaning "master")
• Raiden-sama: rai (雷, thunder), den (電, lightning), and -sama (様, master)
• Narukami: naru (鳴, thundering/rolling) and kami (神, spirit or deity)