Raijin

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Raijin

is a god

God

God is a deity in theism and deism religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
of thunder

Thunder

Thunder is the sound made by lightning. Depending on the nature of the lightning and distance of the listener, it can range from a sharp, loud crack to a long, low rumble ....
and lightning

Lightning

File:Blesk.jpgLightning is an Earth's atmosphere discharge of electricity usually accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcano or dust storms....
in Japanese mythology

Japanese mythology

Japanese mythology is a system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculture-based folk religion. The Shinto pantheon alone consists of an uncountable number of kami ....
. His name is derived from the Japanese

Japanese language

IPA: [n?iho?go] is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is related to the Ryukyuan languages....
words rai (?, meaning thunder) and shin (?, god).

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Raijin'

Start a new discussion about 'Raijin'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

is a god

God

God is a deity in theism and deism religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
of thunder

Thunder

Thunder is the sound made by lightning. Depending on the nature of the lightning and distance of the listener, it can range from a sharp, loud crack to a long, low rumble ....
and lightning

Lightning

Japanese mythology

Japanese language

Demon

In religion, folklore, and mythology a demon is a supernatural being that is generally described as a malevolent spirit. In Christian terms demons are generally understood as fallen angels, formerly of God....
beating drum

Drum

The drum is a member of the percussion instrument group, technically classified as a membranophone.. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with parts of a player's body, or with some sort of implement such as a drumstick, to produce sound....
s to create thunder, usually with the symbol tomoe

Tomoe

A tomoe or tomoye is a Japanese abstract art shape that resembles a comma or the usual form of magatama. It is a common design element in and corporation logos, particularly in triplicate whorls known as mitsu tomoe....
drawn in the drums.

Raijin is sometimes credited with eating the bellybutton

Umbilicus

Umbilicus may refer to:*Umbilicus , a feature of gastropod, Nautilus and Ammonite shell anatomy*Navel, a synonym for the navel or belly button....
s 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

Raiju

Raiju is a legendary creature from Japanese mythology. Its body is composed of either lightning or fire and may be in the shape of a cat, tanuki, monkey, or weasel....
.

Raijin is also known by the following names:

Kaminari-sama: kaminari (?, thunder) and -sama (?, a Japanese honorific
Japanese honorifics

The Japanese language has many honorifics, parts of speech which show respect, and their use is mandatory in many social situations. Honorifics in Japanese may be used to emphasize social distance or disparity in rank, or to emphasize social intimacy or similarity in rank....
)
Raiden-sama: rai (?, thunder), den (?, lightning), and -sama
Narukami: naru (?, thundering/rolling) and kami (?, god)

In Japanese art, the deity is often depicted together with Fujin

Fujin

is the Japanese god of the wind and one of the eldest Shinto gods. He was present at the creation of the world and when he first let the winds out of his bag, they cleared the morning mists and filled the Gate between heaven and earth so the sun shone....
, the wind god.

Raijin is a well-known deity and his fame has spawned characters in many forms of Japan

Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
ese media. He is often made fun of, for example in an episode of Kyorochan
Kyorochan

is a Japanese cartoon bird/parrot that serves as a mascot for a brand of Morinaga chocolate known as ChocoBall. He had his own 1999?2000 anime series ....
. In the West

Western culture

File:Clash of Civilizations map.pngWestern culture are terms which are used to refer to cultures of European origin. This terminology originated as a way of describing what was different about the Graeco-Roman culture and its descendants, in contrast to the older neighboring civilizations of the Middle East, which in many ways continued...
, Raijin entered pop culture

Popular culture

Popular culture is the totality of Distinction memes, ideas, Perspective s and Attitude s that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture....
in the fighting game

Fighting game

File:Street Fighter II.pngFighting game is a type of action orientated video game and one of the major video game Video game genres. In a fighting game, players face off against each other or against computer-controlled characters in close combat....
Mortal Kombat, which contained a character called Raiden

Raiden (Mortal Kombat)

Raiden is a Character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series....
. He has also played a minor role in the Japanese role playing game Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII

is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co. as the eighth installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 1999 for Sony Computer Entertainment's PlayStation and in 2000 for Microsoft's Microsoft Windows-based personal computers....
as one of Seifer Almasy's henchmen. In Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger

is a console role-playing game video game developer and video game publisher by Square Co. for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. The game's story follows a group of adventurers who travel through time to prevent a global catastrophe....
, he and his brother Raijin join to form the Masamune. There is also a character in Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid

is a stealth game video game directed and written by Hideo Kojima. The game was video game developer by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first video game publisher by Konami in 1998 in video gaming for the PlayStation video game console....
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
Big Trouble in Little China

Big Trouble in Little China is a 1986 in film Cinema of the United States comedy/action film, directed by John Carpenter and stars Kurt Russell as truck driver Jack Burton who helps his friend Wang Chi rescue Wang's green-eyed girlfriend from bandits in Chinatown, San Francisco, California....
.

Raijin

See also