Leigong

Leigong, also known as Leishen, is the god of thunder in Chinese folk religion, Chinese mythology, and Taoism. When heaven orders him, Leigong punishes people who have hidden crimes and evil spirits who use their knowledge of Taoism to hurt others. He carries a drum and mallet to make thunder, and a chisel to punish wrongdoers. Leigong travels in a chariot driven by a young boy named A Xiang.

Because Leigong controls thunder, he has helpers who create other weather in the sky. His wife Dianmu is the goddess of lightning and uses flashing mirrors to send lightning across the sky. Another helper, Yun Tong, called "Cloud Youth," creates clouds, and Yu Shi, known as "Rain Master," brings heavy rain by dipping his sword into a pot. Strong winds come from a goatskin bag handled by Fengbo, called "Earl of Wind," who later became known as Feng Po Po, or "Lady Wind."

Iconography

Leigong is shown as a scary-looking creature with claws, bat wings, and a blue face with a bird's beak. He is usually drawn wearing only a simple piece of clothing around his waist. Though few temples are devoted to him, some people honor Leigong hoping he will help punish their enemies. In older stories, he was described as smiling often and having a friendly appearance.

Legend

Leigong started as a regular person. One day, he found a special peach from Heaven and ate it, which changed him into a god. He was given a mace and a hammer that could make thunder.

The Jade Emperor told Leigong to only target bad people, but sometimes he couldn’t see clearly and accidentally struck others. One of these was Dianmu, a kind rice farmer’s daughter. When Leigong saw her disposal of a rice husk—which he thought was wasteful—he struck her with lightning. The Jade Emperor, seeing Leigong’s mistake, brought Dianmu back to life and made her a goddess. She was also paired with Leigong, using mirrors to help him see and ensure he only struck the right people. This is why we see lightning before we hear thunder.