Thunderstorms in grandfather's arms (06/16/08)

I love thunderstorms. The best kind is when the ominous rumbling starts from faraway, builds to a crescendo and then crashes with a deep house-shaking boom seconds after a blinding flash of lightning. This should preferably happen at night because lightning is more dramatic when it lights up a pitch-black sky.

I remember my grandfather holding me up high while we looked out the window and watched the rain come down and the electricity slash the sky. I still associate thunderstorms with that feeling of security I had as he held me.

Storms make me appreciate the roof over my head and the walls around me. I don't like being outside in the rain and when the heavens are in an uproar makes it worse.

A great thunderstorm is best experienced in the security of a strong house while reading a good book. The ultimate thunderstorm should also feature a cat in my lap but Gracie is a chicken cat who prefers to hide until the noise is over.

The current theory is that thunder is caused by lightning. The lightning heats up the air causing it to expand as rapidly as my waistline after a trip to Dairy Queen. As the air cools back down it contracts, causing a shockwave that produces the sound we call thunder.

Ancient Greeks believed, among other things, that thunder was caused by clouds colliding, which I swear, is what I was taught in school. And, no, I am not an ancient Greek.

Norse mythology made Thor the god of thunder. He had a hammer that he struck against an anvil to produce thunder. We also have a day of the week named after him: Thursday. I don't know if this is because people think there are more thunderstorms on Thursdays than on other days or what.

Interestingly enough, Slavic mythology has a similar god, Perun. He has in his arsenal stones and stone arrows that transform into lightning. Can you imagine firing an arrow made out of stone?

Apparently he was quite popular at one time and had temples and statues in his honor. Shrines dedicated to him were usually located on hilltops, mountaintops or underneath great oaks. And, get this; he has a day associated with him. Care to guess which one? Yes, it was Thursday. Would that have been Perunday? Plus he has an axe that he hurls at evil people and it always returns to his hand. That sounds like Thor's hammer to me.

Lakota Sioux have Hoakah as a god of thunder and lightning. He uses wind as drumsticks to beat the drum of thunder. Plus he is god of hunting. Can you imagine hunting during a thunderstorm? Me neither.

Cherokee has twin gods of thunder and lightning, Enumclaw and Kapoonis. The story is that Enumclaw tamed a fire spirit and learned how to toss fragments of fire, which we call lightning. Kapoonis tamed a rock spirit and learned how to toss boulders. They went around terrorizing people until Father Sky said, "Enough!" He took them into the sky where they became lightning and thunder.

There are also several myths about Thunderbirds. They cause lightning with a blink of an eye and thunder with the beat of their wings. This seems to be a more generalized myth rather than one associated with a specific tribe. While I was looking this up I found a picture of a thunderbird. It was in the form of lightning and was truly impressive. Of course, I can't find it again.

I have found that most polytheistic (more than one god) religions have one or more gods or occasionally goddesses dedicated to thunder and lightning. It is a form of explaining natural forces that can be destructive as well as beautiful and awe-inspiring.

I find it interesting that if there is a day associated with these beings it is always Thursday. Are there more storms on Thursdays than other days? I don't think so.

Finding out other people's beliefs is interesting, but not as fascinating as a good, loud thunderstorm.

As for me, thunder will always remind me of my grandfather and how safe I felt in his arms.[[In-content Ad]]