Symbolism question. Lightning.
- Thread starter mcpop9
- Start date
Well thats sort of depends on who you ask. If my chinese mythology serves me right, Dragons were sometimes associated with Lightning while in the West, the Eagle was often attributed as the companion of Zeus. In native american culture the was the Thunderbird.
Well there are several animals that are bio-luminescent which is about as close to electricity as your going to get (excluding the electric eel).
most of them are fish though so that's usually what I think about.
EDIT: If you're talking about mythology I'd say birds are probably the most associated. Although since most mythology associates electricity with God's it might be a little hard to say.
most of them are fish though so that's usually what I think about.
EDIT: If you're talking about mythology I'd say birds are probably the most associated. Although since most mythology associates electricity with God's it might be a little hard to say.
Does pikachu count? I was never under the impression that lightning had a symbolic connection with any animals. It was often associated with and used symbolically to evoke Gods, power and epiphany.
Edit: FFFFFFFFFFF ninjas. Okay then, I change mine to zapdos.
Edit: FFFFFFFFFFF ninjas. Okay then, I change mine to zapdos.
I would assume that barring fictional creatures... something that flies. The native americans seem(ed) to think so.
I instantly imagine a falcon.
I instantly imagine a falcon.
"It flashes bright, then fades away. It can't protect it only destroys."
find an animal that matches that description.
find an animal that matches that description.
It depends on system you're using.mcpop9 said:
For example some shamans from both Americas recognized frogs as animals of lightning. I guess croaking resembles a distant thunderclap or something...
Some old, African traditions saw a connection between lighting and rhinos. I suppose there's some similarity - they both create destruction on their paths.
There are numerous mythical animals, some of them have "electrical" nature. Damn, you have electrical pokemons.
As for today, outside of magical and fantasy mumbo jumbo ?
Electrical eel, maybe (like it was suggested before) some kind of bird of prey...
Cyclopes made Zeus's lightning, Zeus being the wielder of the deadly bolts. Some dragons use or create lightning. Thor's Hammer is another symbol associated with lightning. The Hindu god Indra is a god of lightning. Lightning is commonly believed to be a serpent, and serpents are used as a symbol for it. In Roman myth lightning is a symbol for Jupiter. God is accompanied by lightning many times in the Old Testament. Humans (or prior two legged hominids) have watched the skies and recorded sun and moon cycles, and heavenly activity for more than 70,000 years. This is evident in symbols for sunrise and sunset found in Blombos, S. Africa dated to that time. Lightning would definitely be an event worth making note of, and would have been remembered as powerful and to be feared. This is in line with the mythologies and symbolism connected to it. (Ref: Symbology: Decoding Classic Images)
When I think of an animal that symbolizes lightning, I think of a cheetah. Or possibly a hawk. But that's just my two cents.
