In traditional Chinese mythology, Dianmu (電母), also known as Leizi, is revered as the goddess who governs lightning, working in concert with her consort, Leigong (雷公), the god of thunder. While she commands the brilliance of lightning, Leigong orchestrates the rumble of thunder—a division of celestial labor likely inspired by the observable delay between flash and sound during storms. Though often relegated to a supporting role in classical literature such as Journey to the West, Dianmu remains central to the mythological conception of atmospheric phenomena, embodying the flash that precedes thunder.
Dianmu—literally “Mother of Lightning”—is depicted wielding polished mirrors to unleash bolts of light across the sky, illuminating the earth below. Her role is part of a greater pantheon of weather deities: Yun Tong (云童, “Cloud Youth”) conjures clouds with his whip, Yu Shi (“Rain Master”) unleashes torrents by dipping his blade into a magic vessel, and Fengbo (“Earl of Wind”), later transformed into the matronly Feng Po Po (“Old Lady Wind”), releases gales from a wind-skin bag.
According to legend, Dianmu was once mortal, living humbly with her mother. One day, she discarded rice husks—inedible for her elderly mother. Mistaking this act of care for wastefulness, the irascible thunder god Leigong struck her down. Enraged by such a hasty and unjust act, the Jade Emperor resurrected Dianmu and elevated her to divinity. As recompense, Leigong was commanded to marry her and forever aid her in divine duties. Now, she casts her light upon the earth to ensure that her husband’s thunderbolts do not strike the innocent—thus explaining why lightning always precedes thunder.
In literary depictions, Dianmu appears in Wu Cheng’en’s 16th-century epic Journey to the West, during the tale of the Chechi Kingdom. There, three demonic impostors—Tiger Strength, Deer Strength, and Goat Strength—masquerade as Taoist sages and deceive the king by summoning rain during a prolonged drought. They achieve this illusion through a magical weather tablet, invoking gods including Dianmu and her companion Yun Tong. However, when Sun Wukong disrupts the ritual, the celestial deities realign with the Buddhist protagonists, aiding them in a contest of divine weather-making and exposing the impostors’ deceit.
