Lightning over Fernandina Beach Marina, Amelia Island, Florida

Lightning has frightened and mystified people since the days of our ancestors. The Romans believed that Jove, the king of the gods, used lightning to punish wrongdoers and change the outcome of wars. His favorite bird was the eagle, and the eagle was said to carry his thunderbolts of wrath. A similar notion was common in other cultures. Native American cultures spoke of a '"thunderbird" responsible for thunder and lightning. It was said that, as the thunderbird winked its eyes, flashes of lightning would burst from them. When lightning peeled bark off of a tree, it was taken as a sign of the bird's razor sharp claws. In south Africa, people believed that the "Umpundulo" -- also a thunderbird -- also peeled bark from trees. The bird's bright feathers were said to produce lightning -- while the flapping of its enormous wings created the thunder. (starryskies.com)

 

© Dawna Moore ~ www.dawnamoorephotography.com ~

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