Raiden (雷電) is a god of thunder and lightning in Japanese mythology; his name is derived from the Japanese words rai (thunder) and den (lightning). He is typically depicted as a demon beating a drum to create thunder. Tradition credits Raiden for the failure of the Mongols to invade Japan in 1274, as he is said to have created the storm (kamikaze) that hindered their progress. His companion is the demon Raiju. Raiden is sometimes credited with eating the bellybuttons or bellies of children.
Raiden entered Western pop culture in the fighting game Mortal Kombat, in which a character based on Raiden (also spelled Rayden) appeared. However, the Mortal Kombat character's name is pronounced /REIden/ instead of the actual Japanese pronunciation /raiden/.
See also: Raiden (disambiguation)
