Dian Mu (電母 also known as Leizi) was the goddess of lightning and often called ‘the Lightning Goddess,’ in Chinese mythology. She was once a human, who lived with her mother. One day, she was dumping rice husks, because they were too hard for her mother to eat. When the short-tempered Lei Gong (god of thunder) saw her dumping the husks out, he thought she was wasting food, so he killed her. When the Jade Emperor found out, he was infuriated at Lei Gong’s careless murder. The Jade Emperor then revived Dian mu, making her a goddess. However she was made to marry Lei Gong, who took on the responsibility of caring for her whilst her job was to work alongside him. She would use mirrors to shine light on the Earth, so Lei Gong could see who he hit to make sure they weren’t innocent. It was believe this is why lightning comes before thunder. (Elie Saab Fall 2019 Haute Couture Collection)
