The Newsletter of the Buffalo Forecast Office

Page 3

History and Mystery of Lightning

There was another earlier time when lightning was the

Early superstitions were observed as Cause and Effect,

magic fire from the sky which man captured and used to

which now has been fancified as science. Socrates said,

keep warm at night . It kept the savage animals away. As

"that's not Zeus up there, it's a vortex of air." Genghis

primitive man sought answers about the natural world,

Kahn forbade his subjects from washing garments or

lightning became a part of his superstitions, his myths

bathing in running water during a storm. Thales, the

and his early religions.

Greek philosopher, in 600 BC, rubbed a piece of amber

with a dry cloth and noted that it would then attract

Early Greeks believed that lightning was a weapon of

feathers and straw. William Gilbert, court healer to Queen

Zeus. Thunderbolts were invented by Minerva the

Elizabeth, in the late 1500s, also used amber to duplicate

goddess of wisdom. Since lightning was a manifestation

the earlier experiments. He named this via electrica, after

of the gods, any spot struck by lightning was regarded as

electra which is Greek for amber. He didn't know it, but

sacred. Greek and Roman temples often were erected at

he was demonstrating static electricity.

these sites, where the gods were worshipped in an

attempt to appease them. The Moslems also attributed

Lightning is a big spark...static electricity on a giant scale.

lightning and thunder to their god. The Koran says "He it

Machines for creating static electricity were invented...the

is who showeth you lightning and launches the

Leyden jar was like a thermos bottle which stored volts.

thunderbolts."

Friction machines could charge the jars and electricity

could be carried around and demonstrated. "Electric

Scandinavian mythology alludes to Thor, the thunderer,

magic" was in great demand at the royal courts of Europe

who was the foe of all demons. Thor tossed lightning

as  entertainment.  The  parlor  tricks  amused  and

bolts at his enemies. Thor also gave us Thurs-day.

fascinated people.

In the pantheistic Hindu religion, Indra was the god of

heaven, lightning, rain, storms and thunder. The Maruts

Science was in its infancy during these times. Sir Isaac

used the thunderbolts as weapons. Umpundulo is the

Newton had proposed that basic mathematical laws were

lightning bird-god of the Bantu tribesmen in Africa. Even

the foundation for understanding the forces of nature.

today their medicine men go out in storms and bid the

With "electric magic" there was insufficient experimental

lightning to strike far away.

investigation to explain its behavior. In 1746, Dr. Spence

from  Scotland  came  to  Philadelphia.  He  there

The Navajo Indians hold that lightning has great power in

demonstrated some "electric magic" to an audience

their healing rituals. Sand paintings show the lightning

which included the local postmaster.

bolt as a wink in the Thunderbird's eye. Lightning is

associated with wind, rain and crop growth.

That man was Benjamin Franklin. Franklin was curiosity

personified. At age 42, Franklin sold his Philadelphia

As late as the early 1800s in Russia, when rain was

printing business for half the profits for 20 years. He

wanted, three men climbed a tree. One would knock two

retired. He involved himself in social experiments like the

firebrands  together;  the  sparks  imitating  lightning.

American Revolutionary War and the Declaration of

Another one would pour water over twigs, imitating rain.

Independence. He dabbled with the electric Leyden Jar

A third would bang on a kettle to attract the thunder. And

and pondered questions..."how many small jars would kill

throughout early Europe, church bell ringers would make

a chicken? How many large jars for a turkey? Why did an

as much noise as possible, hoping to scare away the

electrocuted turkey taste better than a conventionally-

storms from these holy dwellings which were struck

killed bird? What is lightning? Why is it burning down

frequently by lightning.

churches? Can it be captured to a Leyden jar? Can it be

captured to earth safely?..." Then came the kites and

During the Napoleonic wars, more than 220 British tall

keys experiments in 1752-53 and Franklin's deduction

ships were damaged--not by the French, but by lightning.

that lightning was, after all, electricity.

The solution, of course, was to install lightning rods. But

since that device had been invented by a "rebel colonist"

This was followed by his lightning rod invention and its

named Benjamin Franklin,

duplication in France and usefulness throughout Europe.

Franklin was a celebrated figure in his time. Franklin has

His Majesty's Navy steadfastly refused. It took until the

been called America's patron saint of common sense.

1830's before the admiralty finally saw the light and forgot

Perhaps, had he not been close to the French Royal

about old colonial rebellions.

Court, and been able to influence France to finance the

American Revolutionary War, all of us here in the USA

Even Santa Klaus gets into the act with his reindeer

today might be speaking with English accents!

Donner (thunder) and Blitzen (lightning).

(Continued on page 4)