Summary
Once upon a time, Emperor Yuryaku was napping after finishing his busy duties at the court when a sudden downpour began, accompanied by thunderclaps. The deafening thunder jolted him awake from his slumber. Looking up at the pitch-black sky, he shouted, "It's noisy! Courtiers, is there anyone who can subdue that raucous thunder?"
One of his attendants answered, "Leave it to me."
"Really? Can you capture that rumbling and noisy thunder?"
"Of course I can."
"If so, bring the thunder here immediately!"
"Understood."
The courtier, donning a red headband, mounted his horse and headed toward Mount Kagu. Once there, he dismounted and shouted toward the heavens, "Thunder, listen well! It is the command of the Emperor!"
As he rode back to the court, he looked up at the sky and thought, "Even though it is thunder, I cannot disregard the Emperor's command."
At that moment, a violent thunderclap roared overhead. He instinctively closed his eyes for a second, but when he opened them, he saw that the thunder had fallen to the ground right in front of him.
"The thunder has come down!"
The villagers rushed out of their homes.
"I'm going to capture the thunder. Lend me a hand!" the courtier said to the villagers. With their help, he stuffed the thunder into a large bamboo basket and carried it back to the court.
"I've finally captured the thunder!"
The Emperor had thought it impossible to capture the thunder but appeared before everyone out of curiosity. Surrounded by people, the thunder began to rumble and shimmer restlessly.
The Emperor felt great pity for the thunder and ordered that it be well-gifted and returned to the place where it fell.
Several years later, the brave courtier who had captured the thunder passed away unexpectedly. The Emperor mourned deeply for his death and had him buried on the hill where he had captured the thunder, erecting a fine wooden monument. The inscription on the monument read:
"Grave of the Hero Who Captured the Thunder."
Upon seeing the monument, the thunder became furious.
"‘Captured the Thunder!’ How rude those humans are!"
The thunder descended from the heavens to the hill with a clap of thunder and flash of lightning. It kicked and stomped on the grave and monument with such force that the wooden monument cracked, trapping its body.
"Ouch!"
The thunder writhed in unbearable pain, trying to escape from the crack but to no avail. Soon, villagers came to see the thunder in distress.
"Hey! The thunder has gotten trapped again."
The rumor spread like wildfire, and a crowd of people gathered to watch. The news even reached the Emperor. Feeling pity once more for the thunder, he commanded his courtiers to help free the thunder from the crack in the monument and return it to the sky. The Emperor built a larger and more magnificent grave for the deceased courtier and inscribed it with:
"Grave of the Hero Who Captured the Thunder."
"Not only in life, but also after death."
Eventually, the place came to be known as "Thunder Hill."
From “Konjaku Monogatari” (Tales of Times Now Past).
