it's Thundering- or Is it?

[Sophia]

It poured- more than poured- this morning and since I couldn't sleep, I got on line for a little bit. A particularly long, rolling crash of thunder was heard and I suddenly thought how it might sound similar to what you'd hear standing right under the lane in a bowling alley. I was then reminded what my mom always told me thunder was so that it didn't seem so scary, ".. it's just the elves bowling. Those really big ones you hear are when they get a strike." (This has nothing to do with the fact that at that time I had never bowled in my life and didn't know what a strike was.) So, I asked around the chatroom as to what folk's parents told them thunder was when they were kids. Not suprisingly I got more on bowling, though it was usually God or saints or angels doing the bowling. One answer kind of shocked me though. It was, ".. I was told that thunder was the Devil beating his wife."  
Doesn't that sound a little harsh? The elves and angels had a good thing going, made thunder 'ok' and maybe even a good time. A beating though...?
What did your folks tell you?

Sophia [/font]

[Squid]

I've heard the "devil beating his wife" thing but only in relation to it raining and the sun shining at the same time - my grandparents told me that.  I asked my parents what thunder was and my father gave me the scientific explanation as best as he could to a child.

[Whitney]

I can't remember if my parents told me it was angels bowling or clouds running into each other (the second a dumbed down version of the scientific answer).  Maybe my mom or grandmother said one and my dad said the other.

[Sophia]

Glad to see someone got a scientific explaination, Squid. I just think the devil wife-beater thing is a bit harsh- it certainly doesn't calm the child down any, but would seem to make (it was a female) her worry more about it.. and it certainly doesn't say much for society.. maybe it's just me.

[brainshmain]

I think when I asked my parents, they told me that's the noise that lightening makes, it's just slower than the lightening so it takes longer to be heard.  Pretty close to the actual answer.  I think it was my friends who told me it was God or angels bowling or some junk like that.  And I'd always say it but I never actually believed that's what it was.

[SteveS]

One of my kids decided the clouds were "bumping booties" (yes, the posterior kind of booty).  I have no idea where she got this from --- don't worry, she didn't catch us in a compromising position or anything.  I thought this was funny, so I let it stick for a while.  She's in pre-school now, so whenever she asks something I give her a "real" answer, at least as best as I can (and she can understand).

Devil beating his wife?  I've never heard that.  That's just twisted.

When I was in college we used to joke that snow was god shaking his dandruff onto the world.  It seemed to irritate the bible study crowd so we stuck with it.

[Sophia]

Devil beating his wife? I've never heard that. That's just twisted.

I mentioned that to some folks at work and two of them remember having heard and/or been told that same thing. I think it's horrid.
I also didn't think the devil was the type of guy to settle down..

[rlrose328]

Ya know, I don't remember my parents saying anything about the thunder other than a mild scientific explanation.  They really weren't the kind of religious folks who gave credit to god for everything... not when I was a kid anyway.  Now, with my mom, it's a different story altogether.

[Zud12]

I was always told it was either god or angels dropping stuff!

However, the best one is about rain

It's God having a wee (urinating)  

[SteveS]

It's God having a wee (urinating)

Yup - have to agree with this one!

I also didn't think the devil was the type of guy to settle down..

More interesting is finding the woman that married the devil?!?  "He seemed really confident, and he dressed nicely...".  Maybe they could make a Lifetime movie about this: "Married to the Devil!".

[Scrybe]

I've never heard the devil one either.  I can't believe anyone would actually think that way.  And what's the deal with telling kids stupid stories instead of taking the opportunity to educate?  That's what my parents did.

[tacoma_kyle]

Huh...I dont actually remember. I have heard it was the gods bowling but I know it wasnt from my parents. They were never the religous type though they would claim to be christian, likely. Mostly because my grandmother on one side is.

My grandfather on the other sides a atheist. I didnt figure that out til like last year . Kinda subtle.