Following Michizane's death, the capital city of Heiankyo was successively hit by disasters such as thunderstorms and, when a bolt of lightening that struck the Emperor's palace Seiryo-den killed Dainagon (chief councilor of state) FUJIWARA no Kiyotaka, Michizane came to be regarded in the same light as the Tenjin god of lightening (Karai Tenjin).
道真が亡くなった後、平安京で雷などの天変が相次ぎ、清涼殿への落雷で大納言の藤原清貴が亡くなったことから、道真は雷の神である天神（火雷天神）と同一視されるようになった。