In Japan, snakes (hebi) attain the status of a god whose appearance can bring good luck. The animals are also associated with death and the underworld through myths of the indigenous Japanese religion of nature worship known as Shinto. Snakes are considered to be a god in the form of a dragon (ryū) that possess mythological traits, including enlightenment, fertility and the element of water – with a strong connection to thunder and lightning. This may be related to the shape of a moving snake, which resembles a stylised lightning bolt, or the fact that snakes can strike with the speed and unpredictability of lightning.