The massive earthquake that rocked New Zealand on Sunday also spawned a brief glimpse of the mysterious phenomenon known as 'earthquake lights.'
The breathtaking bursts of illumination were witnessed by numerous denizens of the region when the enormous tremor struck.
According to reports, the lights briefly appeared when the earthquake seemed to be at its most volatile and the bursts appeared to be primarily green, blue, and white.
Much like the elusive sprite, earthquake lights are a phenomenon accepted by the scientific community but the exact cause for the events are yet to be fully determined.
Some researchers theorize that the lights are caused by atoms that becomes charged by the seismic activity and ultimately cause glowing plasma to briefly appear in bursts.
Although the scientific explanation remains speculative, it's safe to say that the earthquake lights are probably not paranormal in nature.
That said, those on the ground found the sight to be bewildering due to the seemingly incongruous connection between an earthquake and lightning.
With modern observers wondering if something had struck the Earth and praying to God because of the surreal scene, one can only imagine how the earthquake lights were interpreted in the distant past.
Source: ABC.net.au / Caters