Before they knew what electricity was, what did people think static shock was?

by skelevator
SkyPork

Or, for that matter, lightning?

UghImRegistered

Couple of previous threads from the FAQ to add to any answers here:

Answered by /u/Ragleur: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/24v121/how_was_static_electricity_rationalized_before

Answered by /u/sn34kypete:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2fg7di/before_the_discovery_of_electricity_what_did