Polytheism peoples from many cultures have postulated a thunder deity, the creator or personification of the forces of thunder and lightning; a lightning god does not have a typical depiction and will vary based on the culture.
In Indo-European cultures, the thunder god is frequently depicted as male and known as the chief or King of the Gods, e.g.: Indra in Hinduism, Zeus in Greek mythology, Zojz in Albanian mythology, and Perun in ancient Slavic paganism.
Mediterranean
Greco-Roman
Northwestern Eurasia
Africa
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Shango (god of thunder and lightning, Yoruba Nigeria)
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Oya (goddess of hurricanes, storms, death and rebirth, consort of Shango in Yoruba religion)
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Set (Egyptian mythology)
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Nzazi (god of thunder and lightning; master of thunder dogs in Kongo religion)
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Azaka-Tonnerre (West African Vodun/Haitian Vodou)
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Mulungu
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Xevioso (alternately: Xewioso, Heviosso. Thunder god of the So region . Dahomey mythology)
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Amadioha (Igbo, Nigeria)
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Obuma (god of thunder, Efik mythology, Nigeria)
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Kiwanuka (god of thunder and lightning, Buganda, Uganda)
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Umvelinqangi (god of thunder, earthquakes, sun and sky in Zulu mythology)
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Ta Kora (God of War and Strife in the Akan religion, as well as God of Thunder and lightning in the Northern Akan peoples' sect of Akom, such as the Asante people)
Asia
South Asia
East Asia
Chinese
Japanese
Southeast Asia
Filipino
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Kidul (Kalinga mythology)
[Zaide, S. M. (1999). The Philippines: A Unique Nation. All-Nations Publishing.]
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Ovug (Ifugao mythology)
[Beyer, H. O. (1913). Origin Myths Among the Mountain Peoples of the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Science, 85–117.]
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Aninitud angachar (Ifugao mythology)
[Bimmolog, H., Sallong, L., Montemayor, L. (2005). The Deities of the Animistic Religion of Mayaoyao, Ifugao.]
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Child of Kabunian (Ibaloi mythology)
[Moss, C. R. (1924). Nabaloi Tales. University of California Publications in American Archaeology, 227–353.]
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Kidu (Bugkalot mythology)
[Wilson, L. L. (1947). Ilongot Life and Legends. Southeast Asia Institute.]
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Revenador (Ilocano mythology)
[Alacacin, C. (1952). The Gods and Goddesses. Historical and Cultural Data of Provinces.]
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Bathala (Tagalog mythology)
[Jocano, F. L. (1969). Philippine Mythology. Quezon City: Capitol Publishing House Inc.]
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Kidlat (Tagalog mythology)
[Romulo, L. (2019). Filipino Children's Favorite Stories. China: Tuttle Publishing, Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.]
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Gugurang (Bicolano mythology)
[Vibal, H. (1923). Asuang Steals Fire from Gugurang. Ethnography of The Bikol People, ii.]
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Linti (Bicolano mythology)
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Dalodog (Bicolano mythology)
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Kaptan (Bisaya mythology)
[Hill, P. (1934). Philippine Short Stories. Manila: Oriental Commercial Company.]
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Linting Habughabug (Capiznon mythology)
[Cruz-Lucero, R., Pototanon, R. M. (2018). Capiznon. With contributions by E. Arsenio Manuel. In Our Islands, Our People: The Histories and Cultures of the Filipino Nation, edited by Cruz-Lucero, R.]
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Ribung Linti (Suludnon mythology)
[Jocano, F. L. (1958). The Sulod: A Mountain People In Central Panay, Philippines. Ateneo de Manila University]
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Upu Kuyaw (Pala'wan mythology)
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God of Animals (Surigaonon mythology)
[Esteban, R. C., Casanova, A. R., Esteban, I. C. (2011). Folktales of Southern Philippines. Anvil Publishing.]
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Diwata Magbabaya/Bathala (Subanon mythology)
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Anit/Anitan (Manobo mythology)
[Jocano, F. L. (1969). Philippine Mythology. Quezon City: Capitol Publishing House Inc.]
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Spirit of Lightning and Thunder (Teduray mythology)
[Wood, G. L. (1957). Philippine Sociological Review Vol. 5, No. 2: The Tiruray. Philippine Sociological Society.]
Oceania
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Haikili (Polynesian mythology)
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Tāwhaki (Polynesian mythology)
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Kaha'i (Polynesian mythology)
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Te Uira (Polynesian mythology)
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Nan Sapwe (Pohnpei)
Australia
New Zealand
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Whaitiri (Māori mythology)
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Tāwhirimātea (Māori mythology)
Americas
In literature
The Hindu God Indra was the chief deity and at his prime during the
Vedic period, where he was considered to be the supreme God.
Indra was initially recorded in the
Rigveda, the first of the religious scriptures that comprise the
Vedas.
Indra continued to play a prominent role throughout the evolution of Hinduism and played a pivotal role in the two Sanskrit epics that comprise the
, appearing in both the
Ramayana and
Mahabharata. Although the importance of Indra has since been subsided in favor of other Gods in contemporary Hinduism, he is still venerated and worshipped.
In Greek mythology, the Elysium, or the Elysian Plains, was the final resting places of the souls of the heroic and the virtuous, evolved from a designation of a place or person Thunderbolt, enelysion, enelysios.[Walter Burkert, Greek Religion, 1985. p. 198.] This could be a reference to Zeus, the god of lightning, so "lightning-struck" could be saying that the person was blessed (struck) by Zeus (/lightning/fortune). Egyptologist Jan Assmann has also suggested that Greek Elysion may have instead been derived from the Egyptian term Aaru (older iaru), meaning "reeds," with specific reference to the "Reed fields" (Egyptian: Aaru / ialu), a paradisiacal land of plenty where the dead hoped to spend eternity.[Assmann, Jan (2001). Death and Salvation in Ancient Egypt. Cornell University Press. p. 392]
See also
