Polytheistic peoples from many cultures have postulated a thunder god, the personification or source 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 known as the chief or King of the Gods, e.g.

Indra Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...

in Hinduism, Zeus in Greek mythology, and Perun in ancient Slavic religion.

Thunder gods

Mediterranean

* God in Abrahamic religions * Teshub ( Hurrian mythology) * Adad,

Bel BEL can be an abbreviation for: * The ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 country code for Belgium * ''BEL'' or bell character in the C0 control code set * Belarusian language, in the ISO 639-2 and SIL country code lists * Bharat Electronics Limited, an Indian stat ...

, Ishkur,

Marduk Marduk (Cuneiform: dAMAR.UTU; Sumerian: ''amar utu.k'' "calf of the sun; solar calf"; ) was a god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of the city of Babylon. When Babylon became the political center of the Euphrates valley in the time of ...

( Babylonian-Assyrian mythology) * Baʿal,

Hadad Hadad ( uga, ), Haddad, Adad (Akkadian: 𒀭𒅎 '' DIM'', pronounced as ''Adād''), or Iškur ( Sumerian) was the storm and rain god in the Canaanite and ancient Mesopotamian religions. He was attested in Ebla as "Hadda" in c. 2500 BCE. ...

( Canaanite and

Phoenician mythology Sanchuniathon (; Ancient Greek: ; probably from Phoenician: , "Sakon has given"), also known as Sanchoniatho the Berytian, was a Phoenician author. His three works, originally written in the Phoenician language, survive only in partial paraphras ...

) *

Set Set, The Set, SET or SETS may refer to: Science, technology, and mathematics Mathematics *Set (mathematics), a collection of elements *Category of sets, the category whose objects and morphisms are sets and total functions, respectively Electro ...

( Egyptian mythology) * Aplu (Hurrian mythology) * Tarḫunna ( Hittite mythology) * Tarḫunz (

Luwian mythology Luwian religion was the religious and mythological beliefs and practices of the Luwians, an Indo-European people of Asia Minor, which is detectable from the Bronze Age until the early Roman empire. It was strongly affected by foreign influence in ...

) * Vahagn (Armenian Mythology) * Zibelthiurdos (

Thracian mythology The Thracian religion refers to the mythology, ritual practices and beliefs of the Thracians, a collection of closely related ancient Indo-European peoples who inhabited eastern and southeastern Europe and northwestern Anatolia throughout antiquit ...

) * Zeus ( Greek Mythology) * Jupiter ( Roman Mythology) *

Northwestern Eurasia

* Armazi (god) Georgian Mythology * Afi ( Abkhaz Mythology) * Ambisagrus, Loucetios (Gaulish mythology) * Atämshkai ( Moksha mythology) *

Gebeleizis Gebeleizis (or ''Gebeleixis'', ''Nebeleizis'') was a god worshiped by the Getae, probably related to the Thracian god of storm and lightning, Zibelthiurdos.Tomashek, ''Die Alten Thraker'', II, page 62 He was represented as a handsome man, sometimes ...

(

Dacian mythology The Dacians (; la, Daci ; grc-gre, Δάκοι, Δάοι, Δάκαι) were the ancient Indo-European inhabitants of the cultural region of Dacia, located in the area near the Carpathian Mountains and west of the Black Sea. They are often consi ...

) * Horagalles (

Sami mythology Acronyms * SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft * Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company * South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise net ...

) * Jupiter,

Summanus Summanus ( lat, Summānus) was the god of nocturnal thunder in ancient Roman religion, as counterposed to Jupiter, the god of diurnal (daylight) thunder. His precise nature was unclear even to Ovid. Pliny thought that he was of Etruscan origin, ...

( Roman mythology) * Orko ( Basque mythology) * Perëndi ( Albanian mythology) * Perkūnas ( Baltic mythology) * Perkwunos ( Proto-Indo-European mythology) * Perun ( Slavic mythology) * Ukko or

Perkele Perkele () is a Finnish word meaning "evil spirit" and a popular Finnish profanity, used similarly to English " god damn", although it is considered much more profane. It is most likely the most internationally known Finnish curse word. Origins T ...

( Finnish mythology) *

Taranis In Celtic mythology, Taranis (Proto-Celtic: *''Toranos'', earlier ''*Tonaros''; Latin: Taranus, earlier Tanarus) is the god of thunder, who was worshipped primarily in Gaul, Hispania, Britain, and Ireland, but also in the Rhineland and Danube reg ...

( Pan-Celtic) * Tharapita or

Taara Taara (variations of the name include Tooru, Tharapita and Tarapitha), also known as Uku or Jumal, is a prominent god in Estonian mythology, with a strong resemblance to the Finnish Ukko and the Germanic Thor. History The Chronicle of Henry of ...

( Estonian mythology) * Thor ( Germanic mythology) *

Fulgora :''This article refers to the insect genus; for the Roman mythological figure, see Fulgora (mythology)'' The fulgorid genus ''Fulgora'' contains several large Central and South American planthoppers known by a large variety of common names inclu ...

(Roman mythology) *

Astrape and Bronte Astrape and Bronte (Ancient Greek: Astrapē", lit. "Lightning" Brontē", lit. "Thunder" are, in Greek mythology, the goddesses of lightning and thunder. As members of Zeus' entourage, they were his shield bearers, given the task of carrying his ...

(Greek mythology)

East Asia

Dianmu Dianmu (), also known as Leizi, is the Chinese goddess of lightning, who is said to have used flashing mirrors to send bolts of lightning across the sky. She is married to Leigong, the god of thunder. She is one of the gods who work together to ...

* Leigong () * Raijin () *

Susanoo __FORCETOC__ Susanoo (; historical orthography: , ) is a in Japanese mythology. The younger brother of Amaterasu, goddess of the sun and mythical ancestress of the Japanese imperial line, he is a multifaceted deity with contradictory chara ...

()

South Asia

(

Hindu mythology Hindu mythology is the body of myths and literature attributed to, and espoused by, the adherents of the Hindu religion, found in Hindu texts such as the Vedic literature, epics like ''Mahabharata'' and ''Ramayana'', the Puranas, and reg ...

and

Buddhist mythology The Buddhist traditions have created and maintained a vast body of mythological literature. The central myth of Buddhism is the life of the Buddha. This is told in relatively realistic terms in the earliest texts, and was soon elaborated into ...

) * Parjanya (Hindu mythology) *

Raja Indainda In Batak mythology Batak mythology is the original belief that was once adopted by the Batak people of North Sumatra, Indonesia, namely before the arrival of Protestant, Catholic, or Islamic religions. There are various '' tarombo'' (ancestor myt ...

(

Batak mythology Batak mythology is the original belief that was once adopted by the Batak people of North Sumatra, Indonesia, namely before the arrival of Protestant, Catholic, or Islamic religions. There are various '' tarombo'' (ancestor myth) versions written ...

) * Vajrapani (Buddhist mythology) * Dino Siwek (Hebraica mythology)

Vietnam

Thiên Lôi Thiên is a Vietnamese word which can refer to: * Thiền, a Vietnamese version of Zen Buddhism People * Lê Hoàng Thiên * Mẫu Thượng Thiên * Quốc Thiên * Thiên Y A Na * Thừa Thiên (empress) * Thuận Thiên (Trần dynasty empress) ...

(

Chữ Hán Chữ Hán (𡨸漢, literally "Chinese characters", ), Chữ Nho (𡨸儒, literally "Confucian characters", ) or Hán tự (漢字, ), is the Vietnamese term for Chinese characters, used to write Văn ngôn (which is a form of Classical Chinese ...

: 天雷) * Bà Sét ( Chữ Nôm: 婆𩂶) * Pháp Lôi (

: 法雷) * Pháp Điện (

: 法電) * Beni Xi-nazy (

: 法電)

Philippines

*Kidul (Kalinga mythology)Zaide, S. M. (1999). The Philippines: A Unique Nation. All-Nations Publishing. *Ovug (Ifugao mythology) *Aninitud angachar (Ifugao mythology) *Child of Kabunian (Ibaloi mythology) *Kidu (Bugkalot mythology) *Revenador (Ilocano mythology) * Bathala (Tagalog mythology) *Kidlat (Tagalog mythology) *Gugurang (Bicolano mythology) *Linti (Bicolano mythology) *Dalodog (Bicolano mythology) *Kaptan (Bisaya mythology) *Linting Habughabug (Capiznon mythology) *Ribung Linti (Suludnon mythology) *Upu Kuyaw (Pala'wan mythology) *God of Animals (Surigaonon mythology) *Diwata Magbabaya/Bathala (Subanon mythology) *Anit/Anitan (Manobo mythology) *Spirit of Lightning and Thunder (Teduray mythology)

Americas

* Thunderbird (Iroquois and Huron mythology) *

Aktzin Aktzin (alternate spellings: Aktsin, Aktsini, Aktziní) was the god of rain, thunder and lightning for the Totonac people in ancient Mexico. Variants of this deity were known as Tláloc to the Aztecs and Chaac to the Mayas. Aktzin was typical ...

(Totonac mythology) *

Haokah The heyoka (, also spelled "haokah," "heyokha") is a kind of sacred clown in the culture of the Sioux (Lakota and Dakota people) of the Great Plains of North America. The heyoka is a contrarian, jester, and satirist, who speaks, moves and reacts ...

(Lakota mythology) * Xolotl and Tlaloc (Aztec mythology) * Cocijo (Zapotec mythology) *

Chaac Chaac (also spelled Chac or, in Classic Mayan, Chaahk ) is the name of the Maya god of rain, thunder, and lighting. With his lightning axe, Chaac strikes the clouds, causing them to produce thunder and rain. Chaac corresponds to Tlaloc among ...

(Maya mythology) * Yopaat (Maya mythology) * Chibchacum (Muisca mythology) *

Apocatequil Inca mythology or religion includes many stories and legends that attempt to explain or symbolize Inca beliefs. Basic beliefs Scholarly research demonstrates that Runa ( Quechua speakers) belief systems were integrated with their view of the ...

(Incan mythology) *

Illapa Inca mythology or religion includes many stories and legends that attempt to explain or symbolize Inca beliefs. Basic beliefs Scholarly research demonstrates that Runa (Quechua speakers) belief systems were integrated with their view of the c ...

(Incan mythology) *

Tunupa Tunupa is a dormant volcano in the Potosí Department of southwestern Bolivia. It stands on the northern side of the Salar de Uyuni at an elevation of on the Bolivian Altiplano. Tunupa was active in the Pleistocene, with most of the volcano cons ...

(Aymara mythology) * Tupã (Guaraní mythology) *

Kasogonagá Kasogonagá (also spelled as Gasogonaga, Qasoxonaxa, and many other variations) is a Toba people, Toba weather goddess. She appears to shamans, or ''pio’oxonak'', in visions induced by psychoactive plants, and is described as a colorful animal w ...

(Toba mythology) * Mur (Atibaia’s mythology)

Africa

* Shango (god of thunder and lightning, Yoruba Nigeria) * Oya (goddess of hurricanes, storms, death and rebirth, consort of Shango in Yoruba religion) *

( Egyptian mythology) * Nzazi (god of thunder and lightning; master of thunder dogs in Kongo mythology) * Azaka-Tonnerre ( West African Vodun/

Haitian Vodou Haitian Vodou is an African diasporic religion that developed in Haiti between the 16th and 19th centuries. It arose through a process of syncretism between several traditional religions of West and Central Africa and Roman Catholicism. There is ...

) *

Mulungu Mulungu is a common name of the creator deity in a number of Bantu languages and cultures over East, Central and Southern Africa.Gonzales, cap. 3 This includes Yao, Nyamwezi, Shambaa, Kamba, Sukuma, Rufiji, Turu, Ameru and Kikuyu. In tr ...

* Xevioso (alternately: Xewioso, Heviosso. Thunder god of the So region) *

Amadioha Amadioha is the Arusi or Agbara of thunder and lightning of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. He is amongst the most popular of Igbo deities and in some parts of Igboland, he is referred to as Amadiora, Kamalu (which is short for ''Kalu ...

(Igbo, Nigeria) * Obuma. Also Abasi Obuma (god of thunder, Ibibio-Efik Mythology, Nigeria) * Àlamei (So region) *

Kiwanuka Kiwanuka may refer to: * Prince Wasajja Kiwanuka (born 1980), a royal Prince from Buganda Kingdom, Uganda * Benedicto Kiwanuka (1922–1972), first Prime Minister of Uganda * Mathias Kiwanuka (born 1983), player in the NFL, grandson of Benedicto K ...

(god of thunder and lightning, Buganda, Uganda) * Umvelinqangi (god of thunder, earthquakes, sun and sky in Zulu mythology) * Ta Kora (God of War and Strife in the Akom religion, as well as God of Thunder and lightning in the Northern Akan peoples' sect of Akom, such as the Asante) * Bobowissi (God of Thunder in the Southern Akan peoples' sect of Akom, such as the Fante. Also rival to Tano)

Oceania

Haikili In Hawaiian mythology, Kanehekili is the brother Pele and Hiʻiaka (among others) by Haumea. He is the god of thunder. He was born from the mouth of Haumea. During thunderstorms followers of Kanehekili remain silent. Legend holds that two stones ...

( Polynesian mythology) * Tāwhaki (Polynesian mythology) * Kaha'i (Polynesian mythology) * Te Uira (Polynesian mythology) * Nan Sapwe ( Pohnpeian mythology)

Australia

* Mamaragan ( Australian Aboriginal ( Kunwinjku) mythology)

New Zealand

* Whaitiri (

Māori mythology Māori mythology and Māori traditions are two major categories into which the remote oral history of New Zealand's Māori may be divided. Māori myths concern fantastic tales relating to the origins of what was the observable world for the pr ...

) * Tāwhirimātea (Māori mythology)

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

Itihasa Itihasa () refers to the collection of written descriptions of important events in Hinduism. It includes the Mahabharata, the Puranas and the Ramayana. The Mahabharata includes the story of the Kurukshetra War and preserves the traditions of ...

s, 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 Elysian Fields, 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 struck by lightning, ''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 Jan Assmann (born Johann Christoph Assmann; born 7 July 1938) is a German Egyptologist. Life and works Assmann studied Egyptology and classical archaeology in Munich, Heidelberg, Paris, and Göttingen. In 1966–67, he was a fellow of the German ...

has also suggested that Greek ''Elysion'' may have instead been derived from the

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

term '' ialu'' (older ''iaru''), meaning "reeds," with specific reference to the "

Reed fields __NOTOC__ In ancient Egyptian mythology, Aaru (; egy, jꜣrw "Reeds, rushes"), known also as '' sḫt-jꜣrw'' or the Field of Reeds, is the heavenly paradise where Osiris rules. It has been described as the '' ka'' (a part of the soul) of t ...

" (Egyptian: '' sekhet iaru'' / ''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 * H. Munro Chadwick, ''The Oak and the Thunder-God'', Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (1900).

Music

Gene Simmons Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz; he, חיים ויץ, ; born August 25, 1949) is an Israeli-American musician. Also known by his stage persona The Demon, he is the bassist and co-lead singer of Kiss, the hard rock band he co-founded with Paul ...

of KISS's title song is " God of Thunder", regarding his "Demon" onstage persona. * Rick Allen of Def Leppard was first referred to as the "Thunder God" by

Joe Elliott Joseph Thomas "Joe" Elliott (born 1 August 1959) is an English–Irish rock singer, best known as the lead singer and one of the founding members of the hard rock band Def Leppard. He has also been the lead singer of the David Bowie tribute ba ...

, the lead singer, during the first concert of the

Hysteria World Tour Hysteria is a term used colloquially to mean ungovernable emotional excess and can refer to a temporary state of mind or emotion. In the nineteenth century, hysteria was considered a diagnosable physical illness in women. It is assumed that ...

. *In June 2019, Eagles Of Death Metal released a cover of KISS's “God Of Thunder”.

Video games

* Raiden (''

Mortal Kombat ''Mortal Kombat'' is an American media franchise centered on a series of video games originally developed by Midway Games in 1992. The development of the first game was originally based on an idea that Ed Boon and John Tobias had of making a v ...

'') * Cidolfus Orlandeau ('' Final Fantasy Tactics'') * Orlanth (''

King of Dragon Pass ''King of Dragon Pass'' is a 1999 strategy simulation fantasy video game published by A Sharp. Set in the fictional world of Glorantha, the player controls the fate of a barbarian clan settling in the dangerous frontier region of Dragon Pass. ...

'', ''Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind'', and the fictional Glorantha setting in which these games are set) * Enel ('' One Piece'') * Raikou (''

Pokémon (an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures (company), Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise. In terms of ...

'') * Thundurus (''Pokémon'') * Karana ('' EverQuest'') * Phosphora ('' Kid Icarus: Uprising''), although she is not a goddess, but a heavenly warrior in the service of Viridi * Ishtar ('' Fire Emblem''), given the title of Goddess of Thunder due to wielding the holy thunder tome Mjölnir * Raiden Shogun () ('' Genshin Impact''), also known as Ei, one of the current seven archons

References

{{List of mythological figures by region Comparative mythology Thunder