List of thunder gods

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

Thunder gods

East Asia

China

Dianmu (Chinese: 電母)
Leigong (Chinese: 雷公)

Japanese

Ajisukitakahikone (Japanese: アヂスキタカヒコネ)
Raijin (Japanese: 雷神)
Raitaro (Japanese: 雷太郎)
Tenman Daijizai Tenjin (Japanese: 天満大自在天神)
Susanoo (Japanese: スサノオ)
Yakusanoikazuchi (Japanese: 八雷神)

Southeast Asia

Vietnam

Thiên Lôi (chữ Hán: 天雷)
Bà Sét (chữ Nôm: 婆𩂶)
Pháp Lôi (chữ Hán: 法雷)
Pháp Điện (chữ Hán: 法電)

Laos

Xob (Hmong)

Philippines

Kidul (Kalinga mythology)^[1]
Ovug (Ifugao mythology)^[2]
Aninitud angachar (Ifugao mythology)^[3]
Child of Kabunian (Ibaloi mythology)^[4]
Kidu (Bugkalot mythology)^[5]
Revenador (Ilocano mythology)^[6]
Bathala (Tagalog mythology)^[7]
Kidlat (Tagalog mythology)^[8]
Gugurang (Bicolano mythology)^[9]
Linti (Bicolano mythology)^[9]
Dalodog (Bicolano mythology)^[9]
Kaptan (Bisaya mythology)^[10]
Linting Habughabug (Capiznon mythology)^[11]
Ribung Linti (Suludnon mythology)^[12]
Upu Kuyaw (Pala'wan mythology)^[13]
God of Animals (Surigaonon mythology)^[14]
Diwata Magbabaya/Bathala (Subanon mythology)^[14]
Anit/Anitan (Manobo mythology)^[15]
Spirit of Lightning and Thunder (Teduray mythology)^[16]

Oceania

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

Australia

Mamaragan (Australian Aboriginal (Kunwinjku) mythology)^[17]^[18]

New Zealand

Whaitiri (Māori mythology)^[19]
Tāwhirimātea (Māori mythology)^[19]

Americas

Thunderbird (Iroquois and Huron mythology)
Hé-no (Iroquois and Seneca mythology)
Aktzin (Totonac mythology)
Wakíŋyaŋ (Sioux/Lakota mythology)
Xolotl and Tlaloc (Aztec mythology)
Cocijo (Zapotec mythology)
Chaac (Maya mythology)
Yopaat (Maya mythology)
Chibchacum (Muisca mythology)
Apocatequil (Inca mythology)
Illapa (Inca mythology)
Tunupa (Aymara mythology)
Tupã (Guarani mythology)
Kasogonagá (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)
Set (Egyptian mythology)
Nzazi (god of thunder and lightning; master of thunder dogs in Kongo mythology)
Azaka-Tonnerre (West African Vodun/Haitian Vodou)
Mulungu
Xevioso (alternately: Xewioso, Heviosso. Thunder god of the So region)
Amadioha (Igbo, Nigeria)
Obuma (god of thunder, Ibibio-Efik Mythology, Nigeria)
Àlamei (So region)
Kiwanuka (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)

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.^[20]^[21] Indra was initially recorded in the Rigveda, the first of the religious scriptures that comprise the Vedas.^[22] 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 Itihasas, 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.^[23] 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 ialu (older iaru), meaning "reeds," with specific reference to the "Reed fields" (Egyptian: sekhet iaru / ialu), a paradisiacal land of plenty where the dead hoped to spend eternity.^[24]

References

[1]
Zaide, S. M. (1999). The Philippines: A Unique Nation. All-Nations Publishing.
[2]
Beyer, H. O. (1913). Origin Myths Among the Mountain Peoples of the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Science, 85–117.
[3]
Bimmolog, H., Sallong, L., Montemayor, L. (2005). The Deities of the Animistic Religion of Mayaoyao, Ifugao.
[4]
Moss, C. R. (1924). Nabaloi Tales. University of California Publications in American Archaeology, 227–353.
[5]
Wilson, L. L. (1947). Ilongot Life and Legends. Southeast Asia Institute.
[6]
Alacacin, C. (1952). The Gods and Goddesses. Historical and Cultural Data of Provinces.
[7]
Jocano, F. L. (1969). Philippine Mythology. Quezon City: Capitol Publishing House Inc.
[8]
Romulo, L. (2019). Filipino Children's Favorite Stories. China: Tuttle Publishing, Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.
[9]
Vibal, H. (1923). Asuang Steals Fire from Gugurang. Ethnography of The Bikol People, ii.
[10]
Hill, P. (1934). Philippine Short Stories. Manila: Oriental Commercial Company.
[11]
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.
[12]
Jocano, F. L. (1958). The Sulod: A Mountain People In Central Panay, Philippines. Ateneo de Manila University
[13]
"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 17, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
[14]
Esteban, R. C., Casanova, A. R., Esteban, I. C. (2011). Folktales of Southern Philippines. Anvil Publishing.
[15]
Jocano, F. L. (1969). Philippine Mythology. Quezon City: Capitol Publishing House Inc.
[16]
Wood, G. L. (1957). Philippine Sociological Review Vol. 5, No. 2: The Tiruray. Philippine Sociological Society.
[17]
Garde, Murray. "Bininj Kunwok Online Dictionary". njamed.com. Bininj Kunwok Regional Language Centre. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
[18]
Allen, Peter. "Mamaragan". Godchecker. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
[19]
Grey, Sir George (1885). "Polynesian mythology and ancient traditional history of the Māori as told by their priests and chiefs". Victoria University of Wellington (2 ed.). Auckland: H. Brett. p. 2. Retrieved 8 Jan 2022.
[20]
Perry, Edward Delavan (1885). "Indra in the Rig-Veda". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 11: 117–208. doi:10.2307/592191. JSTOR 592191.
[21]
Kaegi, Adolf (1886). The Rigveda: The Oldest Literature of the Indians. Boston: Ginn and Company. p. 40. ISBN 978-1428626676.
[22]
Kaegi, Adolf (1886). The Rigveda: The Oldest Literature of the Indians. Boston: Ginn and Company. p. 41. ISBN 978-1428626676.
[23]
Walter Burkert, Greek Religion, 1985. p. 198.
[24]
Assmann, Jan (2001). Death and Salvation in Ancient Egypt. Cornell University Press. p. 392

[Zaide,_S._M._1999-1] [1]
Zaide, S. M. (1999). The Philippines: A Unique Nation. All-Nations Publishing.

[2] [2]
Beyer, H. O. (1913). Origin Myths Among the Mountain Peoples of the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Science, 85–117.

[3] [3]
Bimmolog, H., Sallong, L., Montemayor, L. (2005). The Deities of the Animistic Religion of Mayaoyao, Ifugao.

[4] [4]
Moss, C. R. (1924). Nabaloi Tales. University of California Publications in American Archaeology, 227–353.

[5] [5]
Wilson, L. L. (1947). Ilongot Life and Legends. Southeast Asia Institute.

[6] [6]
Alacacin, C. (1952). The Gods and Goddesses. Historical and Cultural Data of Provinces.

[7] [7]
Jocano, F. L. (1969). Philippine Mythology. Quezon City: Capitol Publishing House Inc.

[8] [8]
Romulo, L. (2019). Filipino Children's Favorite Stories. China: Tuttle Publishing, Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

[:0-9] [9]
Vibal, H. (1923). Asuang Steals Fire from Gugurang. Ethnography of The Bikol People, ii.

[10] [10]
Hill, P. (1934). Philippine Short Stories. Manila: Oriental Commercial Company.

[11] [11]
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.

[12] [12]
Jocano, F. L. (1958). The Sulod: A Mountain People In Central Panay, Philippines. Ateneo de Manila University

[NLPDL-13] [13]
"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 17, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[:1-14] [14]
Esteban, R. C., Casanova, A. R., Esteban, I. C. (2011). Folktales of Southern Philippines. Anvil Publishing.

[15] [15]
Jocano, F. L. (1969). Philippine Mythology. Quezon City: Capitol Publishing House Inc.

[16] [16]
Wood, G. L. (1957). Philippine Sociological Review Vol. 5, No. 2: The Tiruray. Philippine Sociological Society.

[17] [17]
Garde, Murray. "Bininj Kunwok Online Dictionary". njamed.com. Bininj Kunwok Regional Language Centre. Retrieved 28 May 2019.

[18] [18]
Allen, Peter. "Mamaragan". Godchecker. Retrieved 7 April 2014.

[:2-19] [19]
Grey, Sir George (1885). "Polynesian mythology and ancient traditional history of the Māori as told by their priests and chiefs". Victoria University of Wellington (2 ed.). Auckland: H. Brett. p. 2. Retrieved 8 Jan 2022.

[20] [20]
Perry, Edward Delavan (1885). "Indra in the Rig-Veda". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 11: 117–208. doi:10.2307/592191. JSTOR 592191.

[21] [21]
Kaegi, Adolf (1886). The Rigveda: The Oldest Literature of the Indians. Boston: Ginn and Company. p. 40. ISBN 978-1428626676.

[22] [22]
Kaegi, Adolf (1886). The Rigveda: The Oldest Literature of the Indians. Boston: Ginn and Company. p. 41. ISBN 978-1428626676.

[burkert1982-23] [23]
Walter Burkert, Greek Religion, 1985. p. 198.

[24] [24]
Assmann, Jan (2001). Death and Salvation in Ancient Egypt. Cornell University Press. p. 392

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