A bolt of lightning in the sky
Lei Kung was the Chinese god of thunder, and his wife, Lei Zi, was the goddess of lightning. He makes thunder with his hammer, like the German god Thor, and Lei Zi makes lightning with her mirrors. Artists drew Lei Kung with a bird’s head and wings and claws, and blue skin, and he rode in a chariot pulled by six boys.
What is thunder and lightning?
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More about Chinese gods
Bibliography and further reading about Chinese gods:
The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient China, by Leonard Everett Fisher (2003). . One page for each god, with lots of pictures and some historical context.
Five Heavenly Emperors: Chinese Myths of Creation, by Song Nan Zhang (1994). Stories .
Chinese Mythology A to Z, by Jeremy Roberts (2004).
Dragons and Demons : Myths of China, by Stewart Ross (1998). A few Chinese stories, retold .
Dragons, Gods and Spirits from Chinese Mythology, by Tao Sanders (1983). More of a child’s encyclopedia.
