A thunderbolt or lightning bolt is a symbolic representation of
lightning when accompanied by a loud
thunderclap. In Indo-European mythology, the thunderbolt was identified with the
'Sky Father'; this association is also found in later
Hellenic representations of
Zeus and
Vedic descriptions of the vajra wielded by the god
Indra. It may have been a symbol of cosmic order, as expressed in the fragment from
Heraclitus describing "the Thunderbolt that steers the course of all things".[1]
In its original usage the word may also have been a description of the consequences of a close approach between two planetary cosmic bodies, as
Plato suggested in Timaeus,[2] or, according to
Victor Clube, meteors,[3] though this is not currently the case. As a divine manifestation the thunderbolt has been a powerful symbol throughout history, and has appeared in many
mythologies. Drawing from this powerful association, the thunderbolt is often found in military symbolism and
semiotic representations of electricity.
Lightning plays a role in many mythologies, often as the weapon of a
sky god and
weather god. As such, it is an unsurpassed method of dramatic instantaneous retributive destruction: thunderbolts as divine weapons can be found in many mythologies.
in the
Torah, the word for 'arrow', khets×—Öµ×¥, is used for the "arrows" of
YHWH/
Elohim, which are represented as lightnings in
Habakuk 3:11, but also as general calamities inflicted on men as divine punishment in
Deuteronomy 32:42,
Psalm 64:7,
Job 6:4, etc.
In
Christianity, One of its most significant verses is Deuteronomy 6:4, Verses 6:4–5 were also quoted by
Jesus in Mark 12:28–34 as the
Great Commandment. The
Second Coming of
Jesus is compared to lightning (
Matthew 24: 27,
Luke 17: 24). With the establishment of Christianity, it passed into popular belief that lightning is the fire that leaves behind the chariot of the Prophet
Elijah as it runs through the sky, while thunder is the rattle of the feet of the horses that drag his chariot. According to another tradition, lightning and thunder are more island-like are the cannons fired by the
Archangel Michael against
Satan.[4]
In
Hittite (and
Hurrian) mythology, a triple thunderbolt was one symbol of
Teshub (Tarhunt).
In
Greek mythology, the thunderbolt is a weapon given to
Zeus by the
Cyclopes. Based on this, in
Roman mythology, the thunderbolt is a weapon given to
Jupiter by the Cyclopes, and is thus one of the emblems of Jupiter, often depicted on Greek and Roman coins and elsewhere as an eagle holding in its claws a thunderbolt which resembles in form a bundle of crossed sticks.[5]
In
Paleo-Balkan mythology, Zibelthiurdos (also "Zbelsurdos", "Zibelthurdos"): a god recognized as similar to the Greek
Zeus as a wielder of lightning and thunderbolts.
In
Chinese mythology,
Lei Gong uses thunderbolts as a weapon and his wife,
Dian Mu, creates the accompanying lightning flashes with her mirror.
Thunderstones
The name "thunderbolt" or "thunderstone" has also been traditionally applied to the fossilised
rostra of
belemnoids. The origin of these bullet-shaped stones was not understood, and thus a mythological explanation of stones created where a lightning struck has arisen.[6]
In the modern world
The thunderbolt or lightning bolt continues into the modern world as a prominent symbol; it has entered modern
heraldry and military iconography.
In iconography
The thunderbolt is used as an electrical symbol.[7]
A thunderbolt is used in the
logo of the Australian hard rock band
AC/DC.
A thunderbolt is used in the logo of the German car manufacturer
Opel.
The thunderbolt is used in the logo of the Power Rangers franchise.
In the Harry Potter franchise, the scar on
Harry's forehead is in the shape of a thunderbolt.
The letter "P" in the Harry Potter logo is also stylized in the shape of a thunderbolt.
In the novel The Godfather, "being hit with the thunderbolt" is an Italian expression (colpo di fulmine) referring to a man being spellbound at the sight of a beautiful woman (like the so-called love at first sight). The novel's emerging main character is affected in this fashion and eventually marries a woman whose appearance initially affects him in this way.
Gallery
Typical
cartoon representations of thunderbolts (lightning bolts)