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Leizhenzi, also known as Thunderbolt, was a character from the classic Ming Dynasty novel 'Fengshen Yanyi'. A celestial being and thunder god, Leizhenzi was created by a great thunderstorm that hit Mount Swallow. While travelling through Mount Swallow, Ji Chang (King Wen of Zhou) came upon a small newborn baby, and took the baby in as his own. However, the immortal Yunzhongzi would soon take the newborn away as his disciple, knowing that Leizhenzi was destined to assist in the formation of the Zhou Dynasty.<br/><br/> After seven years, when Ji Chang was fleeing for his life from the capital city of the Shang Dynasty after being freed, the seven-year-old Leizhenzi was ordered by his master to go aid his father, but first had to take hold of his weapon, a golden rod, from the cliff's edge. Eating two large apricots he found near the cliff edge, he suddenly grew two great wings from his back, and his face became birdlike and monstrous. He then armed himself and went to aid his father.<br/><br/> He rescued his father, returning him to Phoenix City, the capital of Ji Province. He parted ways with his father after that, promising to return someday to aid him, which he would after Ji Chang's death and the rise of Leizhenzi's brother, Ken Wu of Zhou. He would fight alongside his brother against the Shang army, helping to bring down the Shang Dynasty. Leiznhenzi is possibly an analogue and derivative of Lei Gong, who is also a Chinese thunder god with a birdlike appearance.
The construction of the Mahabuddha Temple, located in a claustrophobically narrow courtyard, was begun in 1585 during the reign of King Mahendra Malla by a Newari Brahman called Abhayaraja Shakya. Abhayaraja had spent three years on a pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya in India, the place where Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. On his return, Abhayaraja brought with him a Buddha statue for which he endeavoured to build a temple similar to the famous Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya. Well-prepared for the task, Abhayaraja carried with him a model of the original temple in India, which was to be copied in Patan.<br/><br/> Though built on a much smaller scale than the original, the construction of the Mahabuddha Temple in Patan reputedly took several generations. After Abhayaraja Shakya had died, his sons and their descendents carried on the work. Records also seem to indicate that the temple turned out somewhat different from the original in India, which may have been due to the difficulties in working from a small-scale model such as Abhayaraja must have brought from India.<br/><br/> During the earthquake of 1934 the temple was severely damaged and, due to lack of photographs or drawings, the restoration had to be done entirely from memory. The outcome was bound to be different from the original structure.
The construction of the Mahabuddha Temple, located in a claustrophobically narrow courtyard, was begun in 1585 during the reign of King Mahendra Malla by a Newari Brahman called Abhayaraja Shakya. Abhayaraja had spent three years on a pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya in India, the place where Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. On his return, Abhayaraja brought with him a Buddha statue for which he endeavoured to build a temple similar to the famous Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya. Well-prepared for the task, Abhayaraja carried with him a model of the original temple in India, which was to be copied in Patan.<br/><br/> Though built on a much smaller scale than the original, the construction of the Mahabuddha Temple in Patan reputedly took several generations. After Abhayaraja Shakya had died, his sons and their descendents carried on the work. Records also seem to indicate that the temple turned out somewhat different from the original in India, which may have been due to the difficulties in working from a small-scale model such as Abhayaraja must have brought from India.<br/><br/> During the earthquake of 1934 the temple was severely damaged and, due to lack of photographs or drawings, the restoration had to be done entirely from memory. The outcome was bound to be different from the original structure.
In the Ugaritic Levant, Baal was variously seen as the God of Fertility, Weather, Rain, Wind, Lightning, Seasons, War, Patron of Sailors and sea-going merchants, leader of the Rephaim (ancestral spirits), and finally King of the gods
The Pyu city states were a group of city-states that existed from c. 2nd century BC to c. mid-11th century in present-day Upper Burma (Myanmar). The city-states were founded as part of the southward migration by the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu, the earliest inhabitants of Burma of whom records are extant. The thousand-year period, often referred to as the Pyu millennium, linked the Bronze Age to the beginning of the classical states period when the Pagan Kingdom emerged in the late 9th century.<br/><br/> The city-states—five major walled cities and several smaller towns have been excavated—were all located in the three main irrigated regions of Upper Burma: the Mu valley, the Kyaukse plains and Minbu region, around the confluence of the Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers. Part of an overland trade route between China and India, the Pyu realm gradually expanded south. Halin, founded in the 1st century AD at the northern edge of Upper Burma, was the largest and most important city until around the 7th or 8th century when it was superseded by Sri Ksetra (near modern Pyay) at the southern edge. Twice as large as Halin, Sri Ksetra was the largest and most influential Pyu center.<br/><br/> The Pyu culture was heavily influenced by trade with India, importing Buddhism as well as other cultural, architectural and political concepts, which would have an enduring influence on later Burmese culture and political organization. The Pyu calendar, based on the Buddhist calendar, later became the Burmese calendar. Latest scholarship, though yet not settled, suggests that the Pyu script, based on the Indian Brahmi script, may have been the source of the Burmese script.
The Pyu city states were a group of city-states that existed from c. 2nd century BC to c. mid-11th century in present-day Upper Burma (Myanmar). The city-states were founded as part of the southward migration by the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu, the earliest inhabitants of Burma of whom records are extant. The thousand-year period, often referred to as the Pyu millennium, linked the Bronze Age to the beginning of the classical states period when the Pagan Kingdom emerged in the late 9th century.<br/><br/> The city-states—five major walled cities and several smaller towns have been excavated—were all located in the three main irrigated regions of Upper Burma: the Mu valley, the Kyaukse plains and Minbu region, around the confluence of the Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers. Part of an overland trade route between China and India, the Pyu realm gradually expanded south. Halin, founded in the 1st century AD at the northern edge of Upper Burma, was the largest and most important city until around the 7th or 8th century when it was superseded by Sri Ksetra (near modern Pyay) at the southern edge. Twice as large as Halin, Sri Ksetra was the largest and most influential Pyu center.<br/><br/> The Pyu culture was heavily influenced by trade with India, importing Buddhism as well as other cultural, architectural and political concepts, which would have an enduring influence on later Burmese culture and political organization. The Pyu calendar, based on the Buddhist calendar, later became the Burmese calendar. Latest scholarship, though yet not settled, suggests that the Pyu script, based on the Indian Brahmi script, may have been the source of the Burmese script.
Typhon was the most deadly monster of Greek mythology. The last son of Gaia, fathered by Tartarus, he was known as the 'Father of All Monsters'; his wife Echidna was likewise the 'Mother of All Monsters'.<br/><br/> Typhon was described in pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheke, as the largest and most fearsome of all creatures. His human upper half reached as high as the stars, and his hands reached east and west. Instead of a human head, a hundred dragon heads erupted from his neck and shoulders (some, however, depict him as having a human head, with the dragon heads replacing the fingers on his hands). His bottom half consisted of gigantic viper coils that could reach the top of his head when stretched out and constantly made a hissing noise. His whole body was covered in wings, and fire flashed from his eyes, striking fear even into the Olympians.<br/><br/> Typhon attempts to destroy Zeus at the will of Gaia, because Zeus had imprisoned the Titans. Typhon overcomes Zeus in their first battle, and tears out Zeus' sinews. However, Hermes recovers the sinews and restores them to Zeus. Typhon is finally defeated by Zeus, who traps him underneath Mount Etna.