Rudra first appears in early Hinduism, in particular in the Vedas, Rudra was the malevolent god of storm and wind, and is also considered to have been the god of death. Rudra’s name means “The Howler,” possibly because of the shrieking storms Rudra was thought to have caused. He was believed to fire arrows of sickness at gods, men and animals. But as Hinduism evolved in the later texts, Rudra’s appearance and significance changed. Rudra became a beneficent and beautiful god, the lord of the animals and the patron of hunters, and he eventually evolved into the god Shiva, one of the most prominent deities of Hinduism.