Hephaestus - Mythology.

Hephaestus - Mythology. Greek The god of craftsmen, especially smiths, and of fire; called "the divine artificer." In some accounts, Hephaestus was the son of Zeus and Hera, in some of Hera alone. The Romans gave his attributes and stories to Vulcan. Hephaestus was lame from birth and not as handsome as the other gods on Olympus. Some myths say Zeus or Hera flung him from Mount Olympus in anger. He landed on the island of Lemnos, where the sea goddesses Thetis and Eurynome rescued him and looked after him until he was grown. Although lame, Hephaetus had strong shoulders and was an excellent craftsman, the patron of all smiths, and perhaps something of a magician. In Homer's Odyssey, Hephaestus was married to the beautiful goddess of love, Aphrodite, but she was 66 Helleniza tion unfaithful to him, and had many lovers, including Ares, the god of war. Hephaestus used his craftsmanship to get the better of Ares. Another story has it that Hephaestus cracked open the head of Zeus in order to release the goddess Athene. In other accounts (including Homer's Iliad) Aglaeia, one of the three graces, is the wife of Hephaestus. Hephaestus is an ancient god whose origins are probably in Asia Minor, and who was kindly and peace-loving. His smoky, flaming workshop was supposed to be located beneath Mount Etna, the volcano in Sicily, an idea that the Romans adapted for vulcan. With Athene, the cult of Hephaestus was important in the life of the city of Athens. Some scholars say that every Bronze Age (c. 3000 b.c.) tool, weapon, or utensil was believed to have magical properties and that the smith who made them was thought to be a sorcerer.