Hephaestus
Hephaetus or also known for the Roman name Vulcan. He was the god of fire and crafts, or the two mixed together, technology, metals, artisans, sculptors, and metallurgy. This is believed to be the way blacksmiths gained their knowledge and expertise. He was worshipped in all of the manufacturing and industrial businesses in Greece. He was especially noted in Athens where he was identified by Greek colonists in southern Italy, with the volcano gods Adranus of Mount Etna and Vulcanus of the Lipara Islands. He was the son of Zeus and Hera. Hephaestus was lame and had a limp. In some reports it states that he was born lame and his mother threw him off of Mount Olympus. Another version is that he came between a fight between Zeus and Hera and Zeus took him by the foot and threw him from Olympus to the earth down below.
Hephaestus was very successful with his accomplished prodigies of craftsmanship and it could be seen in the castles which he built for the gods on top of Mount Olympus. He also made armor for Achilles, during the siege of Troy. It is written that he also created the first woman, known as Pandora, at the command of Zeus. Pandora was given to the Titan’s brother, Epimetheus , to be his wife. As her dowry for the marriage, Pandora brought along a jar full of evils and when she opened the lid, it afflicted men for the first time, with sickness and hard work. The only thing left in the jar was hope.
Hephaestus had one brother, Ares, and their mother was Hera. Some say that Zeus was not the father and that Hera birthed him alone because of her jealousy of Zeus’ solo birth of Athena. Some stories also say that it was Hephaestus who split Zeus’ skull so Athena could emerge full grown and already with armor. This is how it is believed that Athena and Hephaestus are linked. They were the goddess of wisdom and war and he the god of forge so the two together gave people the power to be wise and successful in these fields. Athena were honored at festivals called Chalceia, and Hephaestus was honored at festivals called Hephaistia. Hephaestus crafted a lot of Athena’s weapons, as well as the weapons for the other gods and even some of the mortals who received a special favor. There is a temple of Hephaestus near the Athens marketplace.
It is said that Hephaestus got revenge on his mother, Hera, by making her a golden chair and when she sat on it, she could not get up from it. He finally released her after he was given Aphordite, the goddess of love, for a wife. It is also written that Zeus was the one who gave Aphordite to him in order to prevent a fight over her between the other gods.
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