Hephaestus is the Greek god of blacksmiths, artisans, and volcanoes, closely associated with the Roman god Vulcan. He is also linked with the Slavic god Svarog.
He is sometimes portrayed as a vigorous man with a beard and the hammer of a blacksmith, and in others, he has an oval cap, chiton tunic, and crafting tool. He is consistently described as lame and having difficulty walking. In some myths, he made himself a wheeled chair.
Birth and Fall of Hephaestus
According to Greek mythology, he was either the son of Zeus and Hera, or the son of Hera alone, conceived to get revenge on Zeus for having the goddess Athena on his own. But another story suggests that Hephaestus was present at the birth of Athena and wielded the axe that freed her from Zeus’ head.
However he was born, Hephaestus was born lame, and in shame, Hera threw him off Mount Olympus. However, other stories suggest that he was simply born very ugly, and the lameness was a result of the fall. Yet another story suggests that it was Zeus and not Hera who banished Hephaestus from heaven, because Hephaestus tried to rescue his mother from Hera’s advances.
In one story, he fell into the ocean and was rescued and raised by Thetis, one of the Nereids, sea nymphs, and the mother of Achilles. In another story, he landed on the island of Lemnos, and became the apprentice of the master craftsman of the Sintian tribe.
Wherever Hephaestus was raised, he had a talent for creating and learned the art of blacksmithing while in exile.
Return to Mount Olympus
Hephaestus seems to have known the truth of his parentage, as he sought revenge on his mother Hera. He made her a stunning golden throne, which strapped down when she sat in it and wouldn’t let her go. The gods begged Hephaestus to return to Mount Olympus and let her out, but he refused.
Ares was sent to fetch Hephaestus, but he threatened Ares with torches. Next, Dionysus was sent, and his plan was to get Hephaestus drunk and bring him back to Mount Olympus. He carried the inebriated god on the back of a mule surrounded by revelers.
While on Olympus, Zeus promised Hephaestus anything if he agreed to free Hera. With the encouragement of Poseidon, he asked for the hand of Athena in marriage, and even attempted to rape her. In another version, it was Aphrodite who he asked for, and the marriage was granted.
Hephaestus and Aphrodite
While Aphrodite married Hephaestus as required, she had a love affair with Ares. Helios saw the pair together and told Hephaestus, who decided to expose their betrayal. He made a trap that would ensnare the pair with chains the next time they lay in bed together. He then dragged them in front of the other gods of Mount Olympus to shame them.
The gods laughed when they saw the pair, especially that Ares had been caught by the lame Hephaestus. He freed them with Ares agreeing to pay the adulterer’s fine, and returned Aphrodite to her father. Other stories say that Zeus refused to repay the bride price, or that Aphrodite just charmed her way back into Hephaestus’ good graces.
Some sources suggest that the pair had no children, while others suggest that they are the parents of Eros. Harmonia is the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares. Because Harmonia was born from their adultery, on her wedding day to Cadmus, Hephaestus gave her a finely worked necklace that was cursed to bring suffering to all her descents, kicking off the series of events leading to the story of Oedipus.
Hephaestus is also connected with other women, including the grace Charis, and one of the charities, Aglaea, who was the mother of Eucleia (good repute), Eupheme (acclaim), Euthenia (prosperity), and Philophrosyne (welcome).
Master Craftsman
Another origin myth for Hephaestus suggests that he was a fire demon that emerged from the earth, like the lava of a volcano. This is what gave him the power to use fire to dry the waters of the Scamandrus River and force its eponymous good to stop attacking Achilles. He sided with the Greeks during the Trojan war.
When he rejoined the gods on Mount Olympus, he set up his own workshop with 20 bellows that worked at his bidding. He used the bellows to craft many of the treasures of the Greek gods and heroes. He made Hermes’ winged helmet and sandals, he made the Aegis breastplate, Aphrodite’s girlde, Achilles’ armor, Helios’ chariot, Eros’ bow and arrow, and more.
Hephaestus and Athena
Hephaestus and Athena are sort of counterparts in Greek mythology, with both of them granting skills to mortal artists. At Athens, they shared temples and festivals, and they were both believed to have healing powers. Earth, known as Lemnian earth, from the place where Hephaestus fell to earth was believed to cure madness, snake bites, and hemorrhages.
Hephaestus was also represented alongside Athena in her temple at Sparta. He is depicted giving his adoptive mother Thetis the armor for Achilles. They are sometimes thought to be soulmates, but she always pushes him aside because of her vow of celibacy. Sometimes, Athena pushes him away at the moment of climax and his seed impregnates the earth Gaia instead. This resulted in the birth of Erichthonius, whom Athena adopted as her own child.
Automatons
It a surprisingly technologically advanced story, according to Homer, Hephaestus built automations that he controlled with his will. Among them he made handmaidens wrought from gold and put gold and silver lions and dogs to guard the palace of Alkinoos.
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