Category:Hephaestus



God of fire, blacksmiths, the forge, and volcanoes. He is the master blacksmith and craftsman of the gods. He is the son of Hera, either by Zeus or alone. Married to Aphrodite, though unlike most divine husbands, he was rarely ever licentious. On Mount Olympus where all other gods are beautiful, only Hephaestus, god of fire is described as ugly.

Legend has it that during the quarrel, Zeus hurled him down to Earth, crippling him forever. For what he lacks in appearance, he makes up for in his extraordinary powers, and despite his deformity or perhaps because of it, he crafted objects of exquisite beauty. From his workshop deep within the Earth, this master of fire and forge crafted the palaces, tools and armor of the gods and goddesses. Such as Zeus' lightning bolt and Athena's armor.

In the Trojan War, he fashioned, among other things, new armor for Achilles, and yet his true value proved not in war, but in peace. As he was also the patron god of artists and craftsmen. The benevolent Hephaestus has bestowed gifts of great beauty and skill on humanity. His gentle character visible in the details of man's great artistic designs and achievements. His symbols include fire, anvil, axe, donkey, hammer, tongs, and quail. His Roman counterpart is Vulcan, his latin name gave us the word "volcano".