Today we are going to review the myth of Hephaestus. This Greek God of legend offers us exciting stories that still live on among us.
Hephaestus, God of Metal
In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was the blacksmith god. He is often found in the background of myths. Although he is frequently portrayed as a support god, he was responsible for several important elements, such as fire and volcanoes.
who was Hephaestus?
This is the god of blacksmiths and fire. Called “the celestial artificer”, he was also associated with other craftsmen (sculptors, carpenters, metallurgists) and, as evidenced by the name of his Roman counterpart Vulcan, with volcanoes. Despite being an ugly god licked by his own mother, he was no more than the husband of Aphrodite herself.
Birth of Hephaestus
In some stories, this god is the son of the gods Hera and Zeus. However, in other stories, he has only Hera as his mother. Hera used a magic herb to become pregnant. When she gave birth to Hephaestus, she was disgusted by his lame foot and threw him off Mount Olympus in the hope that he would die.
Appearance
Hephaestus was not known to be very attractive. He is often portrayed as an older man with broad shoulders and an intimidating physique. He usually has a white beard. Likewise, he typically wears a short tunic, which was the preferred clothing of the craftsmen.
how did Hephaestus imagine?
He was shown working at a burning forge with his hammer, tongs, and an anvil. He was not a handsome man, but he was very strong because of his work as a blacksmith. Unlike many of the other Greek gods, he did not ride in a chariot, but on a donkey.
what powers and abilities did he have?
He was very skilled in metallurgy, stone and other crafts that were typically performed by Greek men. He could control both fire and metal to do his will. Furthermore, he also had the ability to make his creations move. He used this power to create two golden handmaidens to assist him in his work.
Purpose
Hephaestus was often called upon to help other gods with their tasks. For example, he helped Zeus in the War with the Giants by making weapons and armor. He also made Pandora, the first mortal woman. When an object needed to be built, this god was always the first to be approached by gods and humans.
Legends and Stories
As mentioned above, Hephaestus is usually found in a supporting role in Greek myths. But there are some that focus more on his life and purpose. Here are some of the myths surrounding the blacksmith god.
The leg of Hephaestus
It is unknown how Hephaestus’ leg was injured, but it is assumed that it was in his early life. In one variation, Hera rejected him at birth. Just after giving birth to her son on Mount Olympus, she was horrified at the appearance and limp leg of her baby.
She became angry and could not understand how she could have given birth to such an ugly child. She worried that the other gods would laugh at her and her child. So she took the baby and threw it down the mountain. The baby fell into the ocean, where Thetis and Eurynome found him. They took care of him for nine years, where he learned to make jewelry out of pearls and coral.
In another variation, this god was born with two functional legs. But one day, his parents found themselves in the middle of a terrible fight. Hera was upset because Zeus had had an affair with a mortal named Alcmene. Together, they had conceived a son named Hercules.
Because of his father’s infidelity, Hephaestus sided with his mother. This only infuriated Zeus more. In a fit of rage, he took the child and threw him down Mount Olympus. He flew in the air for a whole day before crashing into the island of Lemnos. This god landed on several large rocks and his foot was severely injured, leaving him crippled. He remained on the island, where he learned to be a blacksmith.
Hephaestus and Aphrodite
how did Hephaestus, cursed with a lame foot and unattractive features, win the heart of the most beautiful goddess? He deceived his father to win Aphrodite‘s hand. On a day of celebration for Hera, he presented her with a golden throne. He had built the throne himself and Hera was delighted with the gift. She sat and admired her new throne. But when she tried to get up, she found that he had put her in invisible shackles, holding her captive in her seat.
Hephaestus sought revenge on his parents for abandoning him as a child. Hera immediately felt guilty, began to cry and begged her son to forgive her. The gods were angry with Hephaestus and demanded that he let his mother go. But he refused. Dionysus, a close friend of this god, intervened. He asked Hephaestus to dine with him and discuss the situation.
During dinner, Dionysus got his friend drunk and convinced him to release his mother. But just before he was about to release Hera, Zeus appeared and expressed his disappointment with his son. This god took advantage of the situation, since his father did not know that he was going to release Hera anyway.
He told his father that he would only release the shackles if he was promised Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, as his wife. The gods were horrified but Zeus felt he had no choice. Hephaestus released Hera and then took his new bride.
Birth of Hephaestus
The best known myth about the birth of Hephaestus tells that Hera, angered by Zeus’ paternity of Athena (who was born from the head of Zeus), decided to have this god on her own. However, at his birth, his deformed appearance caused Hera to cast him out of Olympus.
The fall of Hephaestus
After being thrown by Hera, Hephaestus fell for a whole day before reaching the island of Lemnos. There, he was cared for by the goddesses Thetis and Eurynome, who took him in until he recovered.
Hephaestus and Aphrodite
One of the most famous myths is the marriage of Hephaestus to Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love. Despite being husband and wife, Aphrodite had several lovers, including Ares, the god of war. The story often involves Hephaestus discovering Aphrodite’s infidelity and plotting ingenious revenge.
The creation of Pandora
Hephaestus also played a role in the creation of Pandora, the first woman according to Greek mythology. Hephaestus contributed to her creation by granting her artistic skills and beauty.
Forge of magic objects
Hephaestus was the official blacksmith of the gods and created numerous magical objects. Among them is the shield of Achilles in the “Iliad”, which possessed magical properties and helped the hero in the Trojan War.
Talos, the automaton
In some versions of mythology, Hephaestus was the creator of Talos, a bronze giant that protected the island of Crete. Talos had the task of circling the island three times a day and protecting it from intruders.
Symbology
Because he was the god of blacksmiths, the symbols of Hephaestus are masculine in nature. He is associated with acts of nature, such as fire and volcanoes. Other symbols include a hammer, anvil, and tongs.
Interesting facts about the Greek god Hephaestus
- When Zeus had a terrible headache, Hephaestus split his head with an axe and jumped to a fully grown Athena.
- Zeus arranged the marriage between Aphrodite and Hephaestus. He did this primarily to keep the other male gods from fighting over Aphrodite.
- His assistants in the forge were giant one-eyed monsters called Cyclops.
- In some stories, he divorced Aphrodite and married Aglaea, the goddess of beauty.
- He used fire to defeat the river god Scamander during the Trojan War.
