But, where he lacked in physical appeal, he made up for in every other aspect of his life. Greek God of Fire and Metalworking. He also seems like an unusual character. Hephaestus (prounounced as heh-fay-stus) is the Greek God of metalwork,fire,sculptures,stone masonry and the forges.His Roman counter part is Vulcan. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Hesiod, however, claims that Hephaestus is solely Hera’s child and that she gave him birth by parthenogenesis to get back at her husband who had done the same with Athena. See more. Most famously, as a favor to Thetis, he created the shield of Achilles, whose five bronze layers he masterfully engraved with scenes representing almost all aspects of life. No one but him was able to build the beautiful, indestructible bronze mansions where all the other Olympians lived. Hephaestus is linked to many Greek gods and heroes in mythology because of his nature, as well as his contribution to weaponry and armory. He was married to the goddess Aphrodite, who cheated on him with his brother Ares.His symbols were a smith's hammer, an anvil, and a pair of tongs. He was brought back to Olympus by Dionysus and was one of the only gods to have returned after exile. Called “the celestial artificer,” he was also associated with other craftsmen (sculptors, carpenters, metalworkers) and, as evident in the name of his Roman counterpart Vulcan, with volcanoes. Although he made armor and weapons for the gods, he loved peace. In mythology, while Hephaestus was away, Ares sneaked to Aphrodite's chamber and slept with her. He was known as a kind and hardworking god, but also had a limp and was considered ugly by the other gods. He usually wore a short sleeveless tunic and a round close-fitting cap on his unkempt hair. She gave him four children: Eucleia, Euthenia, Eupheme, and Philophrosyne. In art Hephaestus was generally represented as a middle-aged bearded man, although occasionally a younger, beardless type is found. One day, Hephaestus caught the lovers and trapped them in a fine-woven chain-net, after which he called upon the other gods to laugh at their shame. 420 BCE). Just like Hera’s golden throne, Hephaestus’ creations were masterworks. In any case, Hephaestus is said to have been born very ugly, which is an anomaly, as the other Greek deities are believed to be physically flawless. Crafty and cunning, he added a distinctive element here and there, such as the secure doors of Hera’s chamber which no other god but her could open. He lived in his own palace on Mount Olympus where he crafted tools for the other gods. Hephaestus was the smith god, and his symbols reflected his work. See also: Hephaestus and Ares. He lived in his own palace on Mount Olympus where he crafted tools for the other gods. Hephaestus. For an ugly god, Hephaestus couldn’t have fared much better when it comes to women. Of all the gods on Olympus, he is arguably the most human, having suffered abuse by the other gods, who by … Updates? Hephaestus, Greek Hephaistos, in Greek mythology, the god of fire. He is arguably the most extraordinary member of the Olympian Pantheon. Even though an ugly god lamed by his own mother, he was the husband of none other than Aphrodite herself. The story of Hephaestus is as amazing as the wondrous items he made in his forge! This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hephaestus, Hephaestus - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Hephaestus - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera. Hephaestus was an Olympian god of craftsmanship, blacksmiths and stonemasonry.He was also known as a god of fire, mainly because his crafting expertise has emerged from dilligently working with the help of fire.Hephaestus had his own palace at Olympus, containing his workshop with an anvil and twenty bellows that worked at his bidding. Olympus and later return to his rightful place in the heavens. Hephaestus' symbols were the Hammer, the Anvil and the Tongs. According to Hesiod's Theogony, Hephaestus was a son of Hera alone. It is not known what the name Hephaestus means. The Creation of Hephaestus Hephaestus is the name of the Greek god of volcanoes and a craftsman and blacksmith associated with metalworking and stone masonry. Hephaestus is considered to be the child of Zeus and … Bearded and ugly, stocky and lame, he neither possesses the physical flawlessness of the other gods nor does he stimulate the fitting respect. Hephaestus would not have the same dominance and supremacy that Athena would carry, but he would be considered wise, intelligent, and skilled. And they weren’t the only creations of this kind. Many gods tried to persuade Hephaestus to free Hera, promising him a place on Olympus in return. In the “Iliad,” Homer tells us something even more fascinating. Traditionally, his ill-matched consort was Aphrodite, though Homer lists Charis, the personification of Grace, as Hephaestus’s wife in the Iliad. According to myth, Hephaestus was born lame and was cast from heaven in disgust by his mother, Hera, and again by his father, Zeus, after a family quarrel. In Hesiod’s “Works and Days,” you can find out how he molded Pandora. Some even say that, at the request of Zeus, he also sculpted the first mortal woman, Pandora. He made a golden throne, so beautiful that Hera accepted it right away. 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