Myth of Hephaestus

Hephaestus (Greek Ἥφαιστος Hēphaistos) was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. He was the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes. The center of his cult was Lemnos, but he was worshipped in all of the manufacturing and industrial centers of Greece, especially Athens. Hephaestus was identified by Greek colonists in southern Italy with the volcano gods Adranus of Mount Etna and Vulcanus of the Lipari islands. His forge was moved there by the poets.

The first-century sage Apollonius of Tyana is said to have observed, "there are many other mountains all over the earth that are on fire, and yet we should never be done with it if we assigned to them giants and gods like Hephaestus".

An Athenian founding myth tells that Athena refused a union with Hephaestus, and that when he tried to rape her she disappeared from the bed. Hephaestus ejaculated on the earth, impregnating Gaia, who subsequently gave birth to Erichthonius of Athens; then the surrogate mother gave the child to Athena to foster, guarded by a serpent. Hyginus made an etymology of strife (Eri-) between Athena and Hephaestus and the Earth-child (chthonios). Some readers may have the sense that an earlier, non-virginal Athena is disguised in a convoluted re-making of the myth-element. At any rate, there is a Temple of Hephaestus (Hephaesteum or the so-called "Theseum") located near the Athens agora, or marketplace.

On the island of Lemnos, his consort was the sea nymph Cabeiro, by whom he was the father of two metalworking gods named the Cabeiri. In Sicily, his consort was the nymph Aetna, and his sons two gods of Sicilian geysers called Palici.

Homer makes Charis the wife of Hephaestus. However, according to most myths, Hephaestus is a husband of Aphrodite, who commits adultery against him with Ares.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Hephaestus
• greek
• ancient
• heroes
• gods
• myth
• myths

[Cscope1717]

What it saying

[zLilypad234]

IT"S IN RUSSIAN!!! GO RUSSIANS!

[IAmPerseus1]

cool! but too short : (

[RosieHamster]

Uhhhh, WHAT was he saying?

[tkcflower]

why did dey put dis on utube

[umkumjum]

what is it fricken saying!!!

[SuckItProductionz]

i put this in my mythology project

[Thoukudides]

Hehe, nice!