Hephaestus: The Greek God of Fire

Hephaestus is a part of the ancient Greek pantheon. He was worshiped and honored as the god of technology and fire. This made him the natural patron of blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans and sculptors. He was also associated with phenomena like volcanoes and wildfires. Hephaestus was the son of Zeus and Hera , although some considered that he had been conceived prior to marriage. The Greek goddess of Beauty, Aphrodite, was the wife of Hephaestus but unfortunately she never devoted herself entirely to Hephaestus.

Mythology of Hephaestus

Hephaestus was lame and had a rather grotesque appearance. Hephaestus was also the only Greek God who was born with a physical defect and worked with his hands. There are several versions as to how Hephaestus came to be lame. One version states that Hera, with the help of a magical herb, managed to "get herself pregnant" with the help of Zeus or any man, and Hephaestus was born with a clubfoot. This enraged Zeus and Hera, and he was and then thrown out of Mount Olympus because his parents could not accept his imperfection. A different version states that the infant Hephaestus was thrown out by Zeus, who was angry at his mother for having conceived the baby without his help and the subsequent fall injured Hephaestus' foot. He was finally rescued by two Nereids, Thetis and Eurynome, who raised him for nine years inside a cave, far away and hidden from his cruel mother.

The common myth associated with Hephaestus is that of his attraction to Athena. Hephaestus was known for his ugly appearance throughout the pantheon. When Athena refused union with Hephaestus, he became angry and tried to use force to win her over. However, Athena used her celestial powers and disappeared from the bed, escaping rape. The god of fire could not control his ejaculation and it impregnated Gaia, a demigod on Earth. Gaia subsequently gave birth to Erichthonius and handed over the child to Athena. In this form, Hephaestus is depicted as an infant who is guarded by a serpent. This myth and other stories about Hephaestus are engraved and depicted at the Temple of Hephaestus, in Athens.

Creations of Hephaestus

Hephaestus is believed to be the celestial craftsman. He designed the equipment of the gods. His fiery nature associated his name with any metalwork and equipment that was believed to be magical. This is mainly due to the Greek belief that weapons designed and forged by Hephaestus are imbued with powers. He is believed to have designed:

• The winged helmet and sandals sported by Hermes.
• The breastplate donned by Aegis.
• The famous girdle of Aphrodite.
• Agamemnon's staff.
• The armor of Achilles.
• The bronze clappers associated with Heracles.
• Helios' chariot.
• The bow and arrows of Eros.

Hephaestus is also sometimes depicted with his assistants, the Chthonic Cyclops. Together they are believed to have built automatons of metal and designed all the thrones in the Olympian palaces.

Depictions and Portrayals

Hephaestus was symbolized by an anvil, a hammer and a pair of tongs, the equipment that is a common sight at any smithy. He is usually portrayed holding an ax. Hephaestus is commonly shown alongside his consort, a sea-nymph called Cabeiro. Hephaestus and Cabeiro are believed to be the parents of two blacksmith demigods or the Cabeiri. Another consort of Hephaestus was the nymph Aetna. From Aetna, Hephaestus is believed to have fathered two gods of Sicilian geysers, also referred to as the Palici.

The lame smith, as Hephaestus is also referred to, is believed to be the only Olympian god to have ever been exiled from Olympus and successfully returned. Depictions of the god of fire include:

• His fall from Olympia.
• Elaborated forms of his halting, misshapen, crippled feet.
• A smith bent over his anvil, working on a metal creation.
• Hephaestus the charioteer, on a specially designed wheel-chair to move around.

In ancient Greece, Hephaestus was commonly associated with arsenicosis or low arsenic poisoning and various skin cancers. In some stories and depictions. He give skill to mortal artists, and taught men the arts which embellish and adorn life. Hephaestus was considered the most unfaltering of the gods, and in this capacity, he earned a mention in classics such as Homer's 'Odyssey' and 'Iliad'. The Greek god of fire is also immortalized in the name of a minor planet '2212 Hephaistos', discovered by Lyudmila Chernykh, a Soviet astronomer, in 1978. Hephaestus acts as a reminder of the value, and dangers, of losing ourselves in our work. Hephaestus was able to garner respect from others and build genuine self-respect by focusing intently on creating and producing stuff, thereby keeping (almost) all his problems at bay.