Hephaestus

=__Hephaestus__=

__Ancient Description of Deity__
Hephaestus was the son of Zeus and Hera or in some stories of just Hera. One version of his birth tells how Hephaestus was born crippled and lame. In that story, Hera was so disgusted by the sight of him that she threw him from Mount Olympus into the Ocean. However, another tale discusses how Hephaestus took his mother's side in a dispute between Hera and Zeus, which resulted in Zeus throwing Hephaestus from Mount Olympus to the Ocean and causing him to become crippled. In either story, Hephaestus is rescued
 * Birth & Parent(s)**


 * Powers, Symbols, Accesories**

Hephaestus was the god of fire, volcanoes, technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, and metals. In Roman mythology, Hephaestus was known as Vulcan. Hephaestus created many things for the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus. He built many of their beautiful buildings and was the maker of most of the magical items which belonged to the other gods and goddesses. Among the items that Hephaestus made with the help of his assistants, the Cyclopes, are Zeus' thunderbolts and sceptre, Athena's shield, Achilles' armor, Herme's winged helmet and sandals, Aprodite's girdle, Helio's chariot, Ero's bow and arrows, and even Hades' helmet of invisibility. However, one of the greatest things that Hephaestus ever created or helped to create was Pandora, which he constructed from clay and who was the woman that the gods gave as a gift to the men of earth.

Since Hephaestus was a patron of craftsmen and technology, he was worshipped in the manufacturing and industrial center of Greece. Hephaestus even has a temple built in his honor in Athens, which is named the Temple of Hephaestus or the Theseum. The Theseum is the best-preserved ancient greek temple in the world.

Hephaestus' main symbol is the forge or fire, but other symbols may be the anvil or the blacksmith's hammer. Hephaestus' is often creative and cunning, but is also crafty and vindictive. He works well with metal and molds many things for the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus, but is crippled and can't handle liqour in some stories. In depictions of Hephaestus, he is crippled, but strong and muscular often with a beard and sometimes with a cane. His ancient depiction is shown above.


 * Relationship with Other Gods or Goddesses**

Hephaestus was often looked down upon by the other gods and goddesses since he was crippled and considered ugly by them. Hephaestus' lameness and appearance illustrate what is known as and could have been arsenicosis. This is a condition reulsting in low levels of arsenic poisoning, which was added to bronze to harden it and would have left those working with it crippled and could give them skin cancers. However, Hephaestus also had a few problems in his love life and he sometimes wanted revenge.

In one myth, Hephaestus attempts to from a union with Athena, but she refuses and so he tries to force her and she disappears. This event results in Hephaestus accidentally impregnating Gaia (sometimes known as earth) resulting in the end of the birth of Erichthonius or Erechtheus, who became a king of Athens.

In some myths, Hephaestus was married to Aphrodite. However, he became suspicious of her faithfulness and to catch her, he set up a trap with an amazingly strong chain-link net. Hephaestus caught his wife with Ares and with them in the net, exposed them to all of Olympus.

One thing that Hephaestus was resentful of was his mother's disgust with him. So, he crafted a plan to get revenge upon her. Hephaestus created a magic throne for hera, which was presented to her on Mount Olympus and when she sat on the throne it trapped her. The gods pleaded for Hephaestus to come and release her, but he refused. In one version, Hera had to get all of the other gods to agree to allow and accept Hephaestus back on Mount Olympus. However, another version says that Dionysus went to speak with Hephaestus and gave him wine to make him drunk. Then, Dionysus took Hephaestus back to Olympus slumped over a mule. Once Hera was released, Dionysus was made part of the Olympian Pantheon and Hephaestus was given Aprodite to be his wife.

__Modern Description of Deity__
In a modern description of Hephaestus, he would be a welder. A welder incorporates the fire and metal that are such big represnetatvies of this god. In this case, he would be shown in a welding helmet, gloves, and with a welder instead of the ancient hammer, anvil, and forge. He would be wearing jeans and a Carhardt shirt or welding jacket as well as work boots and occasionally safety glasses. He would also be dirty and have callused hands from his work.

Hephaestus would still be crippled and have the beard that he is commonly depicted with as well as being shown as muscular. However, since disabilities are more common and more accepted today, he would be the patron god of the disabled because of his lameness. Hephaestus would also still be the patron of technology as well and would especially with all of the gadgets that are found in our world today.

Other elements of the modern Hephaestus, would be that he would be the patron of woman since he created Pandora and her box for man. He would also be the patron of those who have been cheated on and the patron of revenge as a result of his relationships with Aprodite and Hera. People today would really look to and be grateful for a god representing these two things with all of the unfaithfulness around us. Hephaestus would be a symbol of how one can survive hard times when people look down upon you or do you wrong.