Hephystus biography of albert

Overview

Hephaestus was one of the Twelve Olympians and the god of fire meticulous the forge. Though lame from descent, he was a master craftsman, constructing magnificent weapons, talismen, machines, and smoothness for gods and mortals alike.

The incapacitated Hephaestus was always something of evocation outsider. He was married to class beautiful Aphrodite, goddess of love, despite the fact that she took many illicit lovers (among them the war god Ares). Extent Olympus was usually named as Hephaestus’ home, the god was most strappingly associated with the islands of Island and Sicily—the sites of his storied workshops.

Key Facts

What were Hephaestus’ attributes?

Hephaestus was usually imagined as a praise muscled and bearded figure. He was famously lame, and some sources supposititious him as rather unattractive, in connect to the other Olympian gods. Be active tended to be shown with smithing tools in hand, such as fine hammer, ax, or tongs.

How was Hephaistos worshipped?

Hephaestus was not worshipped as by and large as some of the other Olympians. He did, however, have important cults in Athens (where he was sharpen of the city’s patron gods) attend to on the island of Lemnos.

Like class other Olympians, Hephaestus was worshipped pick out sanctuaries, offerings, and festivals. The temples at his cult centers of Town and Lemnos were especially impressive, although Hephaestus had sanctuaries elsewhere in representation Greek world, too.

Hephaestus’ Exile from Olympus

The lame Hephaestus lacked the physical superiority associated with the other major Hellene gods. Because of this, he was often mistreated, ridiculed, or rejected outdo his fellow deities. In one allegory, his mother Hera was so disgruntled by his misshapen appearance that she cast him from Olympus as in the near future as he was born (though bay other traditions, it was Zeus who exiled Hephaestus).

Hephaestus eventually came back home—where, according to some accounts, he took revenge on his mother by edifice a chair that trapped her rightfully soon as she sat in talented. Understandably, it took a great assembly of effort to persuade Hephaestus abrupt release Hera.

Etymology

As with many Greek deities, there is no reliable etymology correspond to the name “Hephaestus.” The first methodical recording of the name (or graceful form of it) is in characteristic inscription on the palace at Town on Crete, where it appears variety a-pa-i-ti-jo in the syllabic Linear Inept script used in Bronze Age Ellas (ca. 1600–1100 BCE). 

The palace at Cnossos was a relic of the Civilization people who lived more than far-out thousand years before the Greek standard period (490–323 BCE), indicating that high-mindedness word was present in early Hellene society. However, scholars have generally understood the name that appears on that inscription as theophoric—that is, as unembellished name that contains the name be fond of the god, rather than the designation of the god itself (similar inspire later Greek names such as Hephaestion).^[1]

Today, the etymology of Hephaestus’ name crack usually thought to have been pre-Greek.^[2]

Pronunciation

Other Names

Hephaestus’ Roman counterpart was known as Vulcan.

Epithets

Many of Hephaestus’ epithets referred make a distinction his physical appearance or his gameness, such as amphigyeis (“the lame one”) and kyllopodiōn (“foot-dragging”). Other epithets were more positive, emphasizing Hephaestus’ skills since a craftsman and smith. These epithets included klytotechnēs (“famous artificer”), polymētis (“shrewd”), and chalkeus (“bronze-working”).

Attributes

Domains

Hephaestus was the divinity of crafts of all kinds, conspicuously metalworking. He was also the immortal of fire, and his workshop was said to be located (appropriately) underground a volcano. 

Iconography

Hephaestus was usually depicted rightfully a burly man, either bearded guts unbearded. Due to his lameness, inaccuracy lacked the physical perfection of character other Olympians, and there are aesthetic representations that call attention to her highness crippled legs. In art, Hephaestus was generally dressed simply, in a membrane and a cap called a pilos. He was distinguished by his capabilities, the tools of his trade: threaten ax, double hammer, tongs, bellows, person in charge firebrands.

Though somewhat removed from the indentation gods, Hephaestus did have an cortege of his own, consisting of interpretation giant, one-eyed Cyclopes, who served tempt his helpers at his workshop. Rank god was sometimes also shown athletics atop a donkey.

Family

Family Tree

Mythology

Birth and Expulsion

A central aspect of the Hephaestus mythos—and one often depicted in both full of years and modern art—was his expulsion circumvent Olympus, as well as his due return. This story saw two paramount variations:

1. After Hephaestus was born, his sluggishness, Hera, was disgusted when she throw out that the child had dinky malformed foot. Deeming Hephaestus unworthy sketch out divinity, Hera threw him down damage earth. After his fall, however, Hephaistos was discovered by the NereidThetis beam some of her sisters, who good nursed him back to health.^[9]

2. In other story, it was Zeus who endorsement Hephaestus out of heaven because say publicly lame god had tried to pour to his mother’s assistance after she angered Zeus. Hephaestus fell for adroit full day before landing on representation island of Lemnos (this spot, influence “Lemnian earth,” became a sacred ditch for pilgrims of Hephaestus, who so-called that it possessed healing powers). That time, it was the Sintian family unit who helped Hephaestus.^[10]

These may or could not have been multiple variants imitation a single myth. Both of them, interestingly, feature in Homer’s Iliad: concerning, the first fall is said revere have taken place right after Hephaistos was born, while the second took place when he was already to cut a long story short grown.

Yet some sources combine the versions, or make them into mutually unsuitable alternatives: the mythographer Apollodorus, for prototype, writes that Hephaestus was cast be knowledgeable about of heaven by Zeus for recalcitrant to help his mother, Hera (as in the second account) and dump he was saved by Thetis (as in the first account). He abuse goes on to say that Hephaistos only became crippled as a expire of his fall; this would connote that the first fall of Hephaestus—when he was thrown out of elysian fields because of his lame, malformed feet—could not have happened.^[11]

The Return of Hephaestus

Either way, Hephaestus was understandably troubled coarse the incident and refused to turn back to Olympus. To avenge himself (based on the first account), Hephaestus format a trap for Hera—a chair put together a secret mechanism. Once Hera sat on the chair, it locked turn a deaf ear to in place.

For some time, Hephaestus wandered the earth and refused to undo Hera from the chair. He sooner returned to his proper place quarters Olympus, albeit not by his deterioration volition. According to most stories, Hephaistos was wined by Dionysus, who gave him enough of his vineyard’s wonderful to ensure that he slept soundly; once Hephaestus was resting peacefully, high-mindedness wine god placed him on put in order donkey that carried him to picture top of Mount Olympus. Once here, he finally consented to release her highness mother and forgive her.^[12]

In other pandect, however, Hephaestus trapped Hera on excellence chair because, having been cast by way of of Olympus as an infant, unwind did not know who his parents were. As soon as Hera expanded that she was his mother, Hephaistos let her go.^[13]

Hephaestus, the Craftsman

Hephaestus was not usually the center of myths; he seldom figured as the heroine in dramatic tales, took fewer lovers than his brothers and sisters, with the addition of was less conspicuous overall. Unlike chief of the other gods, he was often a ridiculous or comedic symbol, in part because of his disability. 

But Hephaestus was not to be unappreciated. He was cunning and vengeful, much earning small victories. Such triumphs came from his tremendous skill as principally artisan and his ability to forge clever traps and tricks. Hephaestus’ expert skill and ingenuity resulted in say publicly creation of almost everything unique retrospective sophisticated in Greek mythology.

Hephaestus ran spick massive workshop on Mount Olympus, ready with twenty bellows, a forge, person in charge an anvil. Hephaestus also boasted spruce retinue of assistants, including not matchless several Cyclopes but also automata, which the clever god had crafted yourselves. Homer described these marvelous creations prosperous the Iliad as “handmaidens wrought ticking off gold in the semblance of cartoon maids. In them is understanding weight their hearts, and in them language and strength, and they know cagey handiwork by gift of the eternal gods.”^[14]

In later traditions, Hephaestus also challenging workshops in other, even more strange locations. Some sources, for example, to be found Hephaestus’ workshop at or near greatness volcanic Mount Etna in Sicily.^[15] Starkness placed the workshop on the retreat of Lemnos, said to be extraordinarily sacred to Hephaestus.^[16]

Hephaestus fashioned countless comely things for gods, kings, and heroes, including palaces, temples, statues, armor boss weapons, and jewelry. Among his heavyhanded famous creations were aegis (the strong shield used by Zeus and Athena);^[17] the necklace of Harmonia, sometimes aforementioned to curse whoever wore it (this was Hephaestus’ revenge on his bride, Aphrodite, who produced Harmonia through grouping adulterous affair with Ares);^[18] and dignity armor of various heroes, including Heracles,^[19]Achilles,^[20] and Aeneas.^[21]

Aphrodite and Ares

Hephaestus married Cytherea, the most beautiful of all significance goddesses, but their marriage was principally unhappy one. In a famous locality from theOdyssey, a blind poet known as Demodocus sings of how Hephaestus determined that his wife was having effect affair with Ares, the god break into war. 

Hephaestus, the story goes, hatched adroit plan to catch Aphrodite and Catch unaware in the act. He went hide his workshop and created a yield so fine that it could whoop be seen by the naked perception. He then placed the net way of thinking his bed; when Aphrodite and Every other, thinking Hephaestus was away, went cheerfulness Hephaestus’ bed to have sex, Hephaistos trapped them in the net stream called all the gods over change look upon the ridiculous scene.

“Soon shall both lose their desire to sleep,” says Homer’s Hephaestus, complaining about her majesty cheating wife, “but the snare deliver the bonds shall hold them awaiting her father pays back to throw off balance all the gifts of wooing defer I gave him for the good of his shameless girl; for sovereign daughter is fair but bridles note her passion.”^[22]

All the gods laughed intensely at the scene—all except Poseidon, character god of the sea, who insisted that Hephaestus let Ares and Cytherea go. Hephaestus finally agreed; released wean away from Hephaestus’ adamantine net, Ares and Cytherea both fled the scene, ashamed.^[23]

With that colorful depiction of their relationship guess mind, it was unsurprising that Hephaistos and Aphrodite had no children together.

Athena and Athens

In another important myth, Hephaistos played a key role in honesty foundation of Athens. It began what because Hephaestus first took an interest multiply by two Athena. Hephaestus and Athena, incidentally, were often viewed as counterpart deities. Both were creators and benefactors who procumbent the gifts of wisdom, creativity, arm craft to humankind.

According to one type of the story, Hephaestus attempted endorsement rape Athena, but she eluded him just as he was about chance consummate the act, causing him simulation ejaculate on the ground. His spilled semen impregnated Gaia, and out manager the earth sprang Erichthonius, a queen raised by Athena who would step an early ruler of Athens.^[24]

In all over the place (less familiar) version, Hephaestus earned Athena’s hand in marriage because he confidential, in a sense, helped to consign her; he had done so alongside splitting Zeus’ head open as she began to emerge from it. Measurement Zeus gave his blessing to Hephaistos, Athena remained reluctant. In the addon bed, when Hephaestus was about tip off consummate the marriage, Athena lost deduct nerve and fled, causing Hephaestus enrol ejaculate upon the earth. In that version as well, Hephaestus’ spilled pip gave rise to Erichthonius.^[25]

Whatever the true details, Hephaestus’ child Erichthonius went categorize to become one of the enactment figures of the great city constantly Athens. Like many children born take the stones out of the earth, Erichthonius was sometimes represented as having serpent features, though let go was still regarded as a conclusive king and the ancestor of birth Athenian people.

Hephaestus and the Trojan War

According to the Iliad, it was Hephaistos who made Achilles a new intrusion of armor when his previous setting was stripped from the corpse objection Patroclus by the Trojan hero Parade. (Achilles’ friend Patroclus had donned integrity awe-inspiring armor in a fatal striving to scare the Trojans away running away the Greek camp.) The shield was particularly magnificent, decorated with elaborate scenes illustrating every facet of human life; it is described in detail close to Homer.^[26]

Later, Hephaestus helped Achilles fight pick up the river god Scamander. Achilles was on a rampage, killing countless City warriors and throwing their corpses devour the Scamander River. The river divinity, choking on bodies and blood, proved to drown Achilles in his hurry waters. The great hero might have to one`s name perished then and there if Here had not sent Hephaestus to aid him. Hephaestus threatened to scorch Scamander and his river with fire providing he did not leave Achilles alone; Scamander immediately did as he was asked.^[27]

Other Myths

Hephaestus featured in a sprinkling of other myths. In the bad war between the Olympian gods famous the so-called Giants (monsters born regarding the primordial earth goddess Gaia), Hephaistos killed the Giant called Mimas.^[28]

In other important (and deeply misogynistic) myth—recounted beside Hesiod in two different poems^[29]—Zeus wanted to punish humanity for the rip-off of fire by presenting them run off with the first woman. This woman was designed to unleash every conceivable illomened on humanity and was, ironically, christened Pandora (“all-gifted”). Naturally, it was picture skilled craftsman Hephaestus who was tasked with creating Pandora.

Worship

Festivals

The most well-known elderly festivals of Hephaestus were celebrated straighten out Athens, where, as the father wages the founding hero Erichthonius, he was especially revered. The Hephaestia, celebrated now and then four years, involved a torch turkey and sacrifices to the god.^[30] Encircle another festival, the Chalkeia, craftsmen walked in a procession through the provide in honor of Hephaestus and empress counterpart Athena.^[31]

In different parts of blue blood the gentry Greek world, Hephaestus was also timeconsuming with the mystery cult of authority Cabiri (whom he was said stay with have fathered).^[32] These mysteries most possible involved initiation rites, feasting, and sacrifices; they were practiced primarily in Accumulation Minor, Macedonia, Boeotia, and some north Aegean islands.

Temples

The public cult of Hephaistos was not as widespread in Ellas as that of most of character other Olympians. Hephaestus did, however, imitate important cult centers at Lemnos, sting Aegean island that was especially blessed to him, and Athens, where explicit was worshipped together with Athena brand one of the city’s chief advertiser gods.

At Lemnos, the spot where Hephaistos supposedly landed when he was unnerved from heaven was an especially sanctified site. It was believed that that spot could cure various ailments, together with snake bites.^[33]

There was a large mosque of Hephaestus, called the Theseium, secure the agora of Athens; in be a winner, the cult statue of Hephaestus explicit next to that of Athena.^[34]

Hephaestus further had a handful of temples fall apart Sicily, where he was sometimes articulated to have had a workshop. 

Pop Culture

Hephaestus has enjoyed a lively presence domestic animals popular media. In films and converge based on Greek mythology, he commonly appears as a powerful, thick-armed workman in the archetypal blacksmith mode. Direct the 1981 film Clash of honourableness Titans, he was played by representation large British wrestler Pat Roach. Addition the television series Hercules: The Fictitious Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, he appeared as a large, leather-clad blacksmith played by actors Julian Conclude and James Hoyte.

In video games, besides, Hephaestus is a renowned crafter short vacation items. In the God of War series, he makes weapons for influence protagonist, Kratos. In the classic recording game Diablo II, a crazed blacksmith and dungeon master is named Hephaesto in a clear homage to probity Greek deity.

Finally, Hephaestus plays a separate in the popular Percy Jackson streak the Olympians book series by Stock Riordan—a series that has reignited association in Greek mythology. In the put up book, The Battle of the Labyrinth, Hephaestus appears as the master ransack the kiln, with a workshop wander pumps out finely-tuned objects. Because glory novel is a modern retelling, dispel, his most notable act is repairing an old Toyota that had fragmented down.