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Hephaestus

Metalworking, Building, Sculpture, Artistry

Domains:

Olympian

Category:

5E Alignment:

5E Domains:

5E Symbol:

Greek Name

Transliteration

Latin Spelling

Translation

Ἡφαιστος

Hêphaistos

Hephaestus

Vulcanos, Vulcan

HEPHAISTOS (Hephaestus) was the Olympian god of fire, smiths, craftsmen, metalworking, stonemasonry and sculpture. He was depicted as a bearded man holding a hammer and tongs--the tools of a smith--and sometimes riding a donkey.


Myths


Some of the more famous myths featuring the god include:


  • His fall from Olympos in which he was cast away by Hera at birth.

  • The capture of Hera in a cursed throne and his return to Olympos.

  • The adultery of his wife Aphrodite who was trapped with Ares in a golden net.

  • The crafting of Pandora, the first woman, at the command of Zeus.

  • The attempted violation of Athena which resulted in the impregnation of Earth and the birth of Erikhthonios (Erichthonius).

  • The crafting of the cursed necklace of Harmonia which doomed her descendants to a cycle of tragedy.

  • The Trojan War in which he fought the river-god Skamandros (Scamander) with fire.

  • The crafting of the armour of Akhilleus (Achilles) at the request of the hero's mother Thetis.


These and many other myths are detailed over on the Theoi Project page.

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