Hephaestus (Hephaistos) – God Of Fire And Master Craftsman Constructed Talos, First Greek Robot And Divine Weapons Of The Gods
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was the god of fire, divine blacksmith, inventor, and patron of crafts. He was often depicted with blacksmiths' attributes such as a sword, a hammer, or pincers. The cult of Hephaestus was based in Lemnos, a Greek island in the northern part of the Aegean Sea.
Hephaestus was the god of fire, divine blacksmith, inventor, and patron of crafts. Credit: Adobe Stock - Alejandro
In Roman mythology, he is Vulcan, and he also has his counterparts in Svarog, the Slavic god of celestial fire and patron of blacksmiths. He can also be compared to Wayland the Smith, widely known in Scandinavian, German, and Anglo-Saxon legends. As Hephaestus also Wayland was hurt badly, so he could not walk.
His supernatural skills and deep devotion to blacksmithing helped him make weapons, which "no blow could break," many ornaments of gold and silver, and other magical items.
Hephaestos Was Lame And Had A Sad Childhood
Hephaestos' life from the beginning was hard. No one was interested in celebrating the birth of Hephaestus, even his mother, Hera, who was a pre-Greek deity, the earth goddess of Argos, the sister-wife of Zeus. It is unclear whether Hephaestus was born lame or whether he was lamed.
Hera had awaited Hephaestus - child impatiently, hoping to see a beautiful and gifted child that would make her husband Zeus forget all his consorts and children he had with them. It should be mentioned that various ancient authors were uncertain whether Zeus was the father of Hephaestus. Many ancient literary sources say that Hera gave birth to Hephaestus on her own.
Though the identity of Hephaestus' parents is still a topic of discussion, most myths reveal this mighty blacksmith was credited with several incredible inventions.
According to one version of the story, when the baby was born, Hera was shocked because the child was ugly. She knew that such an ugly child would be more trouble for her than happiness, so she threw him from the residence of the gods, Mount Olympus, to Earth. The boy survived this fall because he was immortal and was found by Eurynome, one of the three thousand daughters of Okeanos and the Nereid Thetis.
Thetis Receiving the Weapons of Achilles from Hephaestus by Anthony van Dyck (1630-1632). Credit: Public Domain
The goddesses nursed the young god, but unfortunately, the terrible fall had injured his legs and left him lame for the rest of his life. Raised by Eurynome and Thetis in secret, Hephaestus lived for nine years hidden away beneath the waters and spent his time perfecting his tools and creating formidable objects for the sea-nymphs, the only friends he had. He loved his work and blacksmithing, which were his great passion from a very young age, but he was also a vulnerable, angry young man with personal feelings. He knew Olympus rejected him.
Indeed, no one was waiting for him there, but he decided to return to rejoin his mother and take his rightful place among the Olympian gods.
Palace And Workshop Of Hephaestus
One day, his mother Hera saw the goddess Thetis wearing a beautiful necklace, and she learned Hephaestus had made it. She brought her earlier rejected son to Mount Olympus and arranged a palace and a workshop for him.
"His palace was said to have shone as brilliantly as the stars. Inside the palace was his workshop, where he made exquisite items for both humans and his fellow gods…" (Walsh Nicos, Greek Mythology).
Talos was an advanced ancient Greek robot - Credit: Adobe Stock: kuco
Hephaestus was still not treated equally, and his brothers and sisters looked down on him because he was a disabled god. It took a long time before Hephaestus was finally recognized for his incredible talent and honored in the family.
In later versions of Hephaestus' myth, his workspace was located within Mount Aetna in Sicily. Many believed that when the volcanoes of Sicily and Lemnos showed signs of activity, Hephaestus was busy with forging. It is also why Hephaestus was also considered the god of volcanoes.
Some myths say that the Cyclopes, great forgers themselves, worked as Hephaestus' assistants in his volcanic workshops.
Our earlier article wrote that "Talos" was the first ancient Greek robot. This fully operational machine was constructed by Hephaestus, who invented various automated devices, delicate jewelry, household machines, and developed techniques comparable to our modern technological achievements.
Among his many achievements were, for example, Zeus' thunderbolts, Eros's arrows, Achilles' shield described in Homer's "Iliad" and a "magical" helmet, so-called Hades' cap of invisibility, and he even fashioned the first woman from clay.
Updated on January 13, 2022
Written by – A. Sutherland AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesCotterell, Arthur. A Dictionary of World Mythology
Sears K. From Gods and Goddesses to Monsters And Mortals
Hamilton, E. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
More From Ancient Pages
-
Unsolved Archaeological Mystery Of Ta Prohm Temple, Cambodia
Civilizations | Sep 3, 2018
-
‘Sensational’ Discovery Of Large Untouched 4,000-Year-Old Grave In Norway
Archaeology | Nov 10, 2023
-
Marvelous Juglet With Four Pure Gold Coins Found In Jerusalem – Someone’s Piggy Bank?
Archaeology | Nov 12, 2020
-
Rare 2,300-Year-Old Tomb Of Greek Courtesan Found In Jerusalem Burial Cave
Archaeology | Sep 28, 2023
-
Early Harappan Burial Site With 26 Graves Unearthed In Kutch, Western India
Archaeology | Mar 14, 2019
-
On This Day In History: Treaty Of Paris Was Ratified – On January 14, 1784
News | Jan 14, 2017
-
Strange Ancient Measurements Of The Earth Revealed – Ancient Texts And Physical Evidence Examined
Featured Stories | Apr 11, 2018
-
On This Day In History: Terrorist Attacks On World Trade Center And Pentagon – On Sep 11, 2001
News | Sep 11, 2016
-
Remarkable Marble Fragment From The Temple Of Zeus In Akragas Found Underwater Off The Coast Of Sicily
Archaeology | Feb 6, 2024
-
LIDAR Images Reveal Cambodia’s Greater Angkor Region Was Home To 700,000-900,000 People
Archaeology | May 8, 2021
-
10 Great Ancient Mysteries Of North America
Featured Stories | Sep 30, 2015
-
Underwater Excavations: Greek And Danish Archaeologists Research Ancient Harbor Town Lechaion
Archaeology | Dec 25, 2015
-
Colosseum-Like Structure Unearthed In 2700-Year-Old Ancient City Of Mastaura
Archaeology | Aug 22, 2020
-
First Carbon-Based Paleolithic Paintings Found In Font-De-Gaume Cave, France Could Be 19,000 Years Old
Archaeology | Dec 29, 2023
-
World’s Oldest Lunisolar Calendar May Have Been Discovered At Göbekli Tepe, Turkey
Archaeology | Aug 7, 2024
-
Why Is The Black Prince Still A Controversial Historical Figure?
Ancient History Facts | Aug 15, 2019
-
Huangluo: Long-Hair Village Where Women Don’t Cut Their Hair – A 2,000-Year-Old Tradition Of The Yao People
Ancient Traditions And Customs | Jun 18, 2017
-
Medieval Wooden Stave Churches In Norway Are Older Than Previously Believed
Archaeology | Nov 8, 2019
-
Antediluvian Time-Capsule Hidden In Forbidden Ancient Egyptian Crypts?
Featured Stories | May 7, 2018
-
Graeco-Roman Era Rock-Cut Tomb Unearthed In Aswan West Bank, Upper Egypt
Archaeology | Apr 24, 2019