HephaistosIn Greek mythologyClassical mythology'Mythology' comes from the Greek word 'muthos', meaning the spoken word, or story. A myth is a story about gods or deities. Mythology is all the stories combined. In theory, all cultures have their own mythology. Usually, however, the word mythology refers to the stories of classical antiquity. In these the main protagonists are the gods of Greece and Rome. Hephaistos was the son of Zeus and Hera. Because he was born lame, his mother threw him from Mount OlympusOlympic godsOlympus is the highest mountain in Greece. The ancient Greeks believed that the imposing summit of Olympus was the abode of Zeus and the Greek pantheon. They are therefore known as the 'Gods of Olympus'.. He suffered similar treatment from Zeus on one occasion. That time, Hephaistos landed on the Greek island of Lemnos, where a major cult grew up around him. The gods mocked Hephaistos' deformity. Even so, he married the beautiful goddess Aphrodite. Hephaistos was the god of fire and the smith of the gods. In ancient times it was believed that his forge lay under a volcano. This explains his Roman name Vulcan. Hephaistos fashioned Zeus' lightning bolts, Poseidon's trident and the chains of Prometheus. He assisted the birth of his sister Athena by splitting open Zeus' head. |
