Thoughts on Hephaistos

[Earthcup]

Hephaistos, known to the Romans as Vulcan, is my patron. I didn't choose him, he just appeared in my life and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Hesphaistos is often viewed as the "redheaded stepchild" of the Greek pantheon. He's lame and his wife prefers the affections of another man and the rest of the Olympians side with her and her lover. Not exactly awe inspiring, huh?

I've been doing some research and pondering and have come up with some ideas that I wanted to share.

While a great deal of trickery and subterfuge goes on behind the scenes in Olympus Hephaistos openly defied Zeus. The result was he was thrown from Olympus and nearly died. With nursing and training Hephaistos returned to Olympus, crippled but a master craftsman.

Who made Helios chariot? Who made Zeus thunderbolts? Hephaistos did. He created Achilleus armor and a group of robot assitants. Not shabby!

So far, pretty impressive. The story that really made me think was a version of Pandora's story I found.

This version began with Prometheus. Prometheus also defied Zeus, he stole fire from the gods to give to mankind and was tortured daily for it.

Then Zeus asked Hephaistos to create a beautiful woman, graced with all gifts and accomplishments. Aphrodite was the model for beauty and Athena was a model for strength and intelligence. When Hephaistos finished crafting her he breathed the breath of life into her, his remarkable creation. Then each of the Olympians bestowed a gift on her.

Zeus had Hermes give her a lying tongue, a deceitful heart and the cunning of a thief, marring the otherwise flawless creation. He then married her to Prometheus' brother and gave her a box, charging her to never open it, knowing she would not be able to resist. Thus he was avenged against both Prometheus and humankind.

Like the story of Adam and Eve it's pretty misogynist, blaming women for the trouble that befall humans. Then again it's a story of balance and justice, with humans recieving good and bad equally.

It's also a story of Hephaistos creating the ideal woman. He lovingly crafted her himself, using the best materials, teachers and model he could get, and then he breathed life into her. Imagine the story ended there.

Perhaps in ancient Greek culture it only served to further emasculate this much maligned diety but today it makes me pause and smile. Hephaistos thinks highly of women, he adores his wife, although in vain, and when he does think of straying it's for one of the most interesting women in Olympus, the beautiful, intelligent and strong Athena. Unfortunately she was also an eternal virgin.

Then when given a task by Zeus he creates the perfect woman, with charm, grace, skill, strength and intelligence. He breathes life into her himself, the master craftsman's breath gives life to the perfect synthesis of Aphrodite and Athena. This was his idea of women and it's hardly misogynistic.

I've got a few issues with male dieties. I'm not very comfortable with Zeus, Hermes and Pan. Poseidon is a little better and Ares and Haides freak me out a little. It's just personal baggage on my side that I have to work through.

However Hephaistos makes me feel like I can acheive anything. I am smart, desireable, strong and, if it's true Pandora was the first woman, created to be the best. Sure, I've got a dark side, we all do, but when you work with the Master Craftsman that doesn't seem to matter very much.

Thanks for listening, I had to put these ideas down in a semi-orderly fashion before I forgot them. :)

[tainted echoes]

actually, i have something against male dieties myself..or not against, just a prejudice against them. quite possibly because i come from a catholic background and it's too close to "god" (jesus, all that stuff, bleh) and i try to get away..probably a little inner rebellion from my family. ^_^

but i've known that story..didnt hephaistos marry aphrodite though? when she was born, she had to choose one husband..

[Earthcup]

In some stories Aphrodite was his wife and he caught her in bed with Ares, in others he was married to a woman? nymph? named Charis.

Jesus isn't my problem, it's Jehovah. We didn't part well at all... :(

I'm relating better though. It's hard not to be friends with Gods that giggle.. :D

[tainted echoes]

:lol: agreed.

'twas mars..so..then it would be..let's see.

yep, ares. (i've never paid much attention to dieties in greek and such..well..i did, but i'm better off naming them as planets, lol. )

[Cait]

Thankyou for posting this. Although he's not my patron, or anything, I always felt a certain affection, or something, for Vulcan/Hephaistos, but somehow he often doesn't seem to get much attention... Your description of his story was lovely.

-Cait (yes, I'm new...)

[Mnemosyne]

Earthcup, I remember you discussing Hephaistos/Vulcan before. So bizarre, I was just telling a friend about Pandora. Do you think that Hephaistos desires good lucks for himself, or is he content with his looks? I was just wondering, since he helps create Pandora, the most beautiful woman, and married Aphrodite, a goddess of beauty. According to one story, Hera was so disgusted with his appearance at birth that she threw him off of Mount Olympus. :( Even though Hephaistos is not my patron diety, I do respect him and see to be a caring, thoughtful god.

[Earthcup]

hmmm... good question! Perhaps he does, I think he's certainly suceeded in every other area of his life. I wonder if it's looks so much or if it's the thing with Hera.

He defied Zeus for Hera and was then disfigured. He was very handsome before that. When he returned the mother he fought for rejected him. So maybe it's a mother-figure thing?

Hera was very beautiful, maybe he's looking for a substitute, a woman worth fighting for? :huh:

At any rate, in this day and age, he wouldn't have any problem mastering corrective and cosmetic surgery. Would that make him patron god of tummy tucks? :lol:

[Mnemosyne]

:lol: Hephaistos, the god of tummy tucks? I have never thought of him like that. I would think that a beautiful god or goddess would be connected with plastic surgery., but that is just my opinion. So I am not the only one who associates the gods with modern inventions? For example, I always think that Hermes, the messenger god, is in charge of my computer. lol. After all, he makes sure that I get the messeges from you and others.

Earthcup, I heard a different myth about how Hephaistos grew lame. I heard that Hephaistos was quite ugly at birth, so Hera threw him off Mount Olympus. I like how there are so many different stories about the gods and goddesses though.

[Earthcup]

Hestia is in my toaster oven, sad but true. :D

[Mnemosyne]

I can see Hestia being associated with a toaster. :D What about the oven also? The oven has to do with heat and is in the kitchen. I think of Hestia as staying in the home, a part of the domestic life.

Hephaistos must be really special to you. Do you associate anythings in the home with Hephaistos? I tend to think of tools when I think of Hephaistos.

[Earthcup]

My PC. My hammer, screwdrivers and other assorted "handyman" tools. My paint brushes. Pretty much any situation where I feel a need to overcome obstacles I call on him. I haven't known him as long as Artemis but he's already very important to me.

I use my toater oven more often, my oven works some days and other days just sits there. :D

I need to start practicing daily. I've learned a lot about Hellenic religon but I haven't gotten around to putting much of it into practice. Besides, I doubt my roommates would appreciate Hekate by the door and Apollo by the front steps.

One day though... :D

[Mnemosyne]

Yeah, I too call on my patron diety when needing to overcome obstacles. But then again, I also remember to give thanks for all the wonderful events that have taken place in my life.

Until recently, I really haven't thought of relating everyday objects such as tools are kitchen appliances to the gods and goddesses. I can see how these objects remind us of dieties- well kind of.

By the way, Earthcup, what do you mean that you have learned a lot about the Hellenic religion but have not put it into practice? It sounds as if you give the gods and goddesses respect and careful consideration. We all have our own ways of showing reverence. :)

[Earthcup]

My ways of worship are still very Judeo-Christian in many ways, silent prayer, the way I honor and relate to the Gods are much the same way I related to Jehovah and Christ. That didn't work for me then and it still doesn't work very well now.

My chosen religon is Hellenismos, the modern reconstruction and interpretation of ancient Hellenic religon, the aim is to to adapt the ancient religon for modern use while preserving as much of the original practice and values as possible.

One day praying aloud, setting up home altars and celebrating feast days will be normal. Right now I can't worship as I would like and it bugs me. :(

[tainted echoes]

well, since he was creative, (in my mind anyway), whenever i paint or something...associate it with him.

[Grey]

I have a hephastus look alike named Vaulon (norse) he's hamstrung but makes the greater atrifacts that the gods wield (not mjolnir- I think- but just about everything else) and has to move around by holding himself up on benches to get from place to place.
:shaker::shift::shaker:

[Maia]

thanx for ur thoughts; i've never really concentrated on Hephaistos before, but thinking about it, i think He deserves a bit more of my time :)

forgive me if i'm getting the wrong end of the stick here, but in a way, do u think He is partially symbolic of unrequited love, of just getting on with things, getting over it, making the best of a bad lot etc?

i mean, he got a rough deal. lame, cuckolded...but He still had faith - i mean, He cud've made any old woman, but He didn't, He made a perfect archetype in Pandora...because He still had faith that such a woman cud exist? and, in the same way, all of his master craftsmanship: sure, he wasn't a Hero like Achilles, he wasn't the Ruler of Olympus like Zeus...but He was standing in the wings, fashioning the tools that they needed to *be* great.

or am i just transplanting my romanticism onto him?

eudaimonia!
maia xxx