BY LAASYA AKI
STAFF WRITER
Hephaestus, or Hephaistos, the Greek god of fire, is known for his way around the forge. Possessing the power of fire, he is able to create the most amazing metal items. He is the son of Hera and one of the twelve major gods. Because of his weapons and armor, the gods were able to win battles against even the most terrible creatures. Hephaestus creates tools for the gods that allowed them to harness and strengthen the forces of their powers. Greek demigods and heroes traveled miles and faced many challenges to even hold a craft of Hephaestus. Even though he is honored throughout Greece, he was rejected by his own mother first.
His mother, Hera, gave birth to him and decided he was too ugly to keep. Her solution to this problem was to throw him off of the side of Mount Olympus, home of the gods. He was badly injured by the fall, as one would be if their mother threw them off of a mountain, and he barely survived. Rescued by a nymph named Thetis and a titan named Eurynome, he was sheltered in a cave underwater for nine years. He later was turned over to the cyclops in Posiden’s (god of the sea) underwater forge. He learned metalworking and blacksmithing there and quickly mastered them. After mastering the art of the forge, Hephaestus crafted gifts for the Olympians and decided to visit.
Arriving at Olympus, nobody recognized him because nobody, except Hera, knew of his existence. Because of his looks, the Olympians tried to turn him away until he announced that he bore gifts. He presented each of the Olympians with special thrones that catered to their needs. He saved the last throne for Hera, who simply could not refuse because of the throne’s beauty. Enthralled by the magnificent throne that Hephaestus brought her, she decided to sit in it right away. However, it was a trap. small golden threads sprung from the sides of the chair and bound her to her place. These threads were invisible to everyone but Hephaestus. All of the gods tried to convince him to free Hera, but he would not comply. Only when drunk, he finally let her go.
Learning her lesson, Hera finally accepted him into her family. He earned his place among the twelve Olympians, and his blacksmithing skills helped the gods very much. He constructed all of their palaces and many more magnificent chambers. He also crafted many automatons. These automatons included a bronze giant to protect Crete and golden dogs to guard Talos. One of his most amazing creations was Pandora, the first mortal woman.
In conclusion, Hephaestus’s role in Olympus cannot be overlooked. Without his craftsmanship and skill, the gods would not be sitting in Olympus.
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