Origins of Hephaestus
Hephaestus was born deformed and minutes after his birth, Hera horrified by his hideous appearance threw him from Olympus. He fell for nine days and nights and landed in the ocean. The impact with the water broke his legs and he would have died if not for a sea nymph by the name of Thetis who saved and raised him. Thetis gave Hephaestus a workshop underwater where he became a astounding blacksmith and craftsman. When Hera saw the things Hephaestus had created she realized her mistake and brought him back to Olympus. In another version of the story, Hephaestus was trying to save Hera from being punished. He was then caught by Zeus who then cast him from Olympus. In this version Hephaestus's lameness is explained by him landing hard on the rocky shores of Lemnos.
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Importance of Hephaestus
Hephaestus was important to ancient Greece because during that time period everything was made by a craftsman. Everything includes everything. Being the god of craftsmanship, Hephaestus made armor and weapons for the gods and occasionally a mortal. He even made Zeus's lighting bolts.
Works Cited
Atsma, Aaron J. "HEPHAESTUS : Greek God of Fire & Metalworking." THEOI GREEK MYTHOLOGY, Exploring Mythology & the Greek Gods in Classical Literature & Art. Web. 25 Feb. 2012 <http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Hephaistos.html>.
Chen, Bob. "Hephaestus." Scribd. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://www.scribd.com/doc/1026243/Hephaestus>.
"Hephaestus." Encyclopedia Mythica: Mythology, Folklore, and Religion. 3 Mar. 1997. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://www.pantheon.org/articles/h/hephaestus.html>.
"Hephaestus (Olympian God)." Hephaestus. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/hephaest.htm>.
"Greek Gods Family Tree Chart." Sci-Fi Fantasy Anime Blog. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://scifanime.com/mythology/greek-gods-family-tree-chart>.
Chen, Bob. "Hephaestus." Scribd. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://www.scribd.com/doc/1026243/Hephaestus>.
"Hephaestus." Encyclopedia Mythica: Mythology, Folklore, and Religion. 3 Mar. 1997. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://www.pantheon.org/articles/h/hephaestus.html>.
"Hephaestus (Olympian God)." Hephaestus. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/hephaest.htm>.
"Greek Gods Family Tree Chart." Sci-Fi Fantasy Anime Blog. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://scifanime.com/mythology/greek-gods-family-tree-chart>.