Master Craftsman I


When I think about Labor’s Day I think about people in the blue collar business. I believe this blue collared god is perfect for Labor’s Day and his name is Hephaestus.
Hephaestus is the only one of the Greek Gods (Dodekatheon) of Mount Olympus who has a "regular" job and actually worked with his hands. Hephaestus is Blacksmith of Heaven. He is also the God of the Fire, Metalworking, and General Craftsmanship. Hephaestus is also the only two of the Olympians who was born with a physical defect (the other is Priapus, a god with a freakish HUGE DICK).
Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera. When he was born, Hera saw how ugly he was and cast down from Olympus.  Hephaestus got off to a rocky start in life, unwanted son of rejecting parents who saw no beauty in their little son. Not to mention ending up with a physical defect that left him lame. Hephaestus fell to earth, landing in the sea near the Island of Lemnos. 
He had the good fortune to be rescued and nursed back to health by a group of sea nymphs leaded by Thetis and Titan goddess Eurynome. They went to great lengths to keep him hidden from his parents, hiding him in their underwater cave.
Living there, Hephaestus began his career of craftsmanship under tutorage of the Elder Cyclopes, big brothers of the Titans. Collecting coral, pearls, and precious metals from the ocean floor, he began to fashion exquisite jewelry. He even built little robots made of gold to help him get around. With the help of the one-eyed Cyclopes, Hephaestus built a set of golden thrones for the Olympian gods and goddesses with his symbol: the flaming hammer.
Soon his creations were all the rage. Hera, wanting some of the marvelous jewelry that all the goddesses were wearing forced the goddess Thetis to tell her who had made her gorgeous jewelry. Thetis told her that it was made by her own talented son.
Hera saw that they had been wrong to reject Hephaestus, that in spite of his imperfections, he had the talent (not to mention good taste) of a god. She persuaded Zeus to welcome him back. And so, Hephaestus was invited to return to Mount Olympus and to take his place among the gods.
Hephaestus politely declined, saying he was quite happy where he was. He set to work and fashioned a beautiful golden throne and sent it to Hera as a “thank you” for the invitation. Hera liking the throne sat on it; golden ropes flew out and entwined her, locking her into the chair. (This is Hephaestus’s revenge on Hera for throwing him off Olympus.)
Though everyone tried to free Hera from the fetters, Hephaestus’ design was so clever that not even Zeus could master the trick. So Zeus sent his son Ares, God of War, to bring Hephaestus back to let Hera loose. Instead Hephaestus ran him off by hurling firebrands at him, and Ares made a hasty retreat.

Zeus resorted to trickery next, sending Dionysus, the God of Wine, to get Hephaestus drunk. Never much of a drinker, it didn’t take much wine for Hephaestus to get intoxicated. Soon he was making his triumphant return to Mount Olympus, passed out and slung over the back of a donkey.
Not one to enjoy the pomp or the hustle and bustle of the royal palace, Hephaestus built an underground workshop and spent much of this time there working undisturbed. He initially refused to forgive Hera, saying only that he “had no mother”. Feeling very guilty about having abandoned him, Hera showered him with tools, materials, and helpers for his workshop. There he continued to invent and craft beautiful furniture, jewelry, armor, and weaponry of the highest quality. Eventually he and his mother were reconciled.

Meet the hardworking children of Hephaestus

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