Hephaestus - myth and fiction story

Introduction:

There are a lot of different myths about the birth, life and death of the ancient Greek god called Hephaestus. I used the basic information from the myths that can be found in books of Greek mythology such as the names of gods, big events in Hephaestus life, the human/titan/god hierarchy of the time. A lot of the scenes were created from my view and interpretation of his incredible character, and a lot of the timeline has been changed to suit the needs of a great story behind the lost copper skull. Because if Hephaestus is anything, he is incredible character and this fictional story, backed with numerous myths, proves it!  

Hephaestus youth 

Believe it or not, ancient gods had basic human needs because, after all, we inherited those needs from them. Speaking like a true ancient Greek. One of those needs, between supreme god Zeus and his wife Hera, bared fruit in a shape of a little boy called Hephaestus. Hera was delighted with the boy, but she felt something strange that she couldn’t describe. She wasn’t sure if it was a good or a bad thing. As the boy grow it was more and more obvious that he’ll be the ugliest god of all, not worth to be called the son of supreme gods. Hera planned to get rid of him before he grows enough to be represented to other Olympians (Gods of Olympus). When Hera and Hephaestus went for their first walk around Olympus, she seized the opportunity and threw him from the highest peak of Olympus down to earth of mortals, nymphs and titans. Relieved after throwing him, she returned to Zeus and told him that the ugly son no longer exists.  

The rescue

While in the air, he was terrified. But there was something beautiful in all of that, he saw the whole world of mortals. Later in his life, he often returned to this moment while he was gliding through the air, and every time he wished he died with that beautiful sight beneath him. But, the gods had something other planned for him. Actually they wanted him dead, but it’s just figure of speech. This time Hephaestus had all the luck of the worlds, both world of mortals and the world of gods, because he was thrown so far away that he landed in the sea. Thetis, daughter of Oceanus, while swimming at the same time saw a bird flying in her direction. But it was a lot faster than any bird created by the Olympians. When the bird hit the sea, she was very near and curious as she was decided to see what kind of bird it was. Oh, how she was surprised when she saw little Hephaestus drowning. At the time, Thetis already escaped one marriage that her father organized. And this baby was her ideal chance to never marry again, but still raise a child even if it’s not her own.  

Hephaestus rise 

Hephaestus was introverted child, but a very ingenious one. From the fall into the sea he was invalid for the rest of his life. Because of that disability, he always crafted some tool to make it easier to walk, even run. Later in his adulthood he had his way with metals. When Titan Prometheus stole the fire from the Olympians, untold story is that he brought fire not only to the mortal but to the Hephaestus as well. That way he helped him become the best blacksmith of all time. Crafting whole bunch of stuff for the gods. He made wings and sandals for Hermes, bow and arrows for Eros, breastplate for Aegis, chariot for Helios and many more. He didn’t stop there, to his friend Prometheus he made automaton wife called Pandora. Later on she was used by Zeus to catch Prometheus, but at that time Prometheus was delighted and immediately fell in love with Pandora. As his first automaton, Pandora was a great success he started to make them for all kind of purposes, but all were used for final goal to gather more information about both worlds without. As on the courts of the mortals, the Olympus had spies as well. The story how Hera threw ugly child was known to all immortals as well as to all mortals, and Hephaestus was well familiar with his real parents and atrocity his mother committed. On one feast on the Olympus all gods as well as their families were invited to attend. Thetis came, dressed in most beautiful dress made out of the sea waves and sea foam as decoration around her hands, and on the neck stunning necklace made of copper and pearls. It was so light, but so eyecatching and Hera fell in love with the necklace and demanded to know the maker of it. She was disgusted to find out that her ugly son was the one who made such beauty. She threatened to Thetis, that if Hephaestus doesn’t make her something as beautiful as the necklace she’ll make them miserable.  

Throne and marriage  

Because of the treatment Hera gave to Thetis, he decided to humiliate Hera as much as he can. He knew he must craft something extraordinary to impress Hera, so she won’t feel endangered. Thetis gave him an incredible idea, a throne made of gold and silver and on the back part covered with best pearls from the sea. After weeks of working, it was finally ready to be delivered on Olympus. Hera was absolutely thrilled. She decided to place it in the greeting room where everyone can see it. 

When she sat on it, her ankles, wrists, neck, chests and hips where tied with the adamantium to the throne. The more she moved, the tighter it got. She cried for help, on what Zeus immediately reacted with laughter humiliating Hera even more. He sent Dionysus to bring Hephaestus. After drinking too much wine they returned to Zeus. Hephaestus usually introverted, was now brave from all the wine inside him. He demanded the most beautiful immortal to be his wife, as a price for freeing Hera. After seeing that as an opportunity to calm other gods, because they all were fighting for Aphrodite, Zeus accepted. Hephaestus and Aphrodite lived happily ever after, or did they?   

Trap 

Because Hephaestus was as ugly as one can be, Aphrodite the most beautiful goddess that ever existed was unhappy. She brought all kind of mortals and immortals in her bed while Hephaestus worked hard as a blacksmith. The work he did wasn’t only smiting, he explored alchemy as well. He used it to give life to his automatons, like Pandora. One day Helios finished his ride earlier than ever before, running to Hephaestus. Hephaestus was sure that something was wrong with the chariot he crafted for Helios, but the truth was far worse. As he was on the top of the sky, he saw Ares and Aphrodite in bed, which made him furious and ran to tell it to his friend. They came up with a plan to capture them in the act. If he could deceive Hera, he can definitely deceive his horny and unfaithful wife. The only thing Aphrodite loved about Hephaestus is his shiny gifts to her. So one day he brought home such a glorious bed. When you lie on it, it would feel like you were on the ocean. His frame was made from pure gold surrounded with the sea foam. 

She was very pleased with the gift, but this time he didn’t even receive a kiss from her. It made him even angrier. Next time when Ares came to Aphrodite, she was waiting for him naked in the new bed. He was on top of her in no time. Suddenly they were both caught in almost invisible net that popped out of the sea foam. Trying to escape, they became more entangled in it. Hephaestus and Helios observed everything and came to gloat upon the fallen lovers. They dragged the lovers completely naked to the Olympus for everyone to see them. Poseidon promised that they will be punished appropriately, so Hephaestus let them go.  

Copper skull 

All alone, he devoted himself completely to alchemy and smiting. He wanted to create automaton version of him, to live among the mere mortals. Automaton version of him needed to be perfect, because nothing less was acceptable to ancient Greek god. Now speaking like his mother. But after everything that has happened to him, he didn’t care that he was turning into her. He started from the bones, to fit among mortals. Their bones were fragile, so he used copper for them. Brain of mortals was under the skull so when he crafted the skull, he first used a big ball of adamantium empowered with alchemy, and covered with copper. Instead of blood he used wine so he would be closer to the drunks because of a smell. After all, Hephaestus was drunk when he demanded Aphrodite to be his wife, and look where it led him now. That would be a kind of a temptation for the replica. For the hair he used real hair, one of his worshipers gladly gave it to him not knowing what will it be used for. Finally, after dozens of tries, he was satisfied with the look of replica and its similarity to mortals. Now the learning process started, and Hephaestus hoped that empowered adamantium will be good brain. It was even better than he hoped for. Replica soon knew all the gods, their past, present, styles and likings. It even learned history of the mankind so it can fit in all Mediterranean. Now it was ready to have a field test. Hephaestus brought his replica to the world of mortals and let it mingle among them. Few days of field testing and the two of them already had philosophical discussions about gods and mortals. About how gods use mortals only for their fun and to satisfy their basic needs. And as replica learned more from the mortals, it was clear that empowered adamantium was capable of accumulating great knowledge in really short time. Hephaestus and his replica decided to create plenty of automatons so they could become another race on the earth. A race so superior to the mere mortals, that one day they would conquer the humans. That act would anger rest of the gods, which was a nice bonus for Hephaestus. That way he thought he was using the replica for his own revenge, but the truth was completely different. After creating two more automatons which came to the same level as Hephaestus replica, they decided to use Hephaestus as a slave and he didn’t have any power to stop them. Luckily for him, Helios can see everything that happens in both worlds, and informed Zeus about the Hephaestus failure or overachievement, depends from whose side you’re looking. Poseidon and Zeus came to Hephaestus smithy, and used all of their powers to dissolve two automatons, but no matter how hard they tried they couldn’t damage Hephaestus replica. It was absolutely undamaged, because only Hephaestus crafted it and whatever Hephaestus crafted can’t be dissolved. The other two automatons were crafted with the help of the replica and that made them vulnerable. The replica needs to be dismantled using the same tools that crafted it, but it will never be destroyed, not even the time can destroy it. Hephaestus was imprisoned forever under the rock his friend Prometheus was tied to as his punishment for defying the gods. The parts of the replica were scattered all around the Mediterranean, never to be found again. Because if someone, ever finds them and combines horrible things can happen.  

This is my entry to the contest held by @dixiesilverminer.
https://steemit.com/steembasicincome/@dixiesilverminer/reward-for-the-that-can-tell-us-the-legend-of-hephaestus-treasure-the-lost-copper-skull

All images are labeled for reuse. Image sources:

[Image 1](http://encyclopediamythos.wikia.com/wiki/Hephaestus)

[Image 2](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AWSAKvyQOqRm9hEGPguDYlqUIqQwLTTI8tg20iR5wUZT8S9_YJttBXw/)

[Image 3](https://pixabay.com/en/wave-beach-ocean-sea-foam-water-1905610/)

[Image 4](https://www.pexels.com/photo/ancient-antique-art-death-208155/)