Mythological smith gods, such as Hephaestus, Weyland, Svarog, Ptah, etc., are often depicted as crippled or deformed. This is now believed to be from constant exposure to arsenic, which was added to copper to make bronze.
Hephaestus For other uses, see Hephaestus (disambiguation). Hephaestus (/hɪˈfiːstəs, hɪˈfɛstəs/; eight spellings; Greek: Ἥφαιστος Hēphaistos) is the Greek god of blacksmiths, metalworking, carpenters, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metallurgy, fire, and volcanoes. Hephaestus’ Roman equivalent is Vulcan. In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was either the son of Zeus and Hera or he was Hera’s parthenogenous child. He was […]