sanellydicarmens:

in the land of gods and monsters: hephaestus

he is the smith of the gods and the husband of the adulterous aphrodite. he was usually depicted as a bearded, crippled man with hammer, tongs, and anvil, and sometimes riding a donkey. his sacred animals include the donkey, the guard dog, and the crane. among his creations was the armor of achilles. hephaestus used the fire of the forge as a creative force, but his roman counterpart vulcan was feared for his destructive potential and associated with the volcanic power of the earth.