God Is Ugly & Crafty

‘Hephaestus’ Forge’ tells the tale of a master craftsgod, known for his skill and cunning, a most ‘ungodly’ appearance, a war thwarted by an arranged marriage, an unfaithful wife, and an inspired girdle!

Hephaestus was the Greek god of fire, craftsman, forges, artisans and a number of hot crafty related things. So put down that glue gun and read his tale.

Raku Pottery Vase – Hephaestus’ Forge. You can see more vases and read their stories here.

Hephaestus had powerful parents! Zeus, his father had a problem on his hands. Many of the male deities wanted to marry the beautiful Aphrodite. Their fighting grew more and more problematic for Olympus. To finally put an end to the quarrels for her hand, Zeus arranged a marriage for her with Hephaestus.

It was his ugly appearance that inspired Zeus to choose him, so that the match would not inspire jealousy among other male deities. It was also his ugly appearance and a lack of love in the match that caused Aphrodite to have many affairs with both gods and men. The Dom Deluise type with a club foot was not for her.

Tired of the humiliation, one day Hephaestus created a magic net, which he would use to catch Athena and the war god Ares in bed together. He would bring them together before the gods and thoroughly humiliate them among their peers. Poseidon felt so sorry for them he convinced Hephaestus to release them and paid their fine for the indiscretion.

Maybe Hephaestus should have ‘borrowed’ Aphrodite’s credit card and visited my website!

In his forge on Olympus, Hephaestus would go on to produce many of the gadgets and equipment of the gods, like Hermes winged helmet. He had also made Aphrodite’s girdle which inspired love and passion, which perhaps worked a little too well.

Move over Victoria’s Secret. They don’t make girdles like they used to.

What did you think of our rake pottery vase ‘Hephaestus’ Forge’ and our story today? If you enjoy our stories and pottery, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter here to keep up with what is happening in the studio.

You can also take our ‘Which raku pottery vase are you quiz’ here, and see what vase and story you get!

35 Comments

    1. Thank you, John! I am glad to hear you like it and hope you are doing well!

  1. This piece is awesome, it resonates with me on a deeper level, almost feels nostalgic.

    Amazing.

    1. Lovely to hear you enjoy it! So glad to be a part of that experience, and thank you for your kind comment.

    1. Aww shucks thanks! Thank you for your kind words! I hope you are keeping well.

  2. Good morning, the tale is interesting to read. Hephaestus’ Forge represents the earth; the sand, mountains, the ocean and the sky. 💗it. I would like to thank you for liking my latest blog post “Deep White: Sparks of Fire Pearl🔥😭”. It meant so much to me. Have a lovely day 🌸

  3. Lovely story. I dream that someone chooses me for my ugliness. How lovely would that be. And how beautiful would that person who chooses some one for his ugliness. Though the thought is a little different from the story. It made me think of this. Thnk you.

  4. Hephaestus is one of my favorite Greek gods! He had a tough time because of his looks, but he was so creative. I’ve even heard he made automatons to help him and keep him company. A great story to go with a beautiful vase!

    1. Thank you for your kind words! I am so glad you enjoy it! If you would like to know more about it, please let me know. I am happy to help!

  5. I love the mythological tale – and the making of pottery runs all through Greek culture and history – and myth. Great job. Keep the fire burning.

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