Myth Monday Dionysus and the Return of Hephaestus

The Return of Hephaestus to Olympus is a story depicted in literature and art that introduces interconnected Greek mythological puzzles and shows some of Zeus' family's dynamics.

The story begins with a version of Hephaestus' lameness. In one set, Hephaestus' imperfection manifested itself at birth. This led his mother Hera to cast him out of Olympus. He landed in the sea where the nymph Thetis tended him. (Later, Thetis requests a set of armor from Hephaestus for her son, Achilles, as described in the Iliad Book XVIII.) Alternatively, Hephaestus' fell from Olympus when Zeus hurled him out for defending his mother. In this version, Hephaestus fell for an entire day and wound up on Lemnos. This second version does not provide a motive for the nasty trick Hephaestus played, so for simplicity, let's go with the first.

Hephaestus, grown now and still angry at his mother, decided to get even. He was a blacksmith, so he could forge great items like magical, floating thrones. He sent one of these to his mother. Perhaps she accepted it thinking Hephaestus was trying to get back in her good graces. Perhaps it was just so attractive she didn't think. At any rate, it was a mistake for Hera to sit in the throne, since, once she did so, she was stuck.

None of the available gods or goddesses could unstick Hera. Hera's son Ares suggested that Hephaestus might be persuaded to undo his workmanship, but when Ares tried to persuade his brother, Hephaestus beat him off with firebrands.

Dionysus stepped forward as a savior, but with the implicit condition that he be admitted to the company of the Olympians. His technique for dealing with Hephaestus wasn't words. He offered Hephaestus wine -- probably enough to make him thoroughly inebriated. Hephaestus arrived at Olympus on the back of a donkey, accompanied by Dionysus and his sileni.

Hephaestus then asked for (version 1) Athena in marriage. This led to rejection by Athena, Hephaestus' spilled seed, and the creation of Erichthonius; in turn, leading to the populating of Athens [see Children of Athena].

Alternatively (version 2), but without ancient literary evidence, Hephaestus asked for Aphrodite as his bride. Since Hephaestus is the traditional husband of Aphrodite, and since this is such a strange pairing, the second version has appeal.

This story accounts for the inclusion of Dionysus among the 12 Olympian gods.

Reference: Timothy Gantz' Early Greek Myths.

• Homeric Hymn to Hephaestus
• The 12 Olympian Gods and Goddesses

Previous 2012 Myth Mondays:
Hercules Hurls His Guest
Scylla
Olympics Origins II: Myrtilos
Hercules the Giant Killer
The First Tyrant
The King and the Harpies
The Dawn Goddess Loves a Mortal
Vediovis
Even a Boar Wishes to Kiss Adonis
Hero and Adonis
Who Were the Argonauts?
The Chimera
Narcissus and Echo
How Perseus Fits In
Hesiod and the Bestiary
The First Olympics Origins I