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HEPHAESTUS

Musical Mythology

Hephaestus

(Tune: “Turkey in the Straw”)

Oh the Greeks had a god


And Hephaestus was his name
When the Romans talked about him
They said Vulcan meant the same
But whatever name you call him
He’s as smart as he can be
And he’s such a clever blacksmith
He makes shields and jewelry.
Hooray for Vulcan!
Look what he makes!
A shield for Achilles.
He loves to create.
And we just can’t list
All of his arts.
He was lame, but a craftsman.
He had beauty in his heart.

Liz Hubbard, Sagel, ID


Susan Hengelsberg, Perry, NY
Ann Edwards, Belle, MO

59 Copyright 2007 American Classical League


May be reproduced for classroom use
HEPHAESTUS

Hephaestus Activity
Whenever a god or goddess wanted something made of metal,
Hephaestus created the most extraordinarily wonderful things. He made
a shield and other armor for Achilles at the request of Thetis, robots of
gold in the form of young women who could move and speak, a necklace
for Harmonia, and the invincible sword of Peleus.

Mimnermus, a Greek poet of the seventh century BCE, tells of one


of the works of Hephaestus.

“Helios has as his lot toil day after day and there is never any rest either for him or his horses,
when rosy-fingered dawn leaving the stream of Ocean makes her way up into the sky.
But a beautiful hollow cup, winged and of precious gold, fashioned by the hands of Hephaestus,
bears him, sleeping deeply, from the land of the Hesperides to the country of the Ethiopians,
where he makes his swift chariot and horses stand, until the rising dawn comes.”

Vocabulary
In a dictionary, find the meaning of each vocabulary word as it is used in the excerpt above.

lot _________________________________________________________________

bears _________________________________________________________________

fashioned _________________________________________________________________

toil _________________________________________________________________

Questions
1. What are the Hesperides? ____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

2. Where is the land of the Ethiopians? _________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

3. Which other characters from literature were physically not beautiful but produced beauty?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Bernice Jefferis
Cleveland Heights, OH
60 Copyright 2007 American Classical League
May be reproduced for classroom use
HEPHAESTUS

Teacher’s Key
Hephaestus Activity

Vocabulary

lot: fate; fortune in life


bears: carries
fashioned: made
toil: work

Questions

1. The Hesperides are daughters of Atlas and Hesperis. They live in a garden far to the west (where the
sun sets), and they guard the golden apple tree of Hera. Hesperis, in Latin, means “western.” This
garden was thought to be near the Atlas Mountains in northern Africa at the western extreme of the
Mediterranean Sea.

2. The ancient country of Ethiopia mentioned in mythology was located in northern Africa in a “dimly
defined region” near the Red Sea at the eastern extreme of the Mediterranean Sea. This is where
the Greeks believed that the sun rose.

3. Ugly Duckling
Cyrano de Bergerac
Rumplestiltskin
Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Beast in Beauty and the Beast

61 Copyright 2007 American Classical League


May be reproduced for classroom use
HEPHAESTUS

More Hephaestus Activities


Make a shield
For younger children who may need a beginning place, a large circle drawn around the bottom of a
wastebasket on tagboard or construction paper serves as the shield. It can be decorated with
scenes from the child’s past, present, and future or with objects that symbolize the child’s
characteristics. Or it can be decorated simply with designs that are pleasing.

Design a robot
Assigning this as a homework task will produce a wide variety of robots. Having a whole class
design one provides for endless discussion about what, how, and why certain features should be
included or excluded.

Make jewelry
Again this could be assigned as homework, or found-materials could be provided
such as paperclips, buttons, and aluminum foil. Old or broken pieces of costume
jewelry could be recycled.

Write the words to a song about Hephaestus, Hera, or Thetis


Choose an existing song whose melody is well known. Write one with the whole class, and then let
individuals either write more verses or write new songs.

Write a poem about Hephaestus, Hera, or Thetis


Retell the story of Hephaestus’ fall from the point of view of Hephaestus, Zeus, or one of the other
Olympians.

Research occupations
A “smith” works in metals. Find out what sort of work these people do.

cooper
potter
tanner
farrier
herder
scrivener
drover
wainwright

Write the story into a play


Make puppets, create dialogue, and produce a play for the class. You could also use classmates
for the roles.

Interview Hephaestus, Hera, or Thetis


Produce this interview as a radio or television newscast.

Write a news article


Create the front page of a newspaper describing the event.

Bernice Jefferis
Cleveland Heights, OH

62 Copyright 2007 American Classical League


May be reproduced for classroom use
HEPHAESTUS

Where Is Lemnos?
The locations mentioned in mythology can usually be found on a map.
This is a map of Greece. Locate the following places on the map and label each.

1. Peloponnesus 6. Rhodes 11. Aegean Sea


2. Athens 7. Lemnos 12. Mediterranean Sea
3. Gulf of Corinth 8. Dardanelles 13. Cyclades
4. Ithaca 9. Sea of Marmara 14. Olympia
5. Crete 10. Troy

Questions
1. How could you account for so many small islands in this part of the Mediterranean Sea?

_________________________________________________________________________

2. Look in an atlas to find the latitude of this part of the world. _____________________________

3. Compare the Mediterranean climate to the climate where you live. ________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Bernice Jefferis
Cleveland Heights, OH

63 Copyright 2007 American Classical League


May be reproduced for classroom use
HEPHAESTUS

Teacher’s Key
More Hephaestus Activities: Research Occupations
cooper a person who makes barrels or casks
potter a person who makes earthenware pots or dishes
tanner a person whose work is changing hide into leather by soaking it in tannin (tannic acid)
farrier a person who shoes horses
herder a person who tends a herd of animals
scrivener a scribe or clerk
drover a person who herds animals to market
wainwright a person who builds or repairs wagons

Teacher’s Key
Where Is Lemnos?

1. underwater volcanic action

2. approximately 30 to 40 degrees north latitude

3. Mediterranean climates are characterized by wet winters and dry summers. San Francisco, California,
in the United States is approximately the same latitude as the Mediterranean Sea in Europe.

64 Copyright 2007 American Classical League


May be reproduced for classroom use
HEPHAESTUS

HEPHAESTUS
65 Copyright 2007 American Classical League
May be reproduced for classroom use

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