Vulcan

Vutcanus, a god of the ancients, who presided over fire, was the patron of all artists who worked iron and metals. He was son of Juno alone, anc, according to Homer, he was son of Jupiter and Juno. Vulcan, it is said, was educated in heaven with the rest of the gods, but his father kicked him down from Olympus, when he attempted to deliver his mother, who had been fastened bya golden chain for her insolence. He was nine days in coming from heaven upon earth, and he fell in the island of Lemnos. Having broken his leg in the fall, he ever after remained lame. He fixed his residence in Lemnos, where he raised forges to work metals, and taught the inhabitants all the useful arts. Vulcan has been celebrated by the ancient poets for the ingenious works and automatical figures which he made, and it is said, that at the request of Jupiter he made the first woman that ever appeared on earth, well known under the name of Pandora. (See Panpora.) The Cyclops of Sicily were his ministers and attendants, and with him they fabricated, not only the thunderbolts of Jupiter, but also arms for the gods and the most celebrated heroes. His forges were supposed to be under mount Aitna, in the island of Sicily. The amours of Vulcan ate not numerous. Venus is universally acknowledged to have been the wife of Vulcan, but her infidelity is well known, as well as her amours with Mars. (See ALEc TRY ON.) The worship of Vulcan was well established, particularly in Egypt, at Athens, and at Rome, A calf and a boar pig were the principal vic~ 217 218 IMG:page218.webp:Plate (PDF page 218) 219 cee offered to him, Vulcan was generally represented as covered with sweat, blowing with his nervous arm the fires of his forges, ad sometimes holding a hammer raised in the 9 strike, while with thé other hand yincers a thunderbolt on an an- ytotechnes, Pand am at or, Binal ex prestire of of Cupid by Ven