| Hephaestus | Vulcan |
Vulcan is Hephaestus' Roman form. As Vulcan, he becomes more disciplined, militaristic, and warlike. While the Greeks envisioned Hephaestus as a benevolent and clever being, the Romans believed Vulcan to be the god of volcanoes which gave him a greater respect and fear among their people. The only legacy or child of Vulcan mentioned in Rick Riordan books is Blaise, a son of Vulcan, who would appear in Camp Jupiter Classified. Vulcan may or may not have more children and legacies in Camp Jupiter.
History
Compared to his Greek counterpart, Vulcan had a stronger association with fire's destructive capabilities. As such, he was worshiped primarily to obtain his protection in averting fires, so there were numerous shrines dedicated to him where fires were most feared, such as areas near volcanoes and where grain was stored, especially at the port of Ostia. An interesting note is that his shrines stood outside of the walls of cities.
Vulcan: God of the forge.
Being determined to shun the company of the other gods Vulcan established his home in the heart of Mount Etna, where he fashioned a giant forge. His workers were the one-eyed Cyclopes. He created a golden throne for Juno, and fashioned magical thunderbolts for Jupiter and Cupid's arrows.
Vulcan is said to have fathered Servius Tullius, the sixth and penultimate king of Rome and Tarquin's predecessor, who proved his parentage by the useful talent of being able to cause fire to descend on his enemies. He was the patron of artisans and blacksmiths. In these late times he was depicted as a smith in a tunic that freed his right arm and shoulder, and with an anvil, tongs and hammer.
The prominent Roman Plebeian gens, the Caecilia claimed descent from Vulcan through one of his sons Caeculus, who founded the city of Praeneste in the region of Latium.
The Vulcanalia , A festival falling on August 23rd, the period of greatest drought and highest fire risk in Italy, was named after Vulcan.
The Heroes of Olympus
The Lost Hero
When Leo is claimed by Hephaestus, Vulcan's Greek aspect, Jason says that the symbol hovering over Leo's head was that of Vulcan. This cause the campers of Camp Half-Blood to look at him and upsets Leo who says that he does not even like Star Trek. Annabeth then corrects Leo, saying that Vulcan is the god's Roman name, whereas Leo's father is Hephaestus. Later, Leo asks Will Solace what was up with the name Vulcan, to which the latter replies by saying that the campers use the Greek names as those are the original ones.
The Trials of Apollo
The Burning Maze
While having a dream where Naevius Sutorius Macro tells Caligula that he killed Emperor Tiberius , Apollo reveals that Vulcan was the one who caused Mount Vesuvius to erupt, he was having a bad week.
Representation
Vulcan is normally depicted as a grotesque figure with one leg shorter than the other, a deformity that resulted from being thrown from heaven by Juno, or Jupiter in some accounts.
Abilities
- As a son of Jupiter, Vulcan is an extremely powerful god.
- Prowess in Battle: Vulcan is shown to be very strong (from constantly working in his forges), which makes him very formidable in battle. He successfully fought in the first Gigantomachy , and several other battles.
- He excels at fighting with a heavy hammer.
- Pyrokinesis: As the god of fire, he has absolute control over heat, fire, and lava. This is a very dangerous and powerful ability, which is why only children that he chooses have this ability.
- Fire Immunity: Vulcan is immune to fire and heat, as he works with them constantly.
- Technokinesis: As the god of blacksmiths, he has unbelievable mechanical abilities which are second to none.
- Enhanced Forging: Vulcan can build any kind of machine out of any kind of material, as well as animate it and make it do things to suit his needs. He can even do this absentmindedly, fiddling with parts and gears when nervous or thinking hard over something.
- Geo-Thermalkinesis : As the god of lava/magma, Vulcan also has geo-thermal abilities and manipulation.
Children
Demigod Children
|
Partner |
Children |
| Unknown | Blaise |
| Unknown | Mamurius Veturius |
Trivia
- Vulcan is the patron god of the English steel making city of Sheffield. His statue sits on top of Sheffield Town Hall.
- The word volcano is derived from the name of Isola Vulcano, a volcanic island in the Aeolian Islands ofItaly whose name in turn originates from Vulcan.
- A Vulcan Statue located in Birmingham, Alabama is the largest cast iron statue in the world.
- A 12 foot tall and 1200 pound Vulcan statue at California University of Pennsylvania (CAL U) serves as the school’s mascot, inspiring all students, faculty, staff and alumni at Cal U.
- As mentioned above, Vulcan is also the name of several fictional planets, including the one which is the hybrid home of Spock from Star Trek.