Vulcan

From Free net encyclopedia

This article concerns the Roman mythological figure. For other uses of this term, see Vulcan (disambiguation). Mulciber redirects here, for the character in Paradise Lost, see Fallen Angel

Image:Diego Velasquez, The Forge of Vulcan.jpg Vulcan, in Roman mythology, is the son of Jupiter and Juno, husband of Maia and Venus, and father of Caeculus. He was god of fire and volcanoes, and the manufacturer of art, arms, iron, and armor for gods and heroes. Vulcan's analogue in Greek mythology is the god Hephaestus. He is also called Mulciber ("softener") in Roman mythology and Sethlans in Etruscan mythology.

[edit]

About Vulcan

Vulcan's smithy was believed to be situated underneath Mount Etna in Sicily. At the Vulcanalia festival, which was held on August 23, fish and small animals were thrown into a fire.

Vulcan's shrine in the Forum Romanum, called the Volcanal, appears to have played an important role in the civic rituals of the archaic Roman Kingdom.

Today, a statue of Vulcan located in Birmingham, Alabama is the largest cast iron statue in the world.

[edit]

Vulcan in mythology

To punish mankind for stealing the secrets of fire, Jupiter ordered the other gods to make Pandora as a poisoned gift for man. Vulcan’s contribution to the beautiful and foolish Pandora was to mold her from clay and to give her form. He also made the thrones for the other gods on Mt. Olympus.

[edit]

Vulcan in astronomy

Astronomically, Vulcan is the name of a hypothetical planet whose orbit is contained within that of Mercury. Such a planet was conjectured for the purpose of explaining the observed precession of Mercury - a phenomenon which has since been explained by Einstein's general theory of relativity.

Template:Roman myth (major)ca:Vulcà de:Vulcanus es:Vulcano (mitología) eo:Vulkano (dio) fr:Vulcain (mythologie) hi:वुल्कन it:Vulcano (mitologia) lt:Vulkanas (mitologija) nl:Vulcanus (godheid) ja:ウルカヌス pl:Wulkan (bóg) pt:Vulcano (mitologia) ro:Vulcan (zeu) ru:Вулкан (мифология) scn:Vulcanu (geoluggia) sr:Вулкан (митологија) sv:Vulcanus zh:乌尔肯

Retrieved from "http://www.netipedia.com/index.php/Vulcan"