Hephaestus (Greek)/Vulcan (Roman)
Hephaestus’s parentage is disputed; in some texts he was the son of Zeus and Hera, in others, he was conceived by Hera alone. Hephaestus, called “The Divine Artificer”, was the god of craftsmen, smiths, and fire.
Hephaestus was born lame, and either Zeus or Hera, enraged that he was not as good-looking as the other Olympian gods, threw him off Mt. Olympus. He landed safely on the island of Lemnos, where two sea goddesses, Thetis and Eurynome, found and raised him as their own. Hephaestus grew into a superb craftsman; his disability did not affect his shoulders which were very strong.
The reason behind Hephaestus’ portrayal as “lame” was possibly because in those days, craftsmen may have been crippled intentionally to prevent them from leaving to join enemy tribes.
From inconclusive records, Hephaestus was either married to Aphrodite, or to Aglaia, one of the Graces. Hephaestus was well-known for splitting open Zeus’ head to release Athena, patroness of the great city Athens, which was later named for her.