Hephaestus was the God of fire, of all the crafts, arts, and technology. He protected, cared for, and kept alive the flame in the volcano, which was used for forging metal and other works of great skill. Hephaestus was the protector of craft-makers and technical knowledge. It was from his teachings, mythology tells us, that we learned those marvelous crafts house building, wood and metal work, longlasting pottery, weaving, and cloth making that first enabled us to live in peace with nature, protecting us from the environment, giving us our history, culture, and future. We will extend these teachings.