The god of fire, volcanoes, blacksmiths, and metal working, he had a strong following in the cities where his skills were important to commerce and war. He is usually seen with an axe. In one account he sided with his mother Hera against Zeus who threw him so far that he fell all day and limped thereafter. Hephaestus was associated with Mt. Etna on the island of Sicily. In his workshop he fashioned many wondrous things for the gods, including thunderbolts for Zeus, Athena’s shield, arrows for Eros, and the chariot with which Helios the sun god rode across the sky. He also helped create the first human woman from clay, named Pandora, who released the evils of the world on humankind from her magic jar.