Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

Vyasa 345VrtraDemonic god of chaos. Hindu (Vedic). A primordialbeing who existed before the formationof the cosmos and who was slain by the mothergoddess SARASVATI.VULCANUSORIGIN Roman. God of fire and forges.KNOWN PERIOD OF WORSHIP circa 400 BC tocirca AD 400.SYNONYMS HEPHAISTOS (Greek).CENTER(S) OF CULT tutelary god at the sea portof Ostia.ART REFERENCES various sculptures and reliefcarvings.LITERARY SOURCES Aeneid (Virgil), etc.The patron god of artisans and blacksmiths,Vulcanus is modeled closely on the GreekHephaistos. Attached to the smithy and rarelyascending Olympus, in Roman genealogy he isthe son of JUPITER and JUNO. He is generallydepicted as a rather grotesque figure with oneleg shorter than the other, a deformity gained asa result of being hurled to earth by Jupiter whiletrying to protect his mother from the god’swrath. Thereafter he determined to shun thecompany of other gods and set up home in theheart of Mount Etna, where he fashioned agiant forge. His workers are the one-eyedCyclopes. He created a golden throne forJuno and he fashioned both Jupiter’s magicalthunderbolts and Cupid’s arrows. He enjoyedshort-term relationships with various goddesses,including VENUS and MINERVA, and with oneof the Graces. His offspring seem generallyto have been monstrous. He was celebratedin the Vulcanalia festival on August 23, whichcoincides with the period of greatest droughtand the highest risk of fire in Italy.VyasaMinor incarnation of the god VIŠNU. Hindu(Vedic, Epic and Puranic). Vyasa is said to be theauthor of the Vedas, the Mahabharata epic andthe Puranas. He ranks with Hyagriva and SARAS-VATI as a lord of knowledge and wisdom, and isresponsible for dividing the Tree of Knowlegeinto parts. In the texts he is depicted as darkskinnedand accompanied by four students,Sumanta, Paila, Vaisampayana and Jaimini. Hemay be bearded. Also Vedavyasa.