Hephaestus is known as Zeus and Hera's son, although he was conceived without Zeus' help. He is also known as Vulcan, and the god of volcanoes, which makes sense since he was primarily worshipped in Athens and other volcano-ridden areas of Greece.
He is also the god who is given the credit for "helping" Zeus with his headache, taking a an axe to Zeus' head and splitting it open making the way for the birth of Athena.
He is the god of fire, especially blacksmith's fire, and is the patron god of craftsmen--especially those who work in metal crafts.
Hephaestus is known as the lame god, and his injury was received when one of his parents threw him down Mount Olympus--he fell for nine days and landed in the sea where he was rescued by Nymphs. The stories report different versions--one is that Hera was displeased with her son's appearance and so she threw him down the mountain; the other is that Zeus was angry with his son for siding with Hera in an argument against Zeus.
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