Vulcanus

Vulcanus is the Latin name for Vulcan, the Roman god of fire, metalworking, and the forge. In Roman mythology, Vulcanus is identified with the Greek god Hephaestus and is considered one of the principal smiths of the gods. He is the patron of blacksmiths, artisans, and craftsmen, and his workshop was believed to lie beneath volcanic vents on earth. In myth, he is the son of Jupiter and Juno; in some accounts Juno cast him from Olympus because of a perceived deformity, leading to his dwelling beneath the earth. He is often depicted with a hammer, anvil, and tongs, and his symbols include the forge and fire. He is associated with volcanoes and with creative and destructive fires. His wife is Venus, and in various myths he forges weapons and other items for the gods, including objects associated with Zeus and heroes.

Vulcanus was worshipped in Rome with a main sanctuary in the Vulcanal near the Forum, and his cult included the Vulcanalia festival on August 23, a rite intended to avert destructive fires. The figure of Vulcanus has influenced art, literature, and later interpretations of the god of fire and craftsmanship across Western culture.

Other uses of the name appear in astronomy and popular culture. Historically, the hypothesized planet Vulcan was proposed to account for anomalies in Mercury’s orbit, though it was later shown not to exist. In contemporary contexts, Vulcanus appears in science fiction and in programs such as the EU–Japan initiative “Vulcanus in Japan,” which links European companies with Japanese interns.