Hephaestus was the son of Zeus and Hera. He was the God of all goldsmiths, blacksmiths, jewellers and carpenters. Hephaestus had a great talent in working with metal, wood, stone and jewels. He had furnished all of the great thrones in the Palace, along with the many tables and furnishments there.
Since his birth, Hephaestus had had a limp. His father, Zeus, was furious about this. He roared at Hera, saying, "This pitiful weakling is not worthy of being my son!" And he threw his son over the great walls of Olympus. One of Hephaestus' legs was broken in the fall, but Hephaestus skillfully designed and molded a golden leg-iron to replace it.
Hephaestus, being the great smith he was, made his throne an extraordinary one. It was made of every metal and stone in the World, the seat could swivel about, the arms could be lifted and could float around wherever he wished. The Quail became the emblem of Hephaestus, as it has the habit of limping about in the spring.