In honor of naming my fire chariot after it, here’s some information on Mt. Etna!
The name Etna likely comes from the Greek word, αἴθω (aithō), meaning "I burn". Some researchers suggest that the name is derived from the Phoenician word attuna meaning "furnace" or "chimney". The volcano was named after Aetna, a sea nymph who was a possible consort of Lord Hephaestus.
After Lord Zeus defeated Typhon in the battle for power over the cosmos and entrapped him under the mountain, through Typhon’s anger, his breaths of fire led to the mountain becoming an active volcano.
Hesiod describes this fall:
And flame shot forth from the thunderstricken lord in the dim rugged glens of the mount when he was smitten. A great part of huge earth was scorched by the terrible vapor and melted as tin melts when heated by men's art in channelled crucibles; or as iron, which is hardest of all things, is shortened by glowing fire in mountain glens and melts in the divine earth through the strength of Hephaestus. Even so, then, the earth melted in the glow of the blazing fire.
When Lord Hephaestus was thrown from the cliffs of Mount Olympus, the caves of Etna became his home. The volcano’s frequent eruptions were perfect for using his forges to craft the tools, armor, and other metal works for the Gods and others who needed it (like Achilles’ armor). Here he worked alongside the Cyclops’ to craft magnificent works. Almost every metal object used by the Gods was crafted by Lord Hephaestus.
Other fun facts:
- In Arabic, it is called جبل النار Jabal al-Nār ('the Mountain of Fire').
- Mt. Etna is still a a very active volcano, although generally seen as not dangerous. Over a six-month period in 2021, Etna erupted so much volcanic material that its height increased by about 100 ft.
- It is one of the tallest active volcanoes in Europe, located on the island of Sicily in Italy.
- The volcano has erupted smoke rings on several occasions and in the 1970s, it was the site of some of the first recorded smoke rings on a volcano. It is extremely rare for volcanoes to be able to do this!
