In Greek mythology, Hephaestus fashioned Pandora before the gods endowed her with gifts.
Hesiod’s Works and Days describes Zeus ordering the creation of Pandora after Prometheus helped humanity obtain fire. Hephaestus, the divine craftsman and god associated with metalworking, shaped her from earth. Other gods then contributed qualities or adornments to the figure.
The name Pandora is commonly explained as “all-gifted” or “all-giving,” reflecting the story’s presentation of her as receiving gifts from the gods. Athena is associated with teaching her crafts, while Hermes supplies qualities connected with speech and character in Hesiod’s account.
Hephaestus’s role is sometimes confused with the roles of the other Olympians who contributed to Pandora’s preparation. He did not provide every attribute; he made the physical form. That division of labor is one reason the creation scene resembles a divine assembly rather than the work of a single maker.