Cabiri

Overview

The Cabiri, sometimes said to be children of Hephaestus, were obscure Greek gods associated with mystery cults. Their worship was mainly concentrated in the northern Aegean—most notably, on the islands of Lemnos, Imbros, and Samothrace and the adjacent mainland—but they were also known in Thebes.

The number of Cabiri ranged from two to seven, depending on the source. Their functions varied considerably as well; in many places, they were connected with crafts such as metalworking or with aspects of agriculture. They bore some similarities to the Corybantes and the Curetes, with whom they were sometimes identified.

The Cabiri had a limited role in myth, but in some accounts the Argonauts visited these gods or celebrated their mysteries on their way to Colchis to steal the Golden Fleece.^[1]