Apel, Thomas. He was also, because of his childhood exploits, the god of thieves. <> Hermes transformed the tell-tale, herdsman Battos into a stone as punishment for reporting his theft of Apollon's cattle. © 2019 Wasai LLC – All Rights Reserved. Hermes was given the role of herald and messenger to take advantage of his speed and cunning, and to keep him occupied so that he couldn’t cause more trouble. As one who moved freely across borders, he became a god of travellers and his image was used to mark roads and property. The Greeks also used the word hermai to describe stone pillars adorned with phalluses, which were built along roads and dedicated to Hermes. As was the norm with Greek gods, Hermes had a plethora of lovers and multitudes of children. Like most tricksters he was a thief and cunning liar, but acted without malice. Hermes often acted as a psychopomp, or a guide to the dead, escorting the souls of the deceased to the underworld. Learn more. Zeus was so amused by the young god's antics that he granted him a place as one of the twelve supreme gods of Olympos. Accessed . The phallic herma and his connection to Pan hinted at Hermes’s origins as a god of male fertility. Thomas Apel is a historian of science and religion who received his Ph.D. in History from Georgetown University. Travellers regarded him as their patron, and stone pillars (hermae) with a phallus symbol were often to be seen set up along roadsides to act as guides and offer … Hermes was the messenger god, but what did that mean to the people of ancient Greece? The feathers of his winged temples have become synonymous with swiftness and reliability; they have often appeared in various advertisements and logos. His character was voiced by longtime David Letterman band leader Paul Schaffer. As he ventured forth into the darkness, Hermes found a turtle. Apollo eventually tracked down the clever thief, who had disguised his tracks, and found an apparently innocent baby whose mother was unaware of his abilities. In the film version of the Rick Riordan novel, Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters, Hermes was played by Nathan Fillion. The role of Hermes as a messenger had its origins in the more abstract idea of crossing boundaries. As a new-born infant Hermes snuck out of his crib, stole the cattle of the god Apollon, and crafted the first lyre from a tortoise-shell. Hermes was revered as the patron god of diplomats, merchants, sailors, and all others who travelled. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. Hermes was cheerful, good humored, cunning, and because he was the messenger god he was the fastest of the Olympians. Retrieved from https://mythopedia.com/greek-mythology/gods/hermes/. When Hermes delivered a message from the king of the gods he did so with the authority to speak on Zeus’s behalf, and thus that of all the gods of Mount Olympus. While the role of spokesman for the king of the gods and messenger to the underworld was a serious one, Hermes had a much less noble heritage. Instead of punishing Hermes, however, Zeus was delighted by his new son’s cleverness and quick wit. Thanks to this valuable exchange, Odysseus was able to force Circe to restore his men to human form. The words he delivered were spoken with the full authority of the king of the gods. Wikipedia contributers. He successfully courted Aphrodite—with a little help from Zeus, who stole one of her sandals and lured her to Hermes to retrieve it—and sired Hermaphroditus, who later in life would merge his body with that of his female lover, thus becoming a single person with both male and female genitalia. As an ever-growing archive, our mission is to catalog the world’s mythology on the web for all to enjoy. ↩. Also as the god of thievery, wiliness, and eloquent speech, he presided over both skillful and dubious merchantile actions. Likewise, the FTD flower delivery company used the image of a streaking Hermes with flowers in his hand as shorthand for the swiftness and reliability of its delivery services. Seeing she had no choice in the matter, Calypso relented and released Odysseus and his crew. Last modified February 4, 2013. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/348/348-h/348-h.htm#link2H_4_0037. He is often dressed in a toga, but his winged hat and sandals make him easy to indetify. While Hermes was not the most popular of gods due to his rather unimposing reputation, he and his famous accoutrements have nevertheless appeared often in popular culture. Mythopedia. Like other trickster gods, Hermes tested norms, challenged conventions, and crossed boundaries. Hermes was also known to have taken many male lovers, including Perseus, the famed mortal hero and slayer of the Gorgon Medusa, and Chryses, the priest of Apollo whose mistreatment at the hands of the Achaeans tempted Apollo into battle outside Troy. While Hermes was not the most popular of gods due to his rather unimposing reputation, he and his famous accoutrements have nevertheless appeared often in popular culture. Please like and share this article if you found it useful. Hesiod. Hermes was the god of trade and the patron-god of merchants. His winged sandals and natural energy allowed him to move swiftly from place to place to deliver his messages. The trickster archetype occurred in mythologies around the world. Together, the two had the god child Pan, a rustic deity associated with shepherds and their flocks. While the herma continued to be associated with Hermes, his role as a fertility god became more indirect. The Norse god Loki, the West African Anansi, and Native American Coyote all fit this type. Hermes was born in secret in a dark cave on the slopes of Mt. The Greek god of heralds fit into an ancient and wide-spread archetype of trickster gods. the herald of the gods put in...3. In some stories, he was credited as the inventor of fire, and in the myths of Pandora he was said to have filled her infamous pithos (often mistranslated as “jar,”) with speech and deception: The Argos-slaying guide [Hermes] implanted in her breast Hermes has appeared in most modern depictions of Greek mythology. And when the purpose of great Zeus was fixed in heaven, she was delivered and a notable thing was come to pass. Hermes informed Odysseus of Circe’s treachery and gave him a magical herb called mory, which Hermes promised would protect him from the sorceress’ charms. The night of his birth he was already able to walk, unknown to his mother, and snuck out of their cave as Maia slept. But there was much more to the herald of Zeus than just his ability to deliver messages quickly. The most roguish of all gods and goddesses, Hermes was a master of whispers and an inventor of lies. He killed a tortoise, using its shell to craft the first lute, and stole the herd of prized cattle that belonged to his half-brother, Apollo. Zeus had fallen for Io, a young, mortal priestess of Hera, and in his lust came down from Olympus to ravish her. Hermes has also been used as a logo for many national mail services. Like many deities associated with male fertility, Hermes also fit into the archetype of the trickster god.

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