The Myth Of Hermes, The Divine Messenger

The myth of Hermes tells us about one of the most versatile gods in all of Greek mythology. He was one of the most active and restless and, therefore, he was considered a protector of multiple activities, such as commerce, cunning, borders and travelers who cross it, as well as thieves and liars, as well as a driver. of the souls of the dead and divine messenger.

He is depicted as a handsome and athletic young man who is always chatting and loves to make jokes. He wears a hat and has wings, either on his sandals or on his feet. This allows you to move quickly everywhere.

Likewise, the myth of Hermes says that this young man always carried the caduceus, a magic wand with which he could sleep gods and mortals and lead the souls of the dead to the underworld .

Hermes was the son of Zeus and the Pleiad Maia. He was considered the chief of dreams, guardian of the gates, and night spy, but he eventually established himself as a messenger of the gods.

The myth of Hermes are actually many myths, since, although he was not the main protagonist, he appeared in many of the most relevant episodes of Greek mythology .

The myth of Hermes and the lyre

The myth of Hermes tells that he was born in a cave on Mount Cilene, in Arcadia. She was only a few days old when she escaped from her crib and ran through the fields. From so much walking, he came to a meadow where his brother Apollo was grazing the herds of oxen and cows. Tempted by the opportunity, Hermes decided to steal the oxen and take them to a cave.

Once his loot was hidden, Hermes returned home. Before entering, he saw a turtle and immediately had an idea. He killed the tortoise , hollowed it out, and then stretched a series of ropes made of ox guts over the shell. Thus he invented the lyre. Then he went back to his crib and fell asleep.

When Apollo realized the theft, he used his divinatory powers to find the culprit. Thus he knew that it had been Hermes and accused him before Zeus. Maia, Hermes’s mother, tried to excuse him by pointing out that he was just a helpless baby. However, Zeus was not fooled  and demanded that the boy return what was stolen.

Burdened by his father’s authority, Hermes went to the cave where he had his loot and returned the cows and oxen to Apollo. This, however, was amazed by the lyre .

So he agreed with the winged god to exchange all his cattle for the instrument. Hermes accepted and also received a rod, with which the boy later built his favorite weapon: the caduceus.

Hermes activities

There were many adventures in which Hermes was present. One of the most notable occurred when his father, a clearly unfaithful god who was caught by his wife, Hera, in an affair with Io, a priestess of Hera herself.

When she discovered their love affairs, Zeus wanted to protect Io by turning her into a white calf. But his ever-vigilant wife sent Argos, a thousand-eyed monster to watch over her, so that no one would come near her.

Zeus, for his part, commissioned his son Hermes to free his lover. The messenger of the gods sang beautiful songs to the monster and then entertained him with his stories and reflections. Thus he got him to sleep and was able to fulfill the mission that his father had entrusted to him.

The myth of Hermes tells that this god also played an important role when he gave Perseus winged sandals. That magical instrument was decisive for the hero to be able to defeat Medusa. Hermes also led the soul of Perseus to the entrance of the underworld, as was his custom.

Hermes also had a very prominent role in the Trojan War, on the side of the Greeks. This god was also very infatuated and had numerous descendants. His most famous son was Pan, god of nature and herds. The word “hermeneutics”, or art of interpreting hidden meanings, is derived from “Hermes”, which in Roman mythology was known as Mercury.