THE GOD HERMES: Who is he? Attributes, history and more

Find out who the God Hermes is, considered in the Greek Pantheon, as the son of the God Zeus and Maya, being a deity who had the role of messenger or herald as well as protector of all travelers. We invite you to learn about his attributes, his history and much more by reading this article.

Introduction

The god Hermes is an important character in Greek Mythology, which is a set of myths as well as legends pertaining to the life that the Greeks developed in ancient times.

In this mythology, it has been captured for the knowledge of all students of the subject, what the relationship of these gods was like, with their heroes, with nature and in general, giving rise to cults and ritual practices.

This mythology was closely related to their religious beliefs at that time, and this was in such a way that the Greek settlers considered that all these gods were their protectors, whom they should worship and respect.

For this reason, a kingdom formed by the gods was born, whose throne was located in a palace called Olympus, built on the mountain with the same name, which is considered the highest in all of Greece. Where the twelve most important gods of the Greek Pantheon mainly lived.

These Olympian gods were Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Demeter and Hestia. And as has been noted in these lines, our character Hermes is one of them, being for this reason considered among the most important, and whose legacy is valuable within all the mythological events that occurred at the time.

During the development of this topic, it is of special interest to make it widely known that this god was considered a messenger and herald of the entire Olympic court, who was considered a valuable protector for all travelers, who invoked him when they traveled through All the ways. (We invite you to Read the article about the God Ares)

Who is it? The God Hermes

On this occasion, as has been indicated, we are going to address the topic of the life of the God Hermes, who was considered in charge of commercial activities, served as herald at the court of Olympus, and therefore was a messenger of the gods.

The God Hermes was the son of the powerful God Zeus and the Pleiad Maya. These were important mythological characters, since Zeus was the god of the sky and thunder, the one who ruled Olympus and the king of all the gods, who had Hera as a known wife, but he also had affairs with other deities such as was the case of Maya.

The Mayan Pleiad, daughter of Atlas the giant, for her part was part of three mythologies at the same time, since she was present in both the Greek, the Roman and the Hindu. She being related to Zeus through the Homeric hymns about Hermes.

This is a god who has his equivalent in Mercury, a Roman god; considering that perhaps his name was born from the Greek word, which means a pile of stones. (You may also be interested in reading the article about the Goddess Aphrodite)

It is said that within Greek mythology, the God Hermes is in charge of being a messenger between the gods, guarding the borders and overseeing the safe passage of all men who cross these roads. He is considered as a deity who was endowed with much ingenuity and who very carefully controlled the conduct of trade.

But he was also considered a cunning god, who protected thieves and liars. This has been evidenced in history, through the Hymns left by the contemporary writer Homer, where he considers Hermes in them as indicated in the following textual quote.

«Of multiform wit, of cunning thoughts, thief, ox rustler, chief of dreams, night spy, guardian of the doors, who very soon would boast of glorious deeds before the immortal gods.

He is also a god who was involved in several important events, which are part of myths regarding life, as is the case, for example, of the one that refers to the life of Philemon and Baucis in relation to the god Hermes, which is quite interesting and we invite you to learn more below.

Myth of Philemon and Baucis

The story goes that Philemon and Baucis were old friends who lived in some hills. Their home was made up of a humble cabin, in which they lived with great humility and simplicity, but their life was dignified.

They did not have many things, but they were enough to live on, for this reason they were considered very poor.

One day it is said that Zeus came down to earth, and at this time he did so accompanied by his son the God Hermes; They went from house to house requesting the hospitality of its inhabitants. All this with the purpose of verifying the goodwill and generosity of all the people on earth.

They did this disguised as two tired travelers, who requested a place to rest and food so they could replenish their strength and thus continue their journey. But the majority of the inhabitants of the nearby towns closed their doors to them. (see also article on The Trojan War)

This is how they arrive at the house of Filemón and Baucis, being received by them in their humble home. Baucis, for her part, offered them a seat and gave them hot water, so that they could clean their feet, which were dirty and tired from the long trip.

Philemon, meanwhile, went out to his garden in order to collect fresh vegetables, to offer them to Baucis, and to cook them some food with them. In this way he prepared simple foods that he gave to his guests.

But the wine was little and Zeus was enjoying the food, for this reason, every time the jug was empty, this god made it fill itself. This was observed by the elders, who realized at that moment that their hosts were gods.

And they began to worry, because they thought that the food offered was not worthy of them, and therefore they went out to kill their old Goose, since it was the only animal they had.

Zeus refuses, as he considers that they have shown enough signs of kindness. And he tells the elders that all his neighbors would be punished for being selfish. His punishment would be that part of the region would be flooded, and only the place where the elders lived would be safe.

In this way they leave the house, they go to the top of a hill and there they look, and what they see is only a large lagoon and a beautiful temple, in the place where the cabin of Philemon and Baucis was previously located.

Zeus tells the elders that they can ask him for whatever they want, since he, as the supreme god, would grant it to them. They ask Zeus for the opportunity to live as guards in the temple where his house was previously located; and also that they were also allowed to die at the same time, so that neither would have to bury the other. (You can also see article about The Goddess Athena)

In this way, both old men continued to live happily, and when the time of their death arrived, the god Zeus granted their wish and ended up transformed into two trees; one being from Tilo and the other from Encina, which have remained eternally at the doors of this Temple.

This is really a nice myth, which at the same time leaves many lessons, since hospitality is a quality that must be manifested by people, without the need to ask for anything in return. These elders have been rewarded for their good hearts, as they cared for travelers, no matter where they came from or who they were. (We recommend that you read the article about The Phoenix Bird)

Your Attributes

The God Hermes used to be identified by being equipped with a certain type of clothing that identified him. For example, he used to wear a pair of boots that were considered to have wings, with which he could travel to any place in the sky, to perform his functions as a messenger between the gods.

In the same way, he could reach the ground thanks to his boots. He also had an Aidoneus helmet, which was endowed with a wonderful power, because thanks to this type of cap, he had the gift of invisibility.

These two elements were only part of all the attributes that the god Hermes had, since he had many others that we make known to you adequately, through the following points.

Heralds Bar

This Bara was similar to a staff, known as a golden Kerydeion or the Staff of the Herald, because as has been indicated, Hermes was the message of Olympus, who communicated with the other gods when requested and also with his staff he could control the dream.

Sword

He used a sword whose blade was made with a golden hilt, or as it was known at the time, adamantine.

Shepherd’s Pipes

It is said that it was Hermes who invented the shepherd’s pipes that are said to have changed with the god Apollo, for some occasions. It is considered that the origin of the Lyre and the Plectrum is due to him, since he stole the oxen of the god Apollo, and with them plus a turtle shell, he made a musical instrument to which he placed strings and turned it into a Lyre.

The Cattle

The god Hermes obtained from the god Apollo a herd of divine cattle, which he rented to the sacred shepherds, who worked on Mount Olympus.

I will do

This Hare represents the hare, which was considered by Hermes as a sacred element, since it was very proliferative; Therefore he placed it among the stars, thus forming part of the Constellation of Lepus.

hawk

With this name a Falcon was known, considered a sacred bird, and for this reason he transformed two men into falcons and their names were Hierax and Daidalon.

The turtle

It is said that this animal was also considered sacred to Hermes, for this reason he transformed the nymph Khelone into a turtle, and as previously indicated, with the shell of the turtles, he invented the musical instrument known as the Lyre.

crocus

This was the flower of the saffron plant, a plant that was harvested primarily in the mountains and considered sacred by Hermes. A myth about this plant contemplates the fact that this god made this flower grow from the blood of his beloved Krokos.

Strawberry Tree

Hermes considered that he had been raised under this tree, for this reason he declared it sacred.

Oreiades

With this name, the mountain nymphs were identified, who were considered the companions of Hermes, during his journey through the wild lands of Arkadia.

Bread and Breads

These were names with which two tribes were identified, one was that of Pan, where the god of the goat herds lived; the other was Panes, and both were companions of the god Hermes in Arkadia.

Satytol

These were the spirits who were responsible for giving fertility to the wild lands and they were also companions of Hermes.

Oneiro

With this name, all the dream spirits were identified, who were considered companions of Hermes, they were identified as Khthonios. Considering that he guided these spirits from his kingdom that was in the underworld, to the minds of all sleeping men.

History

Knowing the history of Hermes is important, to understand what his role was…