The myth of Hermes, the divine messenger

The myth of Hermes tells us about one of the most multifaceted gods in all of Greek mythology.. He was one of the most active and restless and, for this reason, he was considered the protector of multiple activities, such as commerce, cunning, borders and travelers who cross them, 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, athletic young man, who is always conversing and loves to make jokes. He is wearing 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 He always carried the caduceus, a magic wand with which he could put gods and mortals to sleep 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 doors and night spy, but he finally established himself as a messenger of the gods.

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

Once he hid his loot, Hermes returned home. Before entering he saw a turtle and an idea immediately occurred to him. Killed the turtle , he emptied it and then stretched a series of ropes, made from ox intestines, 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 divination powers to find the culprit. Thus he knew that it had been Hermes and accused him before Zeus. Maia, Hermes’ 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.

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

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

The Activities of Hermes

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

When she discovered the affairs, Zeus wanted to protect Io by turning her into a white heifer. But His wife, always attentive, sent Argos, a monster with a thousand eyes to watch over her, so that no one would approach 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 his reflections. This is how he got him to sleep and he was able to fulfill the mission that his father had entrusted to him.

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

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

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