Hermes

Mythology

Hermes was the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. According to the Homeric Hymn to Hermes, he was a precocious genius from the day of birth: at just hours of being born, he escaped from the cradle, invented the lyre using a tortoise shell as resonator, stole the cattle of his older brother Apollo and hid them with extraordinary cunning. When Apollo discovered the deceit, Hermes negotiated a brilliant agreement: gave the lyre to Apollo as gift; Apollo, charmed by the music, forgave him and gave him a magical staff (the famous caduceus) and the role of patron of musicians and shepherds.

His main functions: 1) Messenger between Olympic gods and humans (and between gods of one pantheon and another). 2) Psychopomp (guides the souls of the deceased to the underworld of Hades). 3) Patron of merchants and trade routes (he is the only god who can travel freely between all worlds). 4) Patron of communicators and orators (eloquent speech, diplomacy). 5) Patron of thieves and tricksters (his archetype includes lawful and slightly outside the law). 6) God of athletes (especially runners — his speed is mythical). 7) Patron of magicians (he taught the magical arts to humans).

Symbolism and Hermes Trismegistus

Symbols: caduceus (his magical wand with two snakes intertwined and wings on top — symbol later adopted by medicine, although strictly the medical caduceus should be that of Asclepius with one snake), winged sandals, winged hat (petasos), tortoise (sacred animal — first lyre), rooster. His sacred numbers: 4 (his birthday).

In Hellenistic Egypt, Hermes was syncretised with the Egyptian god of wisdom Thoth giving rise to Hermes Trismegistus — legendary founder of Western Hermetic-alchemical tradition. So Hermes ceased to be just Greek messenger god and became archetypal patron of all Western esotericism. His name pervades disciplines (Hermeticism, hermetic seal in alchemy, hermeneutics in philosophy of interpretation, etc.).

In modern reading, Hermes represents: quick mental intelligence, fluid communication, mediation between worlds and between people, capacity to translate one language to another (literal and metaphorical), divine cunning, personal magic, agility of mind and body. Patron of: writers, journalists, scribes, teachers, merchants, travellers, communicators of all kinds, athletes, sometimes tricksters of necessary cunning.