God Hermes, characteristics, attributes, symbols and much more

El god hermes, appears in Greek mythology as the messenger god of Olympus. It is said that he was the son of the god Zeus next to Pleiad Maia. Within Roman mythology, he is identified as the god Mercury. He is also known as the god of commerce, patron saint of merchants, god of travelers and even of cunning and liars.

hermes god

god hermes

This god was, within mythology, the god of travelers who crossed borders, but he was also known for his great ingenuity, which is why he was nominated as the god of mercantilism. In the same way, due to the characteristic of his personality, he was branded as the god of cunning, liars and thieves.

Its name is derived from the term "sister", which is a word of Greek origin, whose meaning is "cairn". Within Roman mythology, the god Hermes was called Mercury. He was also given other titles such as the Greek god of science, roads and highways, sports and athletes.

son of the god Zeus and Pleiad Maia, Hermes was the second youngest of the Olympian gods, the first being Dionisio. However, among all his roles, the most prominent is as an emissary or messenger of the gods of Olympus, mainly his father. Zeus.

Hermes He was also named in some myths and legends as the "divine trickster", as it is said that he mocks the gods for his own delight, or in other cases, when he intervenes on behalf of the good of humanity.

He has been called the patron saint of shepherds, messengers and even tombs, due to the meaning of his name linked to the cluster of stones. To the god Hermes, he is usually seen moving freely between the world of mortals and that of the divinities, being in charge of taking the souls of the deceased to the afterlife.

As for their attributes and symbols, animals such as the turtle and the rooster can be included, as well as their clothing that includes the use of a bag, characteristic of the messengers with the mail; sandals with golden wings, and a cap or hat, also with golden wings.

As for its main symbol, this is the kerykeion Greek, or also called the caduceus Latin, a golden rod in the form of a scepter, in the form of two serpents coiled around the cane or staff with wings, where the gods of Olympus are carved. If you are interested in meeting other divinities, you can also read about Wood Nymphs

Your story 

As has already been pointed out, Hermes god was son of Zeus, the chief of the gods of Olympus and his mother was called Maya, One pleiades, daughter of the god Atlas. There are some stories where it is stated that he was born inside a cave located on the mountain Cylene, riding a Arcadia, while, in other texts of Greek mythology, it is indicated that he was born on Olympus.

Since he was a newborn he was very restless, and in fact, in his story an anecdote is described where with only a few hours of life, he escaped from his crib to go to Pieria, a setting from Greek mythology whose exact location is still under discussion among Achaia or Thessaly, from where he stole some oxen from the god Apollo.

From there comes his connection with the thieves, since the God Hermes he has been characterized as a very cunning thief. There are other versions of this episode in his life, referring to cattle theft, but it is said that Hermes he was a little older.

Hermes, placed his winged sandals so as not to leave traces of his steps and be discovered, leading the oxen towards Pylos, a bay, where he killed two of the animals and the rest, locked in a cave. The dead animals were offered in sacrifice to the gods of Olympus, which is why he was probably named "the inventor of divine worship and sacrifices".

He fed on the meat of the animals and nailed the skin to a rock, burning the remains of the animal's body. It is said that after this episode, Hermes God soon returned to the city of Cylene, and when he arrived, at the door of his cave, he found himself with a turtle.

With the shell of that animal, Hermes he tightened strings, and thus invented the instrument of the lyre and the muse. The strings of the improvised instrument were made with sheep and ox guts. There are some texts where they indicate that there were three while in others it is said that there were a total of seven.

The God Apolo found out what it was Hermes who had taken his oxen, thanks to his prophetic power. So he traveled to Cyleneand in front of his mother Maya, accused the infant. She showed him Apolo that the child was inside his cradle, but he took him and brought him before the presence of the god Zeus, demanding the return of their animals.

Zeus ordered his son to comply with the demands of Apolo, But dios Hermes He denied having carried out these acts. Because of his fame as a liar, Apolo He did not believe his story, so he had no choice but to take him to the cave where he kept the oxen captive.

Upon arriving at Pylos, Hermes returned the animals to Apollo, but when he heard the sound of the lira, remained as if under a spell, allowing him to keep the cattle. Since then, both gods established a friendship and it was the moment when Hermes invented the syringe, a musical instrument similar to a flute, containing nine pipes and made of hollow reeds.

As a sign of his friendship, the god Apolo he gave to God Hermes his own golden shepherd's rod, for which he is also known as the patron saint of shepherds, also teaching him the art of prophesying through the use of dice.

For his part, his father, the god Zeus, He named him herald (advisor) to him, and also to the rest of the gods of Olympus. And even, he also bestowed upon Hermes, fulfill the duty to protect livestock and grassland.

Features 

One of the main characteristics that define hermes god It is, in addition to being the messenger of the gods, his ability to deceive and that he is the first of the gods who advocates for the welfare of mortals, becoming their benefactor.

In several of the literary texts, he is named as the guardian and guide god, the messenger who brings good news, but also, who does excellent tricks. It is said that during the war Troy, god Hermes He was the divine adviser to the Greek army.

Despite this, it is said that he intervened in several episodes, such as the rescue of Ares while he was a captive and prisoner of Ephialtes and Otus, the giant sons of Poseidon, in a bronze ship; or when he protected Priam, King of Troy, moments in which he entered Greek territory, looking for the body of his son Hector. It is said that she also accompanied him back to Troy.

Within other literary narratives it is described Hermes alerting his great-grandson Odysseus about the fact that thanks to the power of the Roman god Ceres, his companions had been turned into animals and that to protect himself from the spell, he had to chew a herb containing magical powers.

In the same way, the function that was granted to Hermes as the one who leads the souls to the afterlife, when a stage is described in history where the warrior Odysseus murdered everyone who tried to seduce his wife, and was Hermes who was in charge of bringing all those souls before Hades, the god of death and lord of the Underworld.

Other of its characteristics are revealed when the god Zeus order the creation of Pandora, as a punishment for humanity after having disobeyed him when the god Prometheus He showed fire to man. It is said that each of the gods had to deliver a gift, and the Hermes They were seductive words and lies, so he was characterized as a liar.

In various remote regions of Greece, a special cult was paid to the God Hermes which gave rise to his appointment as the god of nature, shepherds and farmers. He was among the gods of Olympus, the deity that had attributes of magic, divination and sorcery, which related him to acts of initiation and sacrifices.

He had the power to be in the earthly and heavenly planes, which is why he assumed the role of mediator between the two worlds, that of the visible and that of the invisible, reaffirming his role as messenger. And even, he was considered the master of all the secret knowledge and wisdom, with whose practice, one could experience religious alienation.

He was named the god of social relations thanks to the fact that he was very moved, and because of his cunning, the god of commerce and unexpected enrichment. Because of his fixation with cattle and oxen, after the robbery episode Apolo, was baptized as the patron saint of thieves and cattle, but also of the fertility of the earth, raffles and good luck.

In addition to serving as his father's messenger, the god Zeusand to bring souls before the god Hades, he gave her the dreams of Zeus to mortals, as an intermediary. As a messenger and adviser to the gods of Olympus. On the other hand, Hermes He needed a lot of reflection, so he had a favorite place to meditate, Mount cyllene in the city of Arcadia, her birthplace.

According to the records of mythology, lycaon, the king of Arcadia, was the one who ordered the construction of the first temple where he was worshiped, from where he emigrated to other regions and cities such as Athens and then to all of Greece, multiplying the number of temples everywhere, as well as his image embodied in statues.

Particularly, this occurred in places considered sacred, and that enjoyed preference to practice worship, that is, cities such as: Great Greece; Arcadia; Samos; Attica; and Crete, among other. The signs of various votive offerings (offerings that were made to the ancient gods), which were found in his different temples, serve as evidence and argument to reflect his role as a guide for young people and adults.

Those who attended these sanctuaries were especially warriors, hunters and soldiers, before going through the ceremonial initiation tests, requesting guidance and protection from this God Hermes . It is said that this may be the reason why said divine is depicted as a teenager in most images of him.

He was also named patron saint of wrestling and gyms, so in these centers it was normal to see a statue of the Greek god. The sanctuary of the twelve gods of Olympia was one of the places where he was worshiped and adored, a site that served to celebrate the Olympic Games of the Greeks.

In one of the altars dedicated to him, one of his statues could be seen next to the image of the god Apollo. The symbols that identified the God they were: number four; the incense; and the palm tree. As for the animals, they were: the rooster; fish; the goat; and the turtle. As for the sacrifices that were made in his name, there were elements such as cakes and honey; as well as animals: goats; lambs; and pigs.

Promakhos, en Tanager, became one of the sanctuaries of the God Hermes , located under a leafy arbutus (fruit tree), where some traditions indicate that the god was created. in the hills of phene they were adorned with the presence of three fountains considered sacred, since the belief weighed on them that he had been bathed there at birth.

The festivals in honor of this Greek god were known as the Hermaea, a special commemoration where sacrifices were carried out. Activities related to gymnastics and athletics were also carried out. It is said that these festivities date back to the XNUMXth century BC, however, there is no record of said festival before the XNUMXth century BC.

It is said that these festivities were the most similar to initiations, among all the festivals that included the performance of Greek games. The possible reasons are that perhaps it was because the participation of young children and some adults was restricted according to their physical conditions.

hermes god

epithets

Between the epithets (adjective to indicate a quality), of this god, there is that of Argiphon, which means the murderer of Argus. With this adjective he evokes the task that his father, the god Zeus a Hermes, to kill a giant named Argus Panoptes, who as a characteristic aspect was that he had multiple eyes.

It is said that he was always watching the nymph Io, in the sanctuary of one's own Hera, something that displeased the god Zeus and that is why she sent him to assassinate her.

On the other hand, his epithet lodges, It is the representation of the god as an expert reciter, a great orator, recognized as the god of eloquence and of the word, for this reason he was also named, in addition to messenger, counselor of the gods. Within classical Grace, he became a symbol of divine eloquence, along with the goddess Atenea.

hermes god

In the sixth century BC, the hymn was created Homeric, as a way of paying tribute to the god, where he is described as a successful giver of speeches, from the time of his childhood, being an example, that episode where he tried to defend himself from the accusation made against him for having stolen those oxen.

In some literary works of great philosophers of history, it is described to Hermes as the god of persuasion. Time later, he had the presumption of a Hermes Logios taken more mystically, as a god with divine intellect.

Representations

El god Hermes, always wore a pair of boots or sandals with wings and in gold, which he used to be able to travel across the sky (Olympus), while exercising his role as messenger of the gods. There are other mythologies such as Maya that use various distinctive symbols, which you can learn by reviewing the article on mayan symbols.

Similarly, other elements that identify their clothing were their traditional hat or cap, also with wings. The Cap was called aidoneus, which means the Inadvertent, because it was said that whoever wore it, became invisible.

Part of the attributes that this god had are:

the rod of heralds: Hermes He carried with him a kind of golden cane called “kerykeion”, which was the rod of heralds (messenger) identifying him in his role as messenger of the gods.

Sheet: Al god Hermes could be seen wielding a golden sword or adamantine (referred to the colors of the diamond).

Shepherd's Pipes: This Greek god is credited with the invention of the shepherd's pipes, a rustic musical instrument, which, according to mythology, changed with Apollo, the god of music, in exchange for certain privileges.

hermes god

Livestock: It is said that Hermes leased on the sacred pastures of Mount Olympus, a herd of divine cattle of the god Apollo.

I will do: Due to its way of being able to reproduce, the hare became a sacred animal for the god Hermes, placing it in the cosmos as the constellation of lepusliving among the stars.

hawk: The falcon was another of the animals sacred to the god. It is said that he turned two men into falcons: Daidalon and Hierax.

Tortoise: It was also sacred to the Greek god. Mythology tells that Hermes turned the nymph named Khelone. Similarly, the first lyre was built by him using a tortoise shell.

hermes god

Crocuses: Or crocus flower, which grew in the mountains and was sacred to the god Hermes, since he made it emerge from the blood of his beloved Crocodiles, and hence the name Crocuses.

strawberry tree: It was considered sacred to Hermes, since according to his history and mythology, he would have been raised under the shade of said tree.

ears: They were the nymphs who lived in the mountains and accompanied the Greek god Hermes while in the wilds of Arcadia.

Bread and Breads: The God Bread, Lord of goats and flocks, and his tribe of Panes, they also served as company for the god Hermeswhile exploring the mountains of Arkadia.

Satyroi or Satyrs: They were companions of the Greek god while he was in the wild. These creatures are said to be the spirits of fertility.

Oneiroi: They are called the spirits of dreams. They accompanied Hermes to khthonios (the underworld), because they were the ones who guided him from the subterranean kingdom to the minds of sleeping mortals.

Offspring

The god had several children with different goddesses and mortals. Among the names of his descendants, mythology highlights that of the Greek god Bread, the Lord of nature, god of flocks, goats and sheep.

It is said that he was the son of Hermes next to the princess dryope, who was a noble shepherdess who tended the flocks of her father, the king dryope, in the vicinity of Mount Eta. She was the only daughter the king had. As the anthem says Homeric to god Bread, his mother fled from him when he was newborn, because his goatish appearance scared her.

hermaphrodite, was another of the sons that the mythology tells that the god had Hermes, this time with the goddess Afrodita. They say that he was an immortal being. The gods transformed him into a hermaphrodite (unisexual), in order to respond to the request made by the nymph. salmacis, that they would never allow her to be separated from him.

Another of the sons who appear in the texts is the one who was called abdero. this son of Hermes lived a tragedy after being devoured by some mares of Diomedes, a Greek hero. As the events unfolded, abdero was in charge of watching the mares, while his friend Heracles (Hercules) faced the men of Diomedes.

Clothing

There are some stories where they point out that the god Hermes He wore characteristic short leather boots with golden wings, known by the Greeks under the name of "pteroeis pedila”. Within Roman mythology they were called ballet shoes. In other literary writings and images of the Greek god, he can be seen wearing beautiful winged sandals, also the color gold.

The same happens with his hat, in some versions it is described as made of felt material, with wide brims, and in others he appears wearing a small winged hat, known by the name of aidoneus, which means "the Invisible". And it is precisely said that he had the power to make whoever wore it disappear, making it invisible.

The clothing of god Hermes It was closely linked to his role as messenger of the gods of Olympus, because, in the particular case of his winged sandals, these allowed him to travel quickly everywhere, arriving on time with parcels, messages and advice, where it was necessary. His feet were adorned with those beautiful golden sandals that looked like gold, and with which he became immortal.

With them, he could walk on water, as he did on land, in the direction of the wind. Another symbol of Hermes was his golden rod or staff, the caduceus. Originally it contained white ribbons that wound along the pole, which would later have been changed to the image of the two serpents.

hermes god

This, as the story goes, was given to him by the god Apolo after they became friends, and who in turn gave him the god's flute Bread, known by the name siringa. With this rod he washed the eyes of those mortals who were sleeping, waking up the sleepers with it. Holding it in her hands, she made her way forward.

In other literary episodes, the sandals of the Greek god are named again, who together with the goddess AteneaThey were the guides of perseus to look for the nymphai (nymphs), who were in charge of guarding some of the treasures of the gods.

Among these treasures were listed in the first place, the winged sandals, his kibisis, which was kind of a bag or sack, and the helmet of haides. It is said that at the end of the quest, perseus returned to Hermes his sandals, kibisis and the helmet, being that in turn, the Greek god returned everything again to the Nymphai.

He fastened his sandals to his ankles, tightly gripped his enchanted wand with which he puts mortals to sleep, and finally, putting on his magic cap, with which he can make himself invisible, he set out on his way from Olympus to Earth.

Hermes as an Egyptian god

In addition to appearing as the god Mercury within Roman mythology, the Greek god has had synchronism with other gods of other mythologies, being the case of the god Thoth, belonging to the Egyptian tradition.

Because of this, Hermes He has also been seen as an Egyptian god, having much to do with his stories. The hieroglyph of Ibis. which symbolizes the end of thoth, was written with the initials DHwtii or Djehuti, it contains a mystery, since its meaning is the word "unknown".

Starting from this premise, several of the Egyptological experts have proposed various derivations for the concept of the name, among which are: the one who selects; the one who chooses; an unknown site; the one with the speech castle; the one who speaks in the temple; and with whom the closest relationship is established, “the messenger”.

Scholars of historical facts, traditions and ancient mythologies, came to the conclusion that the letters "dhw”, could have been the oldest initials with which the Ibis., which leads to the interpretation that the term Thoth, would mean: “he who has the nature of the Ibis.".

hermes god

However, despite this, this statement is not certain, since apparently it only represents the accumulation of several deities in a cognitive way. the ibis, or sacred bird of Egypt, had as characteristics, a long and curved beak, which denoted the manifestation of the crescent moon.

Similarly, it had a distinctive black and white plumage, which symbolized the phases of the moon, waxing and waning. Before coming to the relationship Thoth with Hermes, we should talk about the existing association between  Thoth and the Ibis, determined in an episode from the times of the ancient Egyptian kingdom, when the Pharaoh crossed the great heavenly river, with the help of the wings of Thoth.

In ancient Egypt, the figure of Toth he stood out for being one of the main deities and the most popular in reference to his mythology. For the Egyptians, he represented an example, as he was considered the god of wisdom, due to his invention of the writing system, for which he was named patron of the scribes.

In addition to this, he was the one who had the sacred knowledge, and he was also named as the god of the Moon, so in his images, there is always a moon in one of its phases on his head.

hermes god

Representation Toth within the mythology and art of ancient Egypt, as well as its symbolism and archetype, are the elements that link it with the parallel characteristics of the Greek god Hermes, which also served as a basis for the Greeks to establish the existence of a certain connection between the two gods.

During the passage of ancient times, a group of Greeks arrived in Egypt who established the comparison of their gods with the Egyptian gods, finding among them several similar characteristics with which they agreed.

Regarding the characteristics of the god Thoth, those that his people consider the most important, and for which he is so admired and revered, are the same ones that agree with his resemblance to the god Hermes, something that led the Greeks to think that it could be a single god.

The most binding points of comparison are in regard to the attributes of Toth, its symbology and art with which it is represented in ancient Egypt. Some agree with the attributes of the Greek god.

Of both mythologies, four characteristics stand out, considered as keys, to determine the common aspects in the Egyptian god Toth and the greek god Hermes. These are:

1.- Both gods appear in the role as messengers

According to the mythological tradition of Toth, this god was considered the messenger of the ancient Egyptian kingdom. His function was to keep heaven and earth connected, establishing a link between the divine and the human, where he was the mediator.

The God Thoth, he was the messenger of god Ra, who within Egyptian mythology, was the King of the gods. In the case of the Greek god, he served as the messenger of the god Zeus, who in addition to being his father, was the Lord of the Greek gods.

The God Hermes, was described wearing a helmet with wings and boots or sandals also winged, elements that made it easier for him to fulfill his tasks as a messenger, allowing him to move quickly and freely from Olympus (the sky of the Greeks), to the world of mortals. (The earth).

Similarly, it is said that the Egyptian god Toth It was winged, like the ibis (Egyptian sacred bird), which allowed it to walk through the air, travel on land and walk on the sea.

2.- Both gods carried scepters in the shape of a serpent

Another point where there is similarity between the gods is the resemblance of the attribute that the god carried with him. god Hermes, a magic wand, known by the name of kerykeion in Greek and caduceus in the Latin language. It refers to the golden scepter with magical powers and whose shape contained the image of two serpents coiled around it.

in the case of god Toth, he also has a very similar scepter as part of his attributes. He can be seen wearing it in several of the images where he is represented, being the most visible where he is presented in the temple of Seti I, at Abydos.

3.- They were Psychopompic gods (in charge of taking the souls of the deceased to the afterlife, heaven or hell)

Being the messenger gods who served as a link between the world of mortals and the celestial plane, they had also been entrusted with the task of being the guides Psychopompic, a kind of divine escort that accompanies the souls of the faithful departed until their eternal rest.

El god Hermes was that guide in Greek mythology, while the god Toth was Psychopompic of the old Egyptian kingdom, presenting there a quite complete similarity between both gods.

4.- They were the gods of magic in their mythologies

The affinity with paganism (non-Christian religions) manifested during the Greco-Roman era, was identified with the mystery that Egypt contains through its colossal buildings, which although in ruins, were temples charged with magic. This assessment was stronger due to the presence of manifestations Hellenistic en Alexandria.

Over time, this became the site to mark the syncretism where the attributes of the god were associated. Toth and those of the god Hermes, becoming known in later centuries as Hermes Trimegistus.

It is said that the Greeks who arrived in Egypt observed in the figure of the god Toth, the possible incarnation of the god Hermes, which is why they began to make them known as the link Thoth- Hermes Or what is the same, Trimegistus, theories that were documented within the texts that were titled with the name of "Hermetic".

These texts that made up the "Hermetic", for the most part, were written in the Greek language, but framed within the Egyptian Delta region, specifically in relation to the times that preceded the appearance of the doctrine of Christianity, until the third century AD

The particular aspects that are reflected in these texts is that they contain scriptures where topics such as astrology, magic, alchemy and even theology are discussed. Of all the editions that were created, it stands out as the most famous text from the XNUMXnd to the XNUMXrd century AD, whose collection appears under the name of Corpus Hermeticum.

Both gods had temples where they were honored and revered as gods of magic, although later, these temples were abandoned. However, the belief is still preserved that the gods Hermes y Thoth, They continue to be the great guides in the journey towards obtaining great wisdom.

His advice is the perfect companion to pierce the veil of mystery contained in the secrets hidden behind their mythologies, a path that will lead his faithful towards the summit of truth and in unity. The desires of those who believe in these gods is the power to become worthy of having their protection and guidance, to be led by them to the world beyond, when the final hour of their lives has arrived.

That is why they must know how to be pure enough, respect them and in this way, be able to choose to have eternal wisdom. If you liked this article about the mythological god, we also invite you to review in our blog the topic related to the gods of buddhism


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