HERMES TRICKSTER FREE

He Could Move Between Realms The winged sandals of Hermes, image courtesy of World History To make amends, Hermes gifted Apollo a lyre he had fashioned out of a tortoiseshell, which could play the most spellbinding music.Ģ. Unfortunately, Zeus saw what Hermes was up to, and hauled him into a hearing on Mount Olympus. These sandals later evolved to have wings as Hermes grew older. Hermes even wove himself a pair of beautiful adult sandals to walk in, so anyone tracing his footprints would think he was an adult. He stole his brother Apollo’s sacred herd of 50 cattle from Pieria, reversing their footprints so it appeared they were walking in the opposite direction. When he was still a baby wrapped in a blanket, Hermes crept out of his crib to cause some trouble. Son of Zeus and Maia, Greek god Hermes was mischievous from a young age. Greek God Hermes Stole a Herd of Sheep Marble statue of Hermes, 1st century BCE, image courtesy of Christie’s Your browser does not support the audio element.1. Listen to a recorded reading of this page:.Take a ten question quiz about this page.

He used his lyre to lull the hundred-eyed giant Argus to sleep and then slew the giant to rescue the maiden Io.

It was his job to fetch Persephone from the god Hades in the Underworld.

He would disguise himself as a traveler in order to test the hospitality of mortals.

He often had the job of rescuing and taking care of infants such as Dionysus, Arcas, and Helen of Troy.

He also helped Heracles in capturing the three-headed dog Cerberus from the Underworld.

He once took the guise of a slave trader and sold the hero Heracles to the Queen of Lydia.

Interesting Facts About the Greek God Hermes Hermes also helped the god Ares to secretly escape from the Aloadai giants. Zeus sent him to steal the sinews of Zeus back from the monster Typhon. Whenever Zeus needed something, or someone, retrieved, he would send the trickster Hermes. In many tales, he doesn't use strength to win battles, but cunning and guile. He is credited with a number of inventions including the Greek alphabet, numbers, music, boxing, gymnastics, astronomy, and (in some tales) fire.įrom his first act of stealing Apollo's cattle, Hermes became known as the god of thieves and trickery.

Hermes gained his speed from his winged sandals which allowed him to fly like a bird and move like the wind.īecause Hermes was clever, he was often considered the god of invention.

HERMES TRICKSTER FREE

Hermes would carry commands from Zeus to other gods and creatures such as when he told the nymph Calypso to set Odysseus free in Homer's Odyssey. Both Hermes' speed and his skills as a speaker made him an excellent messenger. Apollo was so impressed, he let Hermes keep the cattle in return for the lyre.Īs the primary messenger of the gods, especially Zeus, Hermes shows up in many tales of Greek mythology. When Apollo approached, Hermes began to play the lyre. Apollo later found out about the theft and demanded his cattle back. On his way back to the cave, Hermes found a tortoise and invented the lyre (a stringed musical instrument) from its shell. Hermes then snuck away and stole some cattle from the god Apollo. Maia gave birth to Hermes in a mountain cave and then fell asleep exhausted. Hermes was the son of the Greek god Zeus and the mountain nymph Maia. He helped lead the dead to the Underworld and could put people to sleep with his wand. He was the fastest of the gods and used his speed to carry messages for the other gods. Like all the Greek gods, Hermes was immortal (he couldn't die) and very powerful. He also carried a special staff called a caduceus which had wings at the top and was entwined by two snakes. He wore winged sandals (which gave him super speed) and sometimes a winged cap. Hermes was usually pictured as a young, athletic god without a beard. He was able to travel very fast and could easily move between the realms of the gods, humans, and the dead. His main job was to serve as the messenger of the gods. Hermes was a Greek god and one of the Twelve Olympians who lived on Mount Olympus. Symbols: Tortoise, caduceus (staff), winged sandals, winged cap, and rooster History > Ancient Greece > Greek Mythology God of: Travel, roads, thieves, sports, and shepherds

Hermes trickster