How Hermes Became a God: The Mischievous Tale of the Homeric Hymn

Hermes, known by his Roman name Mercury, is one of the most unconventional Olympian gods. As the god of shepherds, thieves, lies, commerce, and boundaries, he embodies a diverse range of human experiences. Considered a close friend to humanity, Hermes is credited with inventing fire, serving as the messenger of the gods, and guiding souls to the underworld. The Homeric Hymn to Hermes emphasizes his diverse nature and his ascent to godhood. Discover the captivating origin story of Hermes, an outsider among the gods and a trusted friend to humanity.

Several etymologies have been suggested for the name Hermes. Some connect it to the Vedic Sarameya, derived from Sarama, the god of the storm or dawn, while others trace it to the word heruma (shelter), which comes from the verb heruô (to protect). The earliest evidence for Hermes’s name predates the Greek language, appearing on the Mycenaean Greek Linear B tablets as e-ma-ha.

However, most contemporary scholars believe that the name Hermes is tied to the ancient Greek word herma, meaning “heap of stones,” a monument that serves as a boundary marker. Travelers who passed by a herma would add a stone to these piles, which were typically located along significant boundary lines, such as those between homes, markets, and settlements. Over time, these stone piles evolved into wooden and stone pillars known as Herms, which featured a bust resembling early depictions of an older Hermes with an erect phallic display. While scholars continue to debate the origins of the term herma, many agree that the name Hermes is of pre-Greek origin.

Depictions of Hermes

Regardless of his clothing, Hermes is easily recognized by his iconic heraldic staff, the kerykeion, also known by its Latin name, caduceus. This staff, made of solid gold and approximately the length of a man’s arm, features two intertwining snakes that form a circle at the top, resembling horns. In ancient Greece, the kerykeion was used by heralds to symbolize their station and authority.

Earlier depictions of Hermes differ significantly from the beardless youth most commonly associated with him today. Hermes is often portrayed as an older man, resembling a rural shepherd in these early representations. He typically wears a wide-brimmed, floppy hat and has a beard. This older portrayal of Hermes can be found on Herm busts, which scholars believe were connected to the god since his earliest origins.

The Greek god Hermes is often seen as an outsider among his fellow Olympian gods. Unlike the other Olympians, who tended to avoid humans, Hermes preferred to descend from the heavens and interact with mortals. Hermes’s strong connection to mortals is closely tied to the various domains he governed as a god. In fact, of all the Olympians, Hermes’s domain is most closely associated with the daily social functioning of human life.

One of Hermes’s primary roles was as the messenger and herald of the gods, acting as an intermediary between the Olympians and the mortals who worshipped them. This function allowed Hermes to interact with humanity more than any other Olympian, which was reflected in the wide range of human-centered domains he oversaw.

Hermes was the god of boundaries and exchanges, evident in his dominion over merchants, orators, thieves, commerce, travel, language, luck, lots, and even deception. He was also regarded as the god of shepherds and domestic animals; many attribute his association with theft to ancient stereotypes that portrayed all animal herders as notorious thieves.

Given his roles as the god of shepherds, boundaries, and travel, it is not surprising that another significant aspect of Hermes’s function was as the Psychopomp—the conductor of souls into the Underworld. Like a shepherd guiding their flock, Hermes led the souls of the dead from the land of the living to Charon, the ferryman of the dead, where they would begin their journey into the underworld.

His connection to the underworld links him with Chthonic deities associated with the dead, such as Hades, Persephone, and the Furies. This relationship distinguishes him from his fellow Olympians, marking him as a deity that bridges the Chthonic and Olympian realms.

Like many Chthonic deities, Hermes is associated with the Underworld and the earth, which granted him some influence over fertility. This connection is evident in the Herm pillars linked to him. These pillars, adorned with prominent phallic symbols and representing a powerful symbol of fertility, were positioned at significant social boundaries, such as homes, markets, and crossroads. They served to mark these spaces and act as protective wards.

Outside homes, the pillars were believed to ward off evil and promote male fertility. At county borders and crossroads, they protected travelers and functioned as signposts, reflecting Hermes’s role as the god of travelers.

As the messenger and herald of the gods, Hermes was also recognized as the god of servants. He served as the patron god of cooks, artisans, teachers, and the Theta—free men who traveled the roads selling their labor for a wage.

In the Odyssey, Odysseus claims Hermes’s patronage, boasting about his skills in domestic chores, such as tending the fire, cooking, carving meat, and pouring wine. As the patron of artisans, Hermes is credited with inventing several notable items, including a method for creating fire with fire sticks and sandals. He is also recognized for creating the lyre, a stringed musical instrument common in ancient Greece and more closely associated with the god Apollo.

Hermes, often referred to as the bringer of dreams, could put people to sleep, which was famously illustrated in his encounter with Argus, the hundred-eyed giant.

Although not as widely recognized as Hecate, the Greek goddess of magic, Hermes was commonly invoked in magical curses and spells. These curses were inscribed on lead curse tablets known as tabellae defixionis, designed to bind individuals to a Chthonic deity of the Underworld. Throughout history, Hermes’s connections to magic continued to evolve, culminating in the figure of Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretism of Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. This figure became associated with alchemy and mysticism and was particularly popular during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

Like all Homeric hymns, the Hymn to Hermes celebrates the god’s origins, functions, and worship. The Hymns often highlight a god’s integration into the Olympian pantheon and, most importantly, how they acquired their unique powers and domains. Composed in the late 6th or early 5th century BCE, the hymn narrates the adventures and clever tricks of the newborn Hermes during the first few days of his life. According to the hymn, Hermes was born at dawn; by midday, he had invented the lyre, and by evening, he had stolen Apollo’s cattle.

The Hymn to Hermes: The First Day

Hermes was the son of Maia, one of the Pleiades Nymphs, and Zeus, the King of the gods. The hymn describes how Zeus would secretly leave his wife, Hera, while she was asleep at night to visit Maia’s cave on Mt. Cyllene and spend time with her. Because of the discreet nature of their affair, Hermes’s birth went unnoticed in Olympus, leaving his status as either a god or a mortal ambiguous.

Not long after his birth, the precocious Hermes leaped out of his cradle and snuck out of his mother’s cave to explore the world and establish his place among the gods. As he crossed the threshold of the cave into the outside world, baby Hermes discovered a tortoise. He was delighted by the creature, which inspired him to create something new and extraordinary.

After praising the tortoise, Hermes took it back to his mother’s cave, killed it, and used its shell, along with ox hide and reed stalks, to make the first lyre. He then attempted to compose a simple song honoring the gods using his new invention. However, he soon stopped playing as his thoughts turned to something else—he was starving.

As the sun set on his first day, Hermes waddled out of Maia’s cave, searching for food. As evening took over, Hermes spotted Apollo’s immortal cattle grazing near Pieria. Undeterred by the cattle’s owner, Hermes decided to steal 50 divine cows.

True to his nature as a cunning trickster, he devised a clever plan to trick Apollo. He herded the cattle backward in a zig-zag pattern to confuse anyone trying to track their hoofprints. Hermes invented the first pair of sandals to conceal his tracks by weaving together young wood, tamarisk, and myrtle twigs and fastening them to his feet, completely disguising his footprints.

While herding the cattle backward, Hermes encountered an older man, sometimes named Battus, tending his vineyard. He asked the man to pretend he had not seen him. Under the cover of night, Hermes secretly guided the cattle to a shed near the Alpheus River, where he fed and watered them. However, Hermes’s hunger was still intense, so he prepared a meal.

He invented a new method of creating fire using laurel branches and dried wood, allowing him to produce a roaring blaze. Although Hephaestus is known as the god of fire, and Prometheus is credited with stealing fire from the gods and giving it to humanity, the Hymn to Hermes proudly asserts that Hermes was the one who first invented fire.

Hermes set aside two of the oxen, expertly butchered the animals, and cooked the meat on a spit roast over the roaring fire. Once the delicious beef was ready, Hermes divided it into twelve equal portions and distributed them by lot among himself and the other Olympian gods.

This division of meat into twelve equal portions established the first ritual sacrifices commonly practiced in ancient Greece. Twelve portions would be set aside for each Olympian during important religious rites and animal sacrifices. As the god associated with servants, domestic animals, lots, and inventions, it is fitting that Hermes would be the one to establish the method of ritual sacrifice.

Despite his rumbling stomach and the delicious food right before him, Hermes could not bring himself to eat it. The gods consumed only nectar and ambrosia, not meat. Consuming meat would jeopardize his chances of securing a place among the Olympians, especially since he had not been recognized by his father, Zeus. Frustrated by his predicament, Hermes quickly disposed of the evidence of his dilemma by throwing his sandals into the Alpheus River, burning the meat in the fire, and erasing all traces of the fire pit. As the dawn of his second day alive began, Hermes transformed into mist and sneaked back into his cradle in his mother’s cave.

Despite his cleverness and sneakiness, Hermes’s mother was aware that her son had been misbehaving and began to scold him. Hermes defended his actions and explained to his mother that if Zeus would not acknowledge him as his son and a god, then he would resort to trickery and theft, becoming the prince of thieves if it meant ensuring a better life—away from their gloomy cave, surrounded by divine riches, status, and plenty of food to eat.

As the sun rose on Hermes’s second day, Apollo descended from Olympus to check on his beloved cattle. To his dismay, most of the cows had disappeared. Apollo approached an older man who was tending to his vineyard and inquired about what had happened. The older man, disregarding Hermes’s warnings, recounted a scene that he could hardly believe: he had witnessed a baby with strange feet leading several cattle in a zig-zag path backward the day before.

Apollo, the god of prophecy, observed a bird omen that revealed to him that the thief was a newborn child of Zeus. Struggling to follow the backward tracks, he was struck with fear and confusion by the strange, monstrous footprints of Hermes’s sandals. Eventually, Apollo managed to trace the tracks back to Maia’s cave.

Upon entering the cave, Apollo found Hermes pretending to sleep in his cradle. This ruse did not fool Apollo, so he began searching Maia’s cupboards for evidence of the cattle theft. After failing to find any clues, Apollo warned Hermes to reveal the location of the cattle or face being thrown into Tartarus by him.

The future god of language and lies pretended to be ignorant and informed Apollo how absurd it was to accuse a child who had only been born yesterday of cattle theft. Hermes lied, claiming he did not even know what a cow was and had never left his cradle. Apollo almost believed Hermes’s story, but as the god of prophecy, he foresaw that Hermes would steal and guide others to steal for many nights to come, naming him the prince of thieves.

Apollo then grabbed Hermes under his arm, intending to force him to reveal the location of the stolen cattle. However, Hermes was not as helpless as he appeared. While in Apollo’s grasp, he farted and sneezed, which Apollo misinterpreted as a divine omen directing him to the location of his cattle.

Apollo dropped Hermes to investigate the smelly omen while Hermes continued to insist on his innocence. During this moment of distraction, Hermes persuaded Apollo to take him to Olympus so that Zeus could settle their dispute. Apollo agreed, and the two brothers soon arrived before Zeus for judgment.

Apollo presented his accusations against young Hermes, who responded with clever lies and manipulative wordplay to avoid incriminating himself in front of the gods. Although many of the Olympians present believed Hermes’s story, Zeus saw through his son’s cunning deceptions and found it quite amusing. He ordered the brothers to reconcile and instructed Hermes to show Apollo where he had hidden the cattle.

The two sons of Zeus complied, and Hermes led Apollo to where he had hidden the cattle near the Alpheus River. Apollo also noticed the remnants of Hermes’s sacrifices, along with an awkward attempt to eat meat.

The remains of the butchered cattle made Apollo pause in fear. The fact that an infant less than a day old had the intelligence and strength to butcher two cattle was truly terrifying. Apollo confronted Hermes, telling the young child that he was too strong, crafty, and dangerous to be left alone. He then attempted to restrain him with magical vines.

The god of thieves easily evaded the vines and instead bound Apollo’s cattle. Before Apollo could react, Hermes took out the lyre he had invented just the day before and began to play a beautiful song. This melody told the story of the gods’ origins, how they acquired their powers, and how they came to be part of the pantheon.

Apollo, the god of music, was captivated by the instrument Hermes played. Eager to learn more about this marvelous music, Apollo sat down with Hermes, who offered Apollo an irresistible deal.

Hermes offered to trade his lyre for Apollo’s cattle. Apollo agreed and made Hermes the keeper of herds, granting him dominion over domestic animals. Furthermore, under Zeus’s instructions, Apollo appointed Hermes as the god of exchange, theft, and travel, gifting him the kerykeion. He also designated Hermes as the herald of the gods and the psychopomp, guiding the dead to the Underworld.

In return, Hermes agreed to swear an oath to never steal from or deceive the immortals again. He was also granted dominion over the oracle of the Bee Maidens. This agreement was acknowledged by Zeus, who confirmed Hermes’s position as an Olympian who delights in consorting with both immortals and mortals alike.

Hermes is often recognized as the god who brings joy to humanity and is considered a friend to mortals. He is a celebrated inventor, with his inventions—notably fire and musical instruments—greatly enriching human life.

What makes Hermes particularly interesting is his frequent interactions with mortals, which are characterized by a familiar, humorous, and casual tone—a contrast to the more distant interactions of his fellow Olympians with humans. This close relationship is further demonstrated by how he is portrayed; he often becomes the butt of jokes. For example, in his hymn, he tricks his brother using a fart, an act that might be deemed sacrilegious if directed at many other Olympian gods.

Unlike the other Olympian gods, Hermes’s realms of influence are entirely human-centric. He does not preside over natural forces or intense emotions; instead, he is the god of commerce, domestic work, artisans, and communication, rooted in human society and culture. This connection to humanity may contribute to his status as an outsider among the gods.

Even within his own hymn, Hermes is depicted as an outsider who must take what he desires, which is a very human story. As the god of boundaries, he feels comfortable among the Olympians, humans, and the Chthonic gods of the dead, being accepted by all but never fully belonging to any particular group.