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The Messenger God HERMES

© Linda Casselman

You are probably familiar with FTD's popular logo of a man with winged shoes and helmet running with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. Well, just who is this little character based on? The Greek god Hermes of course. Let's have a closer look at this mythical figure this week.

Son of Zeus and Maia, the daughter of a Titan, Hermes was the messenger god of Greek mythology, identified with his Roman counterpart, Mercury. This god of trade and roads, merchants and thieves is usually depicted as a young man wearing winged sandals, a wide-brimmed often winged hat or helmet, and carrying a herald's staff, Caduceus, a winged central rod, representing a phallus, with two serpents wrapped around it, signifying the creative energy and magical balance between the masculine and feminine. This symbol is still with us today as the universal emblem of medicine.

Much beloved by all of the Greek deities, this merry young god enjoyed playing tricks and games. This aspect of his character can be seen in the following tale involving Hermes.

Desiring to retrieve the body of the slain hero Hector from Achilles' mutilating hands. The gods decided that they should send Hermes in to snatch the beaten body, as Hermes was able to easily cross between the realms of the living and the dead. The sea nymph, Thetis, however, persuaded her son Achilles to leave Hector's body at peace once and for all, so the plan was no longer necessary.

Indeed, Hermes did find safe passage between the worlds of the living and the dead for, it was believed, it was his divine duty to guide the dead into Hades, the Greek underworld. This role also identified him somewhat with the chief Norse deity Odin, father of slain warriors.

Hermes sired many children throughout Greek mythology: Priapus, Ceryx, Aethalides, Echion and Eurytus, Abderus, Cephalus, Agreus, and Bunus, Lycus, Nomius, Pherespondus and Pronomus. One offspring that is particularly interesting is Hermaphroditus. Hermes' greatest passionate love affair was with the goddess of love, Aphrodite. From this union was born Hermaphroditus, a female boy. The story goes that Hermaphroditus was an extremely beautiful boy that excited the affections of the nymph Salmacis, but Hermaphroditus ignored her attentions and advances. Not discouraged, the nymph prayed vehemently to the gods that she should be forever united with her desired lover and so the gods granted her wish. Hermaphroditus and Salmacis were then physically merged while Hermaphroditus was bathing, thus creating a female boy, and giving us our modern word for this condition, hermaphrodite.