Olympian God Hermes on Gods, Mortals and Animals

Summary of Contents: Hermes in Mythology | Arrival and Appearance | What a God is and Sees | Is Hermes a God? | Homer on Hermes | Mercury? | The Most Beautiful Planet Out There

Festival day - 24 August

Olympian God Hermes in Mythology

Listed as son of Zeus and Pleiad Maia, half-brother of Apollo and Artemis.

Travellers and traders for centuries considered Hermes their patron deity, A busy God who found time to guide the newly dead to where they had to go. And delivered messages among the Gods.

Known as Mercury in the Roman pantheon with a day named in his honour. Homer in his epic sequel Odyssey provided a description and told of how Hermes helped Odysseus rescue his crew from sorceress goddess Circe's pig-transformation magic.

The God looked like 'a young man at that most charming age when the beard first starts to grow,' so Homer described him.

Olympian God Hermes Mythological references

"Is Hermes the Messenger of the Gods?" Nick Hammond asked out-of-body survivalist Margo Williams.

Hermes' Arrival and Appearance

"Wednesday was chosen as the time to honour Hermes. Mercredi or 'Mercury Day', the Latin name by which the Roman world spoke to him. However, Hermes was the name chosen when we invited him.

His arrival was lively, to say the least.

A young-looking god wearing a small-brimmed hat appeared, then vanished.

Appeared again close beside me, then gone again. Only to appear from behind. Not vanishing and reappearing, but hopping and jumping and speeding and zipping all around.

Until suddenly he halted, surprisingly motionless."Thank you for welcoming me. The aroma of the incense is lovely, the flowers delightful."

A sense of happy excitement arrived with him. Hermes looked youthful, little more than late teenager, I guessed. Friendly, smiling eyes. He wore a short fawn-coloured tunic with a belt at his waist.

He gestured to me. "Such devotion from you to all the mighty ones pleases them and brings forth a deep love from them. You have courage to do this," his voice sounded as music.

"All are glad of recognition after so long a time being ignored. That is the message I bring."

I noticed he wore a pouch attached to belt. And wings on his boots.

"I am not as mighty as some of the gods and goddesses you hear," he continued. "But I appreciate being included and honoured with them." Quicksilver he bounced and zipped in constant motion, everywhere.

"I sprinkle stars and petals from exotic blooms."

Tiny iridescent stars and petals of light floated down and burst into brilliance. A moment of stillness, effortlessly controlled; hat perfectly aligned.

"The stars give power, the petals sweetness."

Hop bounce, hop bounce, hop. Impossible to focus on him. In constant motion darting here, there and everywhere.

He perfect-landed facing me, took hold of my hand.

What a God is And How a God Sees.

We floated up to just above rooftops, dishes and aerials. I looked down and recognised the buildings, streets and roads; the sanded bay of my home town.

People walked the pavements of a warm summer’s evening, entered shops, drove cars, pushed prams; doing what they do.

But the weirdest thing was: I knew what every single one of those people in the town was doing, everywhere; even those I could not see. All at the same time.

"You ask questions of us." Hermes floated close like an ocean God in water. "We take on these forms at will. Yet each one of us is a super consciousness. We are everywhere."

I looked down at the town and knew precisely what my neighbour was doing at that very moment. And where she was doing it. And each of my friends.

Even people I didn’t know, like the supermarket store manager supervising a stock check. And which car the traffic warden approached with a penalty sticker in mind, and how far away and unaware was the driver.

"This is how we see. If we are interested enough to look," he added.

It was a very strange sensation, knowing everything that happened.

Then the gift was gone.

I looked down and watched a community living its day, and I had no idea whatsoever what any single one of them was up to.

Is Hermes a God?

Wednesday evening, next. Hermes arrived in reflective mood.

"It has been argued throughout the ages, as a messenger of the Gods am I a God?" He zipped and bounced, bounced and fizzed and hopped. The light generated around him silver but it was thick silver, it had substance.

"You have not questioned this. You put forth offerings and I thank you for these. Of course I am a God," he answered.

"I am very important and have much power. I am one of the hardest working of all the mighty ones. There is much to do. I do not sit idle, like some."

A serious look matured his handsome face, momentarily. "Most gods and goddesses work, but there are a few who do little." He grinned, elegantly. "I am one of the happiest. I spend my time travelling."

He gestured. "I have many things to attend to, yet these few minutes here are most pleasant." He paused, thoughtful. "Do you trust me?"

Homer on Hermes

In Homer's epic sequel Odyssey, Hermes helped Odysseus rescue his crew from sorceress goddess Circe. Homer told of how a single crew-person alone had escaped being transformed into a pig by Circe’s magic brew.

A barley mix and honey flavoured wine cocktail had changed everyone else into swine. Helpless targets for Circe’s spiteful stick-poking.

Survivor Eurylocus told his captain 'no' to going back and help in the rescue. So Odysseus headed off to confront Circe and by great good fortune on the way, met Hermes in the enchanted forest.

'Without my help I think you are more likely to stay with the crew of pigs yourself and never see your home,' warned Hermes on hearing of Odysseus’ plan.

Homer told of how teenager Hermes offered Odysseus an option.

'Here is a potion of real virtue, take it with you into Circe’s palace. It will make you immune from evil.' He described to Odysseus how she worked magic, and what to do to counter bewitchment.

'Drink the black root and milk-white flower first,' Hermes insisted. 'When Circe strikes you with her stick, draw your s....d. Rush her as though you mean to k..l her. She will shrink in terror and invite you to her bed.'

Hermes added warning. 'You mustn’t refuse the goddess’ favours if you want her to free your men and look after you.'

So Homer told.

I wouldn't trust that advice from Hermes. Circe is ferocious.

Hermes or Mercury?

As always, he brought me home safely from a long journey.

Truly there is life on other planets.

Sometimes we travelled side by side in silence, other times he was just ahead. His silver glow warmed me through the cold darkness. And sometimes the subjects of his in-flight conversation were Gods and mortals.

"I have been asked if I am Mercury," he said as we wave-travelled fast through the star-speckled darkness. "I answer that I am called by many names, and as long as I am honoured it matters not whether I am called Hermes or Mercury."

On the subject of offerings to the Gods he responded: "Wine, incense, flowers and fruit are acceptable to us. Should bl..d be spilled, we would not return. It would anger us. We do not expect sacrifices."

Sometimes our journey was smooth, other times bumpy; the reason for which difference he didn’t explain.

And one Wednesday evening when we were doing the rounds we visited a planet thick with jungle. Green and damp and humid, air filled with different sounds and calls, rustling and bird-screeching.

Beyond the jungle was what looked amazingly like turquoise ocean and white sand beach, gentle breakers washed upon the shore.

"This is lovely, where is it?" I asked.

The Most Beautiful Planet We Ever Landed On

He pushed through the tree-line onto the beach. It was littered with plastic bottles and debris and a rotting carcass of a sea turtle with a plastic cord wrapped tight around its head.

"One of the most beautiful of all planets," he answered. "This is the planet Earth."

Tiny crabs and big ones scurried busily across the sand and around the obstacles. We stood together on the paradise beach, mostly lost under a debris field of litter.

"Too many mortals live as if they are blind. Your world is becoming poisonous." Hermes nodded as I unwrapped the cord from the turtle.

"Something has to be done. And it will be."

I wondered how the wing-booted God was going to make that happen.

"There is too much cruelty, but this will stop. I, Hermes promise you that. But it will take time," he added, softly echoing Rhea's promise.

"I serve the sea Gods as well. Perhaps you do not think of that?"

I found another d..d sea turtle, fly-blown and plastic-s.......d. I felt saddened that it had suffered.

Hermes’ usual genial expression was long gone. "Animals, whether domesticated or wild do return to live again and again, like mortals," he consoled.

We walked along the beach. But for the rubbish it absolutely was the most beautiful planet I visited.

"It is time for me to return to do some work. There is much to do," he said."I give you my gifts. Accept these with my love." He fizzed into motion.

"Courage, when needed," he said. "Courage to have the right answers. It takes courage, sometimes. You may not need it but it is good to have."

Zip bounce hop, the sense of lift-off gathered intensity.

He smiled wide and handsomely. "I also give you energy, that you may face whatever some of the Gods or monsters do." He put his hand on my head, a gentle touch. Then vanished.

Thank you for your company on this short introduction to god Hermes. If you would like to know more about Margo Williams' experiences and suggestions for how to survive in the hereafter read this book. Now available from Amazon.