Introduction

If you are reading this you most likely work with or are wanting to work with Hermes and are trying to gather more information! Lucky for you I deeply enjoy writing research papers (you can tell that I was definitely a History/English kid in school).

I’ve put together a very long essay on Hermes that covers everything from how to worship, basic Hellenistic beliefs, important myths, temples and cults or Hermes and more. I did not however go into more depth on Hermes counterparts in other religions though I do list a few so you may go reassuring on your own if you wish keeping in mind that these gods while essentially copy and pasted are different entities and should be treated as such. It’s just good to know how different cultures interpreted gods. I would also like you to I am simply just a random follower of Hermes who has internet access. I should NOT be your only source and you SHOULD look at the sources I used and find your own as well. from school .com is iffy . Org is good . Edu or .gov is amazing.

.com is ok in this context as the gods stories were said by mouth and tablets anyway so there’s no exact right version or not which I will also get into.

Hermes was the personal messenger of Zeus, (also his son) and a guide for many including the dead. Often times In myths he played more of a ing role there are not many s of him being a main role. One of the ones I found/know of where he is the main character is of course his birth story.

HERMES BIRTH MYTH :musical_score: :game_die:

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 112 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :

"The oldest daughter [of Atlas] Maia, after her intercourse with Zeus, bore Hermes in a cave on Kyllene. Though he was laid out in swaddling-clothes with her winnowing-basket for a cradle, he escaped and made his way to Pieria, where he stole some cattle that Apollon was tending."

Maia (a nymph) is the mother of Hermes and his dad is Zeus, this makes him a half brother to Apollo. Hermes is one of the older gods due to the direct relation to Zeus (ruler of all gods, basically the president). Hermes earned his roles as a god on his first day in the world as he heard talk of apollos cattle and wanted a pick of his own. Hermes stole the cattle, he tied leaves to their tails to help cover the tracks and lead them back to his cave where he prepared a feast saving some meat as an offering to the 12 gods of Olympus. (This is why he is interpreted as the god of prayer or offerings and is often asked to help aid in getting an offering to a deity.) the child took the guts of the cattle and made himself a very pretty sounding toy by stringing the guts on to a tortoise shell creating the lyre. By this time Apollo had figured out what had happened, was furious, and went to Zeus. Hermes claimed to not have touched the cattle (of course the god of thieves and more than one kind of liars would lie) but obviously Zeus knew this was a lie and had Apollo’s cattle returned to him. Apollo however was calmed down when he found the child’s new play thing and exchanged the instrument for a new found friend ship as well as his golden staff. (There are other myths claiming different ways he got his staff which I will get into.) Hermes wanted more than that though he also wanted to learn prophecy. Apollo agreed and that is the end of the story.

In different version it obviously goes different ways for example instead of a lyer it is also pan pipes that were made of a flute. The pan pipes don’t really makes sense to me though as pan is literally in its name and I believe the myth that pan made them out of a nymph who was running from him. So to each their own. Hermes staff is also a thing that differs in other myths.

The Tiresias Story:

Another myth suggests that Hermes received the staff from Tiresias, who was turned into a woman and then back into a man after killing a pair of mating snakes with his staff. The staff then came into Hermes' possession, imbued with its transformative powers.

The Serpent and Peace:

Another origin story involves Hermes separating two fighting snakes with his wand, bringing peace between them and symbolizing the staff's power to mediate.

other myths involving Hermes to look into :strawberry:

Slaying Argus Panoptes

• Summary: Hera sets Argus (the hundred-eyed giant) to guard Io, a mortal woman turned into a cow. Zeus sends Hermes to rescue her.

• Themes: Stealth, cleverness.

• Outcome: Hermes lulls Argus to sleep with music and kills him, freeing Io. Hera honors Argus by putting his eyes on the peacock.

⸻

3. Guiding Persephone Back from the Underworld

• Summary: After Hades kidnaps Persephone, Hermes is sent by Zeus to retrieve her.

• Themes: Mediation, duty.

• Outcome: Hermes escorts her back, resulting in the seasonal compromise (six months with Hades = winter, six months on Earth = spring/summer).

⸻

4. Delivering Pandora to Earth

• Summary: After Prometheus steals fire for humans, the gods retaliate by sending Pandora (the first woman) to Earth—with a jar of woes.

• Themes: Divine punishment, deception.

• Hermes’ Role: He leads Pandora to Epimetheus, ensuring the gods’ plan unfolds.

It is said in this myth that Hermes give her the ability to lie and seduce so if you are a woman according to this myth that’s where you get it from!

⸻

5. Escorting Souls to the Underworld (Psychopomp Role)

• Summary: Hermes often appears in myths guiding the souls of the dead to Hades.

• Examples: He escorts the souls of the suitors in the Odyssey after Odysseus kills them.

• Themes: Transition, mercy, fate.

⸻

6. The Birth of Pan

• Summary: Hermes has a child with a nymph, and the baby Pan is born with goat features.

• Themes: Wildness, fertility, surprise.

• Outcome: The gods find him amusing and bring him to Olympus, where he’s welcomed.

⸻

7. Hermes and Herse (Athenian Princess)

• Summary: Hermes falls in love with Herse. Her sister Aglauros becomes jealous or greedy.

• Themes: Desire, jealousy.

• Outcome: Aglauros is turned to stone for obstructing Hermes.

⸻

8. Hermes Helps Odysseus with Circe

• Summary: In the Odyssey, Hermes gives Odysseus a magical herb (moly) to protect him from Circe’s witchcraft.

• Themes: Aid, divine intervention.

• Outcome: Odysseus resists Circe’s spell and eventually wins her trust.

the cult of Hermes ☘

“The earliest centre of his cult was probably Arcadia, where Mt. Cyllene was reputed to be his birthplace. “

“In the Odyssey, however, he appears mainly as the messenger of the gods and the conductor of the dead to Hades.”

Hermes was not really one to have specific city’s or places of worship which makes sense as he is the god of travel. Some of his main cult centers were…Mount Cyllene (Arcadia),Athens,(Especially worshipped in gymnasiums and markets, highlighting his roles in youth development, communication, and commerce.)Pheneos (Arcadia),(Hosted a unique local festival (Hermaia) and venerated him as a native son.)Crete & Delos,

(Sometimes honored alongside Apollo for his prophetic and boundary-related roles.) even in his main place of worship, people only really went there when they were tournaments and sports events. Hermes was more so worshipped casually like in the home or in cross roads for example Herms and I will be showing you a picture.

Yes that is a peinus, why? I’m not sure perhaps it is to point you in the right direction! (I think I’m funny) rocks were staked or tossed in a pile beneath these statues or without them as to grant the travelers good luck and it was just custom to leave an offering these were also place in front of houses as a form of protection and boundary setting. Like an extreme “no tress ing” sign. (fifth century BCE)

holidays/events/ celebrations of Hermes! :strawberry: :rabbit2:

Hermoea (Ἑρμαῖα)

• When: Varies by city-state (Athens, Pheneos, and others)

• What: A festival dedicated specifically to Hermes.

• Details:

• Celebrated by young boys and athletes, especially in gymnasiums.

• Games, athletic contests, and sometimes sacrifices were held in his honor.

⸻

2. Kharisteria (Χαριστήρια)

• When: Late February / early March

• What: A thanksgiving festival, sometimes associated with Hermes in his role as a messenger of victory and gratitude.

• Details:

• Commemorated military victories.

• While not solely dedicated to Hermes, his messenger role often brought him into the rituals.

⸻

3. Anthesteria (Ἀνθεστήρια)

• When: Late February / early March

• What: A three-day festival mainly for Dionysus, but Hermes plays a role.

• Details:

On the last day, Hermes was invoked to escort the dead back to the underworld.Offerings were made to Hermes as a gatekeeper between the world of the living and the dead.

⸻

4. Hermes’ Day (within the Athenian calendar)

• When: The 4th day of every month

• What: Each day of the month was associated with a different deity, and the 4th belonged to Hermes and Aphrodite.

• Details: People gave small offerings or prayers. Seen as a lucky day for communication, trade, and new ventures.

⸻

5. Hermaia in Pheneos (Arkadia)

• When: Local to Pheneos in Arcadia, date unknown

• What: A regional version of the Hermoea

• Details:

• The Pheneatians considered Hermes born in their city, so this festival was a birth celebration and included ritual races.

⸻

6. Gymnopaedia (Γυμνοπαιδίαι)

• When: July (in Sparta)

• What: A festival honoring Apollo, Hermes, and other gods

• Details: Featured nude dances by young boys, symbolizing strength and beauty.

basic knowledge of worship in Ancient Greece

Worship in Ancient Greece was a deeply communal and practical part of daily life, centered around honoring the gods through rituals, sacrifices, festivals, and offerings. Each city-state had its own patron gods and specific local customs, but most religious practice took place outdoors at temples, household altars, or sacred public spaces. Sacrifices usually of animals, food, or wine were common, accompanied by prayers. Worship wasn’t about personal salvation but about maintaining harmony between mortals and the divine, asking for protection, prosperity, and guidance in return.

The Greeks prayed twice a day once at night and once in the morning before prayer that would cleanse themselves of their daily human “must” if you will. This is not a bad thing everyone has it. It’s just considered rude to basically be a dirty human in front of the god which is also why blood sacrifices to them are taken as offensive.

This is called miasma.

To cleanse yourself of this you can do simple acts like brushing your teeth and washing your hands, putting on a new set of clothes or showering with intent.

Some other facts!

“The most basic value of Hellenism is eusebeia, which is often translated as “piety.” For Hellenes, piety means a deep-rooted personal commitment to the traditional worship of the Hellenic gods and a life of action to back up that commitment. Other values include hospitality (xenia), self-control (sophrosune), and moderation (metriotes).”

“one of the greatest transgression a mortal can commit is to try to claim the gods’ portion as one’s own – hubris. Therefore an important axiom is the Hellenic “Know yourself” (i.e., to be a mortal) which differs greatly from the Neopagan “Thou are God/dess”. Such thought is blasphemous in our religion.”

“Reconstructionists base their theological beliefs and ritual practices on three sources:

(1) the works of Homer, Hesiod, and other ancient writers;

(2) mainstream scholarly research on ancient religion;

(3) individual spiritual experience and intuition (“personal gnosis”).”

“The format of our worship is relatively fixed, although certain festivals require variations and additions. The usual components are as follows:

Procession

Purification

Hymns

Sacrifice/Offerings

Prayers of Supplication and Thanks

Feast and, on occasion, Games or Competitions

What doesn’t happen in our rituals is: circle-casting or other ceremonial/Masonic elements; raising of energy or magical work.”

I disagree with this as it it such an old religion it is hard to exactly replicate all their practices and it is also just is so not reasonable to expect people not to adjust things to how they work best for them. This source seems to come from someone who is dead set on following a set of rules that simply don’t exist Howe I will be taking some practices from them as they are well resourced info.

Offerings to Hermes were typically simple, wine or milk, small cakes called pelanoi, and sometimes the sacrifice of rams or goats during larger communal rituals. Incense and honey were also common gifts, with prayers asking for cunning, or successful endeavors. In households, Hermes was honored at thresholds and doorways, symbolizing his role as a divine gatekeeper. Families might pour wine, burn incense, or leave small offerings at dawn in hopes of earning his favor. His presence was also felt in gymnasiums.

Beyond formal worship, Hermes was frequently invoked in spells and magical practices. particularly those involving communication, trickery, or the underworld. His reputation as a clever and slippery god made him a powerful figure for those seeking luck or persuasion.

A private ritual to Hermes might involve setting up a small statue or symbol near a doorway, offering wine, a cake, and incense, and reciting a prayer asking for his guidance. A libation would then be poured onto the ground, and the offering left or buried as a gift. Through these rituals, the Greeks maintained a relationship with Hermes that balanced reverence with a touch of humor and cunning, much like the god himself.

modern day ☘ :turtle:

Worship of Hermes in modern day can be applied in a compliment to how they worshiped him in the ancient world, a mixture of modern and ancient practices or modern. In the end worship is an incredibly personal thing so I don’t want you to ever let anyone tell you the way you worship is too little or not historically accurate enough. If it is not harmful to you or others and has reasoning to back it up I say go for it!

A list of things you can do 🪽 :airplane:

• Set up a home herm or altar

• Place a small statue or symbol of Hermes (winged sandals, caduceus, ram, tortoise, etc.) near your doorway or desk.

• Bonus: Create a mini herm with a head and a small phallic symbol (as in antiquity).

• Daily offerings at thresholds or doorways

• Pour a small libation of wine, honey, or milk at your front door while reciting a prayer.

• Offer a small cake (pelanos), piece of fruit, or incense in the morning.

• Pray before travel or new ventures

• Before a trip, interview, or business deal, ask Hermes for protection, clarity, and speed.

• Leave a symbolic coin or token at a crossroads or near your shoes/luggage.

• Celebrate on the Hermoea

• Dedicate a day to physical activity, mischief, and youthful energy.

• Run, play games, or engage in friendly competition to honor Hermes’ patronage of athletics.

• Wear a charm or talisman

• Carry a symbol of Hermes (e.g. a miniature caduceus, winged charm, or coin) for protection and luck in communication or travel.

• Write or speak prayers to him

• Since Hermes governs speech and communication, write poems, affirmations, or prayers addressed to him. Speak them aloud with intention—he’s the god of eloquence and words!

• Honor him through journaling or poetry

• Keep a journal dedicated to clever ideas, dreams, or spiritual communication—Hermes was a messenger between realms.

• Burn incense associated with him Use frankincense, myrrh, lavender, or mint while offering words of thanks or requests.

• Practice acts of cleverness or mischief (ethically)

• Hermes appreciates wit, so do puzzles, riddles, or light-hearted pranks.

• Embrace clever problem-solving in daily life.

• Work with crossroads and transitions

• Go to a literal or metaphorical crossroads when you’re making decisions and leave a symbolic offering (coin, stone, or note).

• Hermes governs liminal spaces, so he’s invoked during major life changes (new jobs, moves, identity shifts).

• Offer tech-related items

• As the god of communication, you can symbolically “update” your offerings: dedicate a text message, tweet, or digital art to him.

cross over from other religions

• Mercury (Roman)

• Thoth (Egyptian)

• Odin (Norse)

• Ganesha (Hindu)

• Eshu/Legba (Yoruba/Voodoo)

• Loki (Norse)

• Tezcatlipoca (Aztec)

• Anubis (Egyptian)

• Janus (Roman)

And obviously there is cross over with him from Christianity because they love to copy and paste. This was actually done intentionally so it was easier to convert people to their religion. Any way for example “the good shepherd” and there are some parallels with saints.

conclusion and bonus prayers (I use)

I’m happy you have taken the time to read all this and I hope you learned something new today! I apologize if I miss spelled anything or wrote something out wrong feel free to correct me this was made in 3 days and I spent many a late night hours (religiously staying up till 1am) writing this in between theater. (I’m currently playing a lead in a play rn yay!) Hermes is a wonderful god to work with in a modern sense as everything is about communication especially with modern day technology.

Blessed be!

Prayer to Hermes

Hermes, swift-footed guardian of roads,

Guide my steps and shield my path.

Let no danger follow, no delay hinder me.

With your wings, carry me swiftly and safely.

⸻

Hermes, master of words and wit,

Grant me clarity, charm, and understanding.

Let my voice be heard and my message true.

May I speak with ease and listen with wisdom.

⸻

Hermes, clever one, opener of ways,

Bless my work and guide my hand.

Bring fortune, fairness, and success.

In trade and chance, may your favor find me.

⸻

Hermes, messenger between realms,

Open the veil and bring insight.

Carry my words to the unseen,

And return with truth and vision clear.

⸻

Hail Hermes, bright-eyed and bold,

Guide me through this day with grace.

May my steps be quick, my mind sharp,

And my heart light with laughter and luck.

This was made in dedication to Hermes and is an offering to him I thank him for all he’s shown me and all of the blessings he has helped deliver to me or has delivered to me himself☘

Sources!

Source 1

Source 2

Source 3

Source 4

Source 5

Source 6

Source 7

Source 8

Source 9

Source 10

Source 11?

Fun fact Greek statues were actually stripped of their color as painted statues were seen as barbaric.