CLST 203 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Hermes Trismegistus, Jungian Archetypes, Homeric Hymns
9 Feb 2018
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Hermes: maia = a pleiades, daughters of atlas and pleione, pleiades were also companions of artemis. Hermes develops into the god of boundaries and their crossing. Border-crosser combined with trickster/founder of civilization and messenger to create and olympian god. Hermes the liminal god: presides over journeys, messengers, merchants, thieves, herdsmen, cattle rustling, and the initiation of young men. Another trickster: the classic jungian archetype, exhibits high intelligence and skill, prometheus and odysseus are other tricksters. In earlier periods, appears as a mature, bearded man: later, becomes younger and loses the beard. Wears a traveller"s hat (petasus: sometimes with wings. Carries a herald"s wand (caduceus: later, the caduceus often has two snakes not to be confused with asclepius" staff, which has one snake. Tells the birth of hermes and how he gained a spot on olympus. Steals apollo"s cattle: at night; no helios/apollo to see his crime, directs them backwards into a cave. Returns to maia"s cave and his crib.
