The Adventures of Hermes, God of Thieves

by Murielle Szac

  “What have you come here for?” she asked gruffly.

  “I have been sent by the great Apollo, who loves you so very fondly, O nurse,” replied Hermes, “I would like to know what will happen to me. I would like to learn how to foretell the future. And I am also sent by your younger sister, who has taught me how to look at the present.”

  The nurse looked at him sternly: “Why do you wish to know what will exist?”

  “So I may know who I am,” replied Hermes.

  “Do you really think that the answer is to be found in the future?” said the nurse.

  Hermes replied smiling: “Teach me, and we will soon find out.”

  And so Hermes stayed seven days and seven nights with the second of the nurses of the babies of the gods, whose name was Roxanne. And she taught him how to foretell the future. Roxanne would toss small and smooth round pebbles into a great pool full of water. In their fall, the pebbles traced beautiful patterns in the air and then in the water as they sank down. By observing these patterns, the nurse was able to foretell all that should come to pass. On the first day, Hermes questioned her about his life later on. “You will be much loved by your father, and you shall have a fine place by his side,” said Roxanne. And she added: “Your entire life you will be a great traveller and you will be immensely curious.” On the second day, Hermes sought to find out what would become of his mother: “Maia will be proud of you all her life and she will be happy to know that you are among the gods of Olympus.” On the days that followed, Hermes himself learnt to foretell what would come to pass by following the fall of the small and smooth round pebbles in the water. By the end of the seventh day, he had mastered the art of prophesying the future. And yet the young god was still not quite satisfied in his mind.

  “Well, then,” Roxanne asked, smiling, “are you now content? Do you know who you are?”

  Hermes sighed and shook his head: “No, you were right, I can read the present and the future, and yet I still lack something. But I do not know what.”

  “What you lack,” replied the old nurse, “is knowledge of the past. You are made of what you experience today, and of what others have experienced before you. In order to know who you are, you need to know where you come from.” At these words Hermes’ face lit up. Yes, that was it: what he sought was to know the origin of all things! “Continue on your way,” said Roxanne. “Go and see my sister, higher up on the mountain, perhaps she might be able to help you.”

  Hermes thanked Roxanne for all that she had taught him, grabbed his golden staff and left. He walked for a long, long time. As the path turned, he came at last before the eldest of the three nurses of the babies of the gods. She was sitting on a small stool made of stone, and she was folding up great white sheets which served to wrap babies with. A faint gleam emanated from her wrinkled face. She had swaddled, fed and cradled the children of the gods for all eternity. Her arms were tired from having carried so many. Her hands were coarse from having caressed too much. Her voice was broken from having sung so often. Yet she was the living memory of the world. Her eyes had seen everything, since the mists of time. She was called Pausania. Hermes looked at her without saying anything. It was she who lifted up her head and said to him: “Come in, I have been expecting you.”

  Hermes threw himself at her feet. And, without thinking any more, he rested his head on the old woman’s knees. “I beg you, tell me about the birth of the world,” he murmured.

  She laid her furrowed hand on the child’s hair and asked him: “Are you quite sure that you wish to know all this, little one? It is a story where the forces of evil and of good fight against each other. A story from which one comes out transformed…”

  Hermes shivered. “Yes, I do wish to know,” he breathed.

  The old woman gave him a faint smile. She raised her hand and made a strange gesture, as though to cast a spell on Hermes, who was at her feet. He sank immediately into a deep slumber. “Since you have wished it so hard,” muttered the old woman, “you yourself will witness the birth of the world.”

  To be continued…

  EPISODE 9

  IN WHICH HERMES WITNESS ES THE BIRTH OF THE WORLD

  Previously: Pausania, the oldest of the nurses of the babies of the gods, has agreed to reveal to Hermes the origin of all things. Here he is projected into the past, ready to witness the birth of the world.

  When Hermes opened his eyes, everything was darkness, a profound darkness. There wasn’t the faintest glimmer of light. He did not know where he was. He could hear nothing, nothing except an immense silence. The young god was floating in an endless vacuum. He could feel strange movements around him, as though some form of matter were stirring in silence. As though forces were growing restless in this emptiness where he found himself.

  “You are inside Chaos,” a voice breathed in his ear. It was the voice of Pausania. She reassured Hermes: “You see, in the beginning there was nothing at all. Nothing except a gaping hole—Chaos. And then, all of a sudden, we do not know how, or why, goddess Earth emerged from the Chaos. Look! She is called Gaia.”

  At last, something stable and solid had just been born out of this vertiginous black hole. Gaia, streaming with light, was offering herself up as the solid surface of the world. Hermes could not take his eyes off her, dazzled by this apparition. He felt protected, he felt safe, exactly as when he was still in his mother’s arms. Part of Gaia still remained plunged inside Chaos, yet the rest lifted itself upwards. She was the goddess of the earth, the mother of all things in the universe. Henceforth, all beings would have a place where they could put down their feet. She stretched herself gracefully. And it was at that moment that another god appeared above her.

  “This is Uranus,” breathed the voice of Pausania in Hermes’ ear. “He is the sky!” Uranus looked powerful and protecting. Hermes saw him lie down just above Gaia, covering her entirely, like a lid. Uranus had just attached the sky for ever above the earth.

  Hermes murmured: “But this earth and this sky are still empty, they do not resemble at all the earth and the sky as I know them!”

  Pausania broke into a little laugh: “How impatient you are!” she replied. “We are still only at the beginning of the story… There is still someone very essential missing…”

  Utterly absorbed as he was by the marvels taking place under his eyes, Hermes had not noticed the presence of another figure, who had also come out of Chaos just after Gaia. This was a very old man with a long white beard. Two silver wings were attached to his back. He was sitting very close to Hermes, and was watching fondly the meeting between Gaia-Earth and Uranus-Sky.

  “How beautiful it is…” he said all of a sudden. These words made Hermes jump.

  “But… but… who are you?” asked the young god, discovering his new companion.

  “I am Eros,” replied the old man, “I am the god who brings love. For nothing may be born without love.”

  Eros’ voice was pleasant. The kindness which could be read on the old god’s face inspired trust in Hermes. He looked once more at Gaia and Uranus as they were creating the world. Gaia had just given birth to the mountains, the hills, the valleys and the caves on the earth. Then she had fallen asleep. Leaning tenderly over her, Uranus caused a light, fertile rain to fall. This rain slid in every secret crack of the earth. Instantly, the grass emerged, the trees, the flowers and all of the earth’s plants. The light rain which continued to flow gently on Gaia filled the ponds, the streams, the rivers, then the oceans.

  Hermes, eyes glistening with excitement, asked Pausania: “But why did you tell me that the story would be terrible? What I see here is wonderful!”

  “It is after this that it all becomes complicated,” replied the old nurse in a dark tone, “yet you have had the answer to your first question. Now, you must go back home. Come and see me when you have more questions to ask me.”

  To be continued…

  EPISODE 10

  IN WHICH HERMES REALIZES THAT HE IS IMMORTAL

&
nbsp; Previously: Thanks to Pausania, the old nurse of the babies of the gods, Hermes has just witnessed the birth of the world. Now he is returning to Olympus to discover his new life.

  On the way back, Hermes whistled as he looked at the valleys and the hills, the seas and the streams, the fields and the woods that he crossed. The earth was magnificent. Thanks to Pausania, he had seen all these landscapes being born. He loved the earth all the more for it.

  When he was back at the palace of Olympus, Hermes did not see his father Zeus again right away. He had gone off walking on earth, as he was wont to do. He was still not back eight days later. While he waited for him to return, Hermes took the opportunity to discover his new home.

  The first to greet him was Hestia, the goddess of the Hearth and one of the sisters of Zeus. She had neither husband, nor lover, nor child. Her main task was to oversee the smooth running of the palace. Hestia had welcomed Hermes with her customary gentleness. “How tired you look, come and rest, I will lead you to your room,” the goddess had said to him in her sweet voice. And Hermes had instantly taken a liking to her, like everyone in the palace. Hestia, with her round face, her discreet smile, her chubby arms and above all her sweet voice, looked as though she had been born to sing cradle songs. It was by her side that Hermes learnt the habits of the palace of the gods.

  Hermes was rather fond of food, so he began with the palace kitchens. Hestia and the maidservants never said no to him, and readily offered him good things to eat. Yet it was especially around the mysterious fountains that Hermes kept turning. He loved to admire the amber liquid which flowed in great tides in the palace atria. The first time that he had dared slip his finger under the fountain, he brought it hastily to his lips. The taste was exquisite. He glanced about him: no one was looking. And so he plunged both his hands in the fountain and drank avidly in long sips. The beverage poured down his throat like a caress. As though it were a promise fulfilled. Hermes suddenly felt himself invincible. Soon afterwards he noticed that all the gods who lived in the palace served themselves drink from the fountains.

  One day, he was gorging himself on the golden beverage when he noticed a young girl, looking at him enviously as he drank. She was one of Hestia’s maidservants. He beckoned her to approach and come and drink with him. Yet she shook her head to say no, and ran away. Hermes came across the young maidservant several times, several times he offered to share with her the delicious drink, yet she always refused, and would run off without a word.

  “Are you quite happy here, my nephew?” asked gentle Hestia one day. “Do you have everything you need?”

  “Yes, aunt, thank you,” replied Hermes. “But I would like you to explain to me what this strange beverage is, which flows from every fountain in the palace. And why your maidservants refuse to dip their lips in it.”

  A smile lit up the goddess’ face. “You speak of our precious nectar. It is reserved for the gods alone; this is why my maidservants cannot taste it. It is the drink which renders us immortal.”

  Immortal? So then the gods themselves never died? Hermes was left speechless. And so he, Hermes, would never die either?

  To be continued…

  EPISODE 11

  IN WHICH HERMES DISCOVERS THAT HE CAN FLY

  Previously: Hermes has made an astounding discovery: the gods never die, thanks to nectar, the drink of immortality which flows in the palace of Olympus. He is waiting for Zeus’ return, so that he can find out what his fate will be.

  Zeus came back on the morning of the ninth day. He immediately summoned Hermes to his apartments.

  “Good morning, my son,” said Zeus, “how do you feel in your new house?”

  “Well, father, very well, but I missed you,” murmured Hermes.

  Zeus was taken aback and he was moved. Nobody spoke to him with familiarity, except his wife Hera. And no one ever seemed to be waiting for him to come back. The gods and goddesses were only too happy to manage without him on Olympus. Truth be told, the great Zeus felt very much alone here. He liked Hermes’ tenderness.

  “You are not too bored?” he asked again.

  Hermes looked deep into his father’s eyes: “To tell the truth, I find it difficult to stay in one place. Everything is wonderful here, but I would like to discover the wide world.” Then he lowered his eyes and added: “And I would really like to be useful for something.” Zeus was enchanted by the words of his youngest son. He suddenly had an idea.

  Zeus leapt to his feet, rummaged through the contents of a chest and pulled out two golden objects which gleamed under the light. There was a flat hat, with small golden wings on each side, and a pair of sandals, also with little wings of gold. He held them out to Hermes.

  “Wear this hat, put on these sandals, my son, and you will be able to go freely wherever you like.” Zeus was thrilled with the boy’s look of utter wonder. He went on: “I would like you to carry the messages that I need to have delivered everywhere in the universe. How would you like to be my messenger?” Zeus usually issued orders; he never asked for anyone’s opinion. But he did not wish to force anything upon this prancing youngster. By way of an answer, Hermes fell on Zeus’ neck, and placed a sonorous kiss on his father’s cheek. Zeus was taken aback. He was secretly thrilled, but he did not wish to show it too much: “Good, good, now calm down, my son, calm down,” he said in a voice which was meant to sound strict. “As of this moment, you must be available to carry all my messages, no matter where to, at any given moment, understood? Now leave me. But come again later and join me at five, at the small postern of the palace.”

  Skipping out of the room, Hermes discovered with delight that his new hat and his new sandals allowed him to take giant strides. He began to run laughing up and down the corridors of the palace at top speed. He was having so much fun hurtling down the staircases and speeding from floor to floor that he did not see a door open in front of him. It was still early in the morning, but Hestia was in a hurry. She was going to fill all the house lamps and was carrying for that purpose a great amphora full of oil. Arriving too fast, Hermes was unable to avoid the goddess, and he crashed into her. Taken by surprise, Hestia let her amphora drop. The vase smashed on the floor, and all the oil spread everywhere! Slipping on the oil, Hermes could no longer stop himself. At the end of the corridor there was a small balcony overlooking the valley. Unable to check his momentum, the boy stumbled into the void. Hestia and her maidservants screamed out loud and rushed to see what had happened.

  As he was thrown out into the void, Hermes did not have time to feel his fall. A sudden sense of lightness took hold of him. The golden wings of his hat and sandals had begun to flap, causing him to rise gracefully in the air instead of falling down. “But… but… I am flying! I am flying!” he shouted. And he began to turn somersaults in the sky, while the women on the balcony applauded. Hermes would soon become the king of aerobatics in the sky. Yet, as he let himself be carried off by the wind, he tried somewhat anxiously to guess what would happen at five, the time of his appointment with his father.

  To be continued…

  EPISODE 12

  IN WHICH HERMES UNDERSTANDS THE ORIGIN OF DAY AND NIGHT

  Previously: Zeus has asked Hermes to become his messenger. He has offered him a winged hat and sandals, and Hermes has discovered that he can fly!

  At five, Hermes waited for his father at the postern gate of Olympus. That small door allowed one to leave the mountain without being seen by the palace inhabitants. When Zeus arrived, he was dressed as a simple wayfarer. Without his royal vestments, and above all without his thunderbolt, the king of the gods seemed less impressive. He put his arm around his son’s shoulders, and they descended Olympus together. Hermes understood then that Zeus had not only chosen him to carry his messages across the universe, but also as his travelling companion, and this gave him immense pleasure. He began right away to tell him about thousands and thousands of things, and above all to ask him questions concerning everything that surrounded them. Zeus was amused by
this endless curiosity, and he could not stop laughing at the young god’s jokes.

  Little by little, the light became weaker, and the glimmers of a magnificent sunset turned the sky red. Hermes stopped talking at last, in order to admire the sight. Then he knitted his eyebrows and murmured:

  “But if you are with me at this moment, then it isn’t you who commands the sun to set?”

  His father replied: “I have entrusted this task to Helios. Follow me, the time is right, I will introduce you to him.”

  While they had been walking, Zeus and Hermes had reached the ocean’s shore. Zeus pointed with his finger to a milky-white palace on the horizon. This palace seemed to stand on a golden cup floating on the surface of the sea. They approached. And the more they approached, the more dazzling the palace looked. It was so luminous that Hermes was blinded by it. They were about to enter when a blazing chariot drawn by four white horses descended from the sky. The sun was placed at the back of the chariot, and the charioteer was Helios. He held himself up perfectly straight, and he cracked his whip high in the air above the heads of his team of horses. Hermes thought he was quite magnificent. When the sun god crossed the gate of his palace, he met with another chariot, which was leaving it. This one was silver-coloured, and drawn by four black horses. At the back of the chariot was placed the moon. “This is Selene, the sister of Helios and goddess of the Moon. She is beautiful, isn’t she?” murmured Zeus in Hermes’ ear. The pale, long-limbed young woman had a serene and melancholy face. The chariot of Selene began to rise in the heavens. It was going to travel across the sky throughout the entire night. “You have not seen the most beautiful one yet, wait, I will introduce you to her,” whispered Zeus to Hermes once more.