The Adventures of Hermes, God of Thieves

by Murielle Szac

  An image appeared at the bottom of the water, blurry at first, then getting more and more focused. It was the image of a woman leaning over a child’s bed. The woman was tenderly singing a lullaby. She was caressing the child’s head softly. As the child turned around, Hermes discovered his face. He was a very ugly yet smiling creature. His eyes looked lovingly at the woman who was rocking him to sleep.

  “Now you must sleep, Hephaestus my love,” said the woman.

  “Good night, Thetis!” replied the child, closing his eyes.

  “You are a gift from heaven to me, my baby,” said Thetis. “You did well to fall into the sea right next to my cave, my heart.”

  And she kissed him. Hermes observed closely the place where Thetis and Hephaestus were, and he understood that it was an underwater cave.

  Thetis murmured: “I will take care of you until you no longer have need of me.” Then the image dissolved.

  Hermes lifted up his head again and his brow was no longer wrinkled with worry. “Hephaestus will be saved,” he told Pausania. “And he will even be loved.” The old woman merely smiled. She knew everything.

  Hermes now felt reassured regarding his brother’s future, but he was still left with a great question in his mind. How was such violence possible? What had happened then, after the birth of the world, for violence to be born? He beseeched Pausania to reveal to him the origin of violence. For the first time, Pausania hesitated. Then she agreed, saying: “Hermes, you are going to witness the first drama in the history of the world. Others have followed since. Yet this one is the beginning of everything. Be wary.” The young god laid his head on the nurse’s lap and closed his eyes.

  When he reopened his eyes he was lying on a mound, on the bare earth. He could hear voices. He did not budge and he waited. The voices became more distinct. One, gentle and feminine, trembled with sustained anger:

  “Why do you prevent them from seeing the light of day? Why do you prevent them from living in the light?”

  The other voice, deep and masculine, replied, also with irritation: “That’s enough! These children are monsters! They must stay prisoners underground.”

  Hermes understood that he was witnessing a discussion between Gaia and Uranus, between the earth and the sky who covered her entirely. Gaia was sighing: “You are unfair! The Cyclopes and the hundred-handed Giants are monsters, but not our other twelve children, the Titans and their sisters the Titanides. And yet you condemn them too to be stifled underground, inside me, since they have no space between you and me to see the light.” Uranus did not answer. Suddenly she shouted at him: “The truth is that you are afraid of them, afraid that they might take your place! That’s why you will not allow them to exist! But they will avenge themselves, Uranus. You cannot eternally prevent my children from seeing the light!” After this terrible threat, Hermes heard nothing more. He remained for a long moment with his face against the ground, then, tired as he was, he fell asleep.

  That night, in the depths of the earth, there where the children of the earth and of the sky were being retained, a voice whispered in the ear of one of the sleeping Titans: “Oceanus, Oceanus, my son, you cannot remain imprisoned like this. You must rebel against your father.” Oceanus, however, did not reply. The voice murmured next in the ear of a sleeping Titanide: “Thetis, Thetis, my daughter, you cannot remain imprisoned like this. You must rebel against your father.” But Thetis merely shook her head and went back to sleep. Gaia, for it was she of course, spoke in this manner to seven Titanides and to six Titans. They all refused to rebel against their father. There was only her last-born left for her to question, the Titan Cronus. “Cronus, Cronus, my son, you cannot remain imprisoned like this. You must rebel against your father,” she breathed in his ear.

  Cronus opened his eyes and replied: “I am here, mother. What must I do?”

  To be continued…

  EPISODE 17

  IN WHICH HERMES WITNESSES THE WORLD’S FIRST CRIME

  Previously: In order to find out the origin of violence, Hermes has gone back to the time when the world was born. He discovers a conspiracy against Uranus.

  On the earth’s surface, a paling moon lightened up the darkness. Hermes, lying on the grass, had heard the entire conversation between Gaia and her children. Now he listened to the noises of the night and held his breath. He did not sleep; he waited. Suddenly, a great scream tore through the night. A terrible scream. The scream of a wounded god. That of Uranus, being attacked by his own son, Cronus. In order to come out from under his mother, Cronus, armed with a sickle made of stone, had just separated Gaia from Uranus. The lid which spread over the earth was thus lifted. The children of Gaia and Uranus were going to be able to exist. For an instant, a deep darkness settled over everything. The stars and the moon became extinguished. Hermes could no longer see a thing. Then the stars and the moon began to shine once more. The sky had gone to affix himself for ever above the earth, but far, very far away from her. Uranus would never again be able to rejoin Gaia. There was now a space between them. Living beings would be able to exist within that space, with the earth under their feet and the sky above their heads.

  Other screams had answered Uranus’ scream, screams of triumph this time. The liberated Titans were hailing Cronus, the new king of the world. Thanks to him, they were finally able to see the day. Hermes could not refrain from shuddering. He had just witnessed the first drama in the history of the world. That night seemed endless to Hermes. He could hear the noise of the joyful feast held by the children of Uranus, celebrating their liberation. He could hear for a long time their laughter and their shouts of joy. Then the uproar ceased. Everyone must have gone to sleep. Cronus was getting ready to spend his first night of triumph—he had taken his father’s place. Yet he was not going to be able to sleep at all.

  Hermes had lit a fire to warm himself up in this world turned cold by the crime which had just been committed. At that very instant, three shadows emerged out of the darkness. They each carried a flaming torch. Wrapped in their long black wings, they glared hard at Hermes, looked at one another without a word, and shook their heads. No, this wasn’t the one they were looking for. A gust of wind made their hoods slip off, and uncovered their faces. On their heads, vipers writhed in every direction. And their eyes shed tears of blood.

  “I am called Megaera,” said one of them.

  “And I am Alecto,” said another.

  “My name is Tisiphone,” concluded the third.

  “We are the Erinyes. We were born of the blood of Uranus. We are looking for Cronus,” they said all at the same time.

  “I do not know where he might be,” stammered Hermes. The three Erinyes nodded to him, then without a word they faded away into the distance. Nothing remained of their passage except an insufferable stench. Hermes decided to follow them from afar.

  Cronus had just lain down. He had barely closed his eyes when a revolting smell invaded his room. Voices murmured in his ear: “Cronus! Cronus! You have dared to attack your father! Such a crime shall not remain unpunished! We are here to avenge him.” The Titan leapt onto his feet, seized his sword and began thrashing about all around him. Yet there was no one there. He calmed himself down immediately and lay down once more, thinking that he must have fallen prey to a bad dream. He had barely closed his eyes again when the voices whispered in his ear: “Cronus! Cronus! You have committed the greatest crime of all! You are accursed! And you shall be killed by your own child!” Wild with fury, the king of the world sprang up again. He just had time enough to see three shadows disappearing, their faces contorted by grimaces, their heads swarming with hissing serpents. He woke everyone up, demanded that dozens of torches be lit and that every place be thoroughly searched. Yet the three shadows had vanished for good. Exhausted and anxious, Cronus lay down once more. He had barely closed his eyes when the voices returned: “Cronus! Cronus! Your crime is immense. We shall never leave you in peace!” Cronus was beating the air with his hands to chase away the three Eri
nyes. Losing all control of his senses, the Titan began to scratch his own face.

  Dawn arrived, and Cronus had not been able to get even a moment’s sleep. The Erinyes vanished with the first rays of the sun. Yet from then on they returned every night to remind Cronus of his horrible crime.

  During that night, Hermes had seen the birth of crime and the coming into being of vengeance. The approaching dawn, however, had yet another discovery in store for him.

  To be continued…

  EPISODE 18

  WHICH SEES BEAUTY BEING BORN

  Previously: Hermes, transported back to the first nights after the creation of the world, has just witnessed the first crime. He has seen violence and revenge being born.

  Once the Erinyes had vanished with the first rays of the sun, Hermes felt some peace returning to this still-early world. He looked about him and saw that he was on a precipice overlooking the sea. He decided to go and explore his surroundings, in order to stretch his legs a bit. This is how he came to a shore of perfect tranquillity. It was a world still pure and limpid. The white, soft sand made him want to take off his sandals. The water was calm. Hermes was skipping along the fringes of the white sea-foam, now with one leg in the water, now with one leg on the shore, when a tiny ripple travelled across the surface of the sea. He raised his head, looked and was left speechless with astonishment by what he saw appear. An enormous seashell emerged from the waves and headed slowly towards the shore. This seashell was so big that one might have thought it was a boat—an oarless boat, however, advancing simply by gliding on the water, as though carried by the waves. And riding astride this seashell was a woman of incredible beauty. Never had the earth seen anything as beautiful as this. The woman was naked, merely enveloped by her long hair, which was strewn with violets and which danced around her, forming a soft coat. Her skin was milky white. Her eyes sparkled like precious stones. And while she was approaching the shore, a host of animals began to follow her. Fish, sea turtles, but also numerous birds, who had rushed from the earth, accompanied her. Dolphins swam ahead of her, forming a queenly procession. The waves laughed as they looked at her. A crown of white sea spray framed her boat.

  Before long the goddess—for it could only be a goddess—reached the shore. She first took a long piece of cloth handed to her by doves, and wrapped herself with it before descending from her seashell. Then she caught a wide golden belt carried by sparrows and she tied it around her waist. Once dressed in this way, she set foot on the shore. She yawned, stretched herself gracefully and suddenly became aware of Hermes’ presence. “Good morning,” she said, “what do you think of me?” Hermes, completely dazzled by this apparition, could no longer speak a single word. After some moments of silence the beautiful woman spoke again: “I am called Aphrodite. I was born from a drop of blood which fell tonight into the sea. It was the blood of Uranus, the god of the Sky. I am the goddess of Beauty.” Once she had introduced herself in this manner, Hermes remembered that he had already come across this goddess once or twice in the palace of Olympus. Yet he had never spoken to her. She was said to be capricious and terribly vain. She wore a belt which had the power to make all men fall in love with her. “If you go near her, you will fall into the snare of her beauty, and you will never be able to escape from it. Beware!” his aunt Hestia had advised him. Hermes, however, could not understand at all why he had to stay away from her. In witnessing the birth of Aphrodite, Hermes had just discovered beauty. “How strange,” he told himself as he was admiring Aphrodite, “the Erinyes, those horrid creatures of revenge, were born of Uranus’ blood, and so was beauty…” Since the young man continued to remain silent as he contemplated her, Aphrodite pursed her lips in a disappointed pout and turned her back to him. She headed towards her seashell once more, which was still surrounded by a host of doves and sparrows. The goddess walked as though she were dancing. Flowers sprang up from the sand under her every step. She remounted her seashell and went away on the waves. Seeing her leave, the young god murmured simply “farewell”. Yet he decided to go back right away to the palace—for he was eager to see the goddess of Beauty again, and as soon as possible.

  To be continued…

  EPISODE 19

  IN WHICH HERMES FORMS A FRIENDSHIP WITH HIS SISTER ARTEMIS

  Previously: Hermes has witnessed the birth of Aphrodite, the goddess of Beauty. He returns to Olympus really hoping to meet her there.

  Hermes thanked Pausania for this journey into the past, and again took the way back to Olympus. While going through a dense wood, he heard a groan. The young god left the beaten trail and went under the trees. Letting himself be guided by the moans he could hear, Hermes went far into the undergrowth until he came before a great pit. A little fawn had fallen down to the bottom of this pit. The animal was undoubtedly too weak or had been wounded in its fall, for it could not manage to get out of this trap alone. And its forces were waning.

  At once, Hermes let himself slide down the pit. The fawn trembled as it watched him approach. But Hermes stroked its muzzle with his fingertips, and this gesture calmed the fawn’s fear. He took the animal into his arms and got out of the pit as best he could. Once at the top, he heard a great commotion. There were dogs barking, horses stampeding. Hermes hid in the shadows with the fawn held tight against his heart. A company of riders emerged from the clearing and Apollo was at their lead. The god dismounted and approached the trap which had been dug in the ground. “Look! The trap worked but the animal has escaped! A curse on him who helped it!” he exclaimed. Then he reined up again and went off hunting farther away.

  The clearing became silent once more. Hermes was doubly satisfied: he had saved the little fawn and he had played a trick at Apollo’s expense. He came out of the undergrowth and set the fawn down gently on the grass. He was getting ready to treat its wounds when an arrowhead planted itself at his feet. Hermes jumped up, startled, searching with his eyes for the person who was attacking him in this way. Yet he saw no one. “Who are you? What do you want of me?” he cried. A rain of arrows was the only answer to his question, coming crashing down in a circle around him. Yet none of them seemed to have been shot to wound him. “Come on, then, reveal yourselves! It’s not really brave to attack someone who is not even armed!” shouted Hermes again.

  At that, a figure emerged from the shadows. Hermes had not expected quite this sort of apparition. Instead of a formidable warrior, as he had imagined, it was a frail young woman who was now walking towards him. She was wearing a short tunic held in place by a belt, and sandals strapped high up on the calf. She wore her hair up. Her face was pale and sad. She held in her hand a silver bow, and the quiver of arrows on her back was silver as well. As soon as she was just a few paces away from him, Hermes recognized her. He had already come across her in the corridors of Olympus, without ever having spoken to her. It was Artemis, the goddess of Hunting, the twin sister of Apollo. Secretive and silent, she lived among the animals and nature. She was their protectress. Artemis never smiled.

  “Good morning, sister,” Hermes said right away. “Why do you shoot all those arrows at me?”

  Artemis did not answer his question. She too had just recognized the little messenger for who he was. She asked him drily:

  “What have you done to this poor fawn?”

  “I? I have merely saved its life, that’s all!” Hermes exclaimed, as though this were a performance on a stage.

  Hermes’ tone and theatrical gestures amused Artemis. She broke into a tiny laugh, a silver-bell laugh. It was so rare to hear this goddess laugh that Artemis’ attendants rushed instantly to her side. They were all of them delighted at this sudden gaiety of their goddess. At that instant, a great and beautiful doe came out of the undergrowth. The doe hastened towards the fawn and licked its muzzle. The doe looked at Hermes with gratitude. He had saved the life of her little one. This doe never left Artemis’ side. She was her favourite companion. From that day on, the untameable Artemis would feel a deep friendship for Hermes. They r
eturned to Olympus together. Hermes looked at Artemis and he thought that she too had great beauty. “She is not as beautiful as Aphrodite,” he thought, “but there is nothing wrong with her. And yet she always seems so sad, as though she were carrying some wound inside her for all eternity.” Hermes swore to himself that he would discover the secret hiding behind his sister’s sadness.

  To be continued…

  EPISODE 20

  IN WHICH ARTEMIS REFUSES TO PROTECT HERA’S NEW BABY

  Previously: Hermes has just met his sister Artemis, the goddess of Hunting, protectress of animals. He now has a new ally.

  The days went by on Mount Olympus. Hermes was becoming more and more close to his sister Artemis. They would often get together in the evening on one of the terraces of the palace. The young god would huddle next to her and would tell her about his day’s adventures. Artemis smelt the good smell of the tree leaves and of the undergrowth moss. Hermes loved to breathe in those perfumes. Sometimes, another smell, quite a different one, would mix in with the wild scents of the woods and meadows. A fragrance of honey and milk, to which was added a strange, tangy smell. A smell both sweet and pungent, which made Hermes want to laugh and to cry. Those were the days of birth-giving.