Legend of in his splendid car drawn by a seven-headed horse; and his similarity to the Greek system is seen in the following invocation from the Sanscrit, by Sir W. Jones : But oh! what pencil of a living star In which, as in an ark supremely bright, Ascending calm o'er the empyrean sails, The accompanying cut, of which the original was discovered at Portici, gives a spirited idea both of the Greek and Roman conception of this important divinity. In the "Legends of Heroes" he plays an important part, particularly in the siege of Troy. THE LEGEND OF HERMES. Notwithstanding the national veneration of the Greeks for their divinities, just in proportion as they were a people of quick feelings, just so they scrupled not to enjoy heartily any ludicrous trait of character, national or divine. Hence, while the deepest veneration accompanied their ideas of Zeus and Apollo, they freely amused themselves with the trickish knavery and ingenious qualifications of HERMES. Appropriate In fact, it was the appropriate business of the admiring hymnographer duties of the to place the god in that very point of view which would best display his most distinguishing characteristics. In accordance with this feeling, the minstrel of Delos speaks out freely, and sings of Hermes with all the jovial carelessness of good-fellowship subsisting between the sportive deity and mankind. After invoking the Muse, and giving the usual genealogy, the poet merrily leads off the juggling adventures of this smooth-tongued and acquisitive god by a very comprehensive though rapid summary of his accomplishments: hymnographer. Mercurial accomplishments of the deity. Meets a tortoise. Born with the dawn, at mid-day perfect harper, One of the first specimens of his ingenuity and casuistry was his turning to a musical purpose a tortoise which he met on the threshold. No sooner had the acquisitive son of Zeus, the patron god of luck, set eyes upon the animal, than, considering its appearance as a token of good fortune, he exclaimed, smiling, Hail thou charming creature, hail 1 Ηῷος γεγονώς, μέσῳ ἤματι ἐγκιθάριζεν, Whence, thou toy of fair delight, Nor scorn thee, first of luck to come ! 92 musical This was followed up by the consoling casuistry that " a dead tor- Makes a toise, made musical, was preferable to a live one that was dumb." instrument His ingenious musical discovery proves a splendid invention, and it is of its shell. now duly deposited in his cradle. But scarcely had the sun descended, when the gifted rogue, full of deep subtlety, plans a nocturnal raid upon the cattle of Apollo: Now sank the sun to ocean o'er the earth, Meanwhile the shady heights Apollo, in the mean time, by virtue of his prophetic powers, discovers 1 In spite of this direct charge, the child with stubborn effrontery * Hom. Hymn, Herm. 37, 38. 3 Ηελίος μὲν ἔδυνε καταχθονὸς Ωκεανόνδὲ *Ενθα θεῶν μακαρῶν βόες ἄμβροτοι αὖλιν ἔχεσκον, Carries off the oxen of Apollo. Is visited and threatened by Apollo. disclose the hiding-place in which he has deposited the cattle. Shortly after this occurrence, Apollo is so deeply fascinated with the lyre of Exchange of Hermes, and so eager to possess it, that he readily pardons the malgifts under the sanction versation of the young lyrist, and is desirous of gaining his friendship. Hermes now surrenders to Apollo the lyre, and receives in exchange of Zeus. Frank Homeric character of Hermes. Main points in the character of Hermes. the golden rod of wealth, the sovereignty over flocks and herds, and the guardianship of the woodland tribes. Zeus approves of and sanctions the arrangement. But the keen, bargainstriking divinity is not forgetful of his own interests, for he strives hard to obtain from Apollo the gift of prophecy. The latter is specially pledged never to grant that high function to any deity whatever. Notwithstanding, he creates Hermes the messenger of the gods to Hades. So little confidence has Apollo in Hermes, that he is still apprehensive that this keenwitted deity may steal the lyre from him. Accordingly, he binds Hermes with a solemn oath by the infernal Styx never to pilfer his property nor invade his sanctuary. In return, Apollo gives a sacred promise to hold none dearer to himself, amongst gods or men, than Hermēs. The Homeric lyrist then sums up the results of these countermovements and interchanges of gifts, by observing frankly upon the character of Hermes : Thus Maia's son Apollo loved, With favour marked, and Zeus approved, And so midst men and gods he roved; But little good does he: For, in the darkling shades of night This is the most ancient continuous description we possess of Hermes; and his main distinctions are his bargaining, juggling, and inventive traits, dashed off by the poet with mingled honesty and archness. The author of the Iliad has not failed to specify, amongst 1 Οὕτω Μαιάδος υἱὸν ἄναξ ἐφίλησεν ̓Απόλλων Παῦρα μὲν οὖν ὀνίνηση, τὸ δ ̓ ἄκριτον ἠπεροπεύει Hom. Hymn, Herm, 574-578. other offices of Hermes, these prime qualities.' It is important to note the most ancient genealogy, which is to be found, not in the hymnographer just quoted, but in his predecessor, the author of the Odyssey. tendencies. We have here demonstrated to us clearly the influence of that kindred Etymolospirit of etymologizing which ranges throughout the Hindoo and gizing Grecian epic, upon which we shall often have occasion to remark, a spirit arising from the easy flexibility of those cognate dialects, and creating a similar taste in the poets of both nations.3 99 66 vocable; Hermes is said by Homer to be the son of Maia, and never did tradition better preserve an appropriate title, distinctive at once of mythologic source and the characteristic of the god. Maya is a Maya, an Sanscrit term, signifying "illusion," "a trick," a juggler;" and Indian when Hermes is said to be the son of Maia, or, in other words, the its force. son of Illusion, it is nothing more than the usual oriental personification of that quality. The identity of the Hindoo with the early Greek mythology, will be evident when the reader recollects that Maya was the wife of Brahma. neous immortal race. Hermes, like Apollo, burst at once into the full vigour of his deity; Instantathere is, in either case, little or no intermediate process. Here, again, perfection we have the Indian epic model, where the divinities (as, again, in the of the case of Pallas Minerva) spring at once to the maturity of their functions; in both cases the progenitor is divine, and his offspring participates in his nature. This is the doctrinal side of the myth, stamped by tradition on the Hellenic mind, but received with the implicit belief of personality. The case is altered in the heroic legend. There the hero, Heroic gifts partaking more fully of the human essence, gradually expands into gradual. maturity. Heraclēs, however mighty in the cradle, goes through the ordinary process of increasing growth and vigour. The first is of purely mental, the second of physical mould; the first is the Indian, the second the Hellenic type. 5 teristics of Hermés. In addition to the characteristics of Hermes laid down by the hymn Other characjust quoted, he is the herald of the gods and the patron of eloquence; is the author of various inventions, as the syrinx, the alphabet, astronomy, music, and gymnastics; is the escort of the shades; and so 1 II. v. 390; xxiv. 24. 2 Odys. viii, 335; xiv. 435; xxiv. 1. 'Why "Let Brahma purposed to create a son who should be like himself. A youth of purple complexion appeared crying with a weak cry and running about. weepest thou?" said Brahma. "Give me a name," answered the youth. Rudra be thy name." (From "Rūd" to cry, and "Drū” to run). Thus the son of the time being, i.e. a flatterer or sycophant. -Ibn zaka, the Child of the Sun, i.e. Aurora, or the Dawn.-Ibn al inab, the Son of the Grape, i.e. Wine. And so of the relative term "Father." Thus, Abū 'l Malih, the Father of the Charming, i.e. the Lark, ; the Father of Desires, i.e. a Lover. 6 $ II. iv. 193; vii. 279. Typical promise of Hermes. versatile are his talents, that he tries his hand as cupbearer and charioteer.' The promise given by Hermes to Apollo to respect his sanctuary at Delphi, seems typical of that caution with which the thief, singlehanded, ever abstained from laying pilfering hands upon the treasures of Apollo; which, though sometimes plundered, were seized by a powerful force. Poseidon. Rank of Position of his palace. THE LEGEND OF POSEIDON. Second in power to Zeus alone was POSEIDON, the mighty Enosichthōn, or "Shaker of the Earth." By his imperial consort, Amphitrītē, he had three children, and by other divinities and nymphs of mortal birth a numerous progeny, the greater proportion men of heroic mould and of vast corporeal powers. Perhaps the most prominent individual of this race is the gigantic cyclops Polyphemus, whose portrait is so vigorously drawn by Homer, and whose sufferings at the hand of Odysseus, his father so bitterly avenged. In the most ancient poems, Poseidon is described as being equal in dignity to Zeus, though inferior in power to the mighty Thunderer. Notwithstanding, Poseidon scruples not occasionally to utter threats against his lordly brother; and on one occasion we find him uniting in the grand conspiracy of the gods and goddesses to bind and overthrow the sovereign of the skies. Egæ, in Euboea, claimed the poetic dignity of providing a 1 Hom. Odys. i. 143; Il. xxiv. 178, 140. For the whole range of his offices the reader is referred to the classical writers, or a complete system of mythology. Valuable figured illustrations will be found in Hirt's Mythol. Bild. 2 Triton, Rhode, and Benthesicumē. Hes. Theog. 230. The Cyclops, like the Hecatoncheires, are well typified in the Indian system. |