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Possibly the busiest of all the gods in any pantheon, Hermes is definitely the standout character in history. Although not as popular as the hero-gods such as Thor, Hercules, or Gilgamesh, his legends are much richer than any other.
Where to start? Many spurious myths are associated with him, most irreconcilable with one another, but I'll try.

HERMES TRISMEGISTUS

The oldest traditions assert that Hermes began life as a mortal man. During his life he acquired all the knowledge as was possible (both spiritual and practical). He is credited as being the first monotheist (believing in only ONE god), inventor of medicines,musical instruments,writer of a tremendous library, and with being the wisest and most respected man on earth. So widely revered was he, he became deified after death. As this persona, he is believed to be synonymous with the biblical patriarch Enoch.

HERMES MERCURIOUS
After being deified, he became the messenger of Zeus. With winged cap and sandals, he was able to traverse between Olympus, Earth, and the Underworld (something only two others were able to do; Hades and Persephone). The obvious parallel here is with the already existing legends concerning Mercury. More than just a messenger, however, Hermes was also the patron god of commerce, sports, and wisdom (among other attributes).

THOTH
In yet later times, Hermes became associated with the Egyptian deity. As such, he is a patron of learning and divination(the voice and mind of Ra). Aleister Crowley asserted that this Hermes/Thoth created the Tarot, Numerology, and other (or all) forms of occultic prescience. Edgar Cayce claimed him to be one of the Atlantean masters. Some modern practitioners assert that he founded various Hermetic cults; the predecessors of the Illuminati, Rosicrucians, and the Masonic lodge. The emerald tablet allegedly inscribed by him contains the oft quoted "as above so below", a slogan used by many other alternative religious cults.

Whew! A lot more legends, fables, and myths surround this mysterious man/god, far too many to include here (unless I was planning on writing a 400 page helium topic). Regardless, I find him to be almost the ultimate enigmatic figure in myth or history. Worthy of much further study. Perhaps this article will pique your curiosity and you may want to study further yourself.

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