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Hey everyone, welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy.
My name's Thomas, and it's my honor to be your host.
The next god in our series on the Olympians is the very inspiration for the word mercurial.
Hermes is the quick-witted silver-tongued, fleet-footed god of wit, cunning speed travelers thieves, roads and shepherds.
In his human descendants, we get such heroes and villains as Odysseus, Autolycus, and Myrtilus.
He is so much more than the messenger of the gods.
His divine life is studded with remarkable feats and events.
But tonight, we'll witness the very first ones.
Barely a few hours old, this young god establishes himself as worthy of the title of Olympian.
Thank you once again to Frankie for writing this series, which I have the pleasure of narrating for you all.
Before we are whisked away with the Quicksilver God, we must take the time to prepare ourselves.
Align your body so that every part of you is comfortable and relaxed.
Make those adjustments that will allow you to sleep deeply and soundly.
As you prepare for rest, turn your attention to your breathing.
Notice the rhythm of your body as you breathe in and out.
Start to ever so slightly lengthen and deepen your breath.
Work your way towards filling your lungs and then emptying them in long, sustained breaths.
This practice lowers your heart rate and tells your body that the time for sleep is approaching.
Take this time to connect your mind and body.
Notice the sensations you feel as you breathe.
Your diaphragm expands and retracts.
In turn, your muscles relax.
You are embraced by the peacefulness of the night and the pure comfort of your bed.
In your mind's eye, there is nothing but the still darkness.
Then, you notice a flash.
Not even a flash, perhaps.
It's more like a glimmer.
A sparkling silver slice through the darkness.
It happens again.
The sign of Mercury, of Quicksilver, of the god that is speed itself.
Let's travel back to ancient Greece and witness the origins of this most impressive deity.
This is where our story begins.
Maya sits in her mountain cave and gently rubs the surface of her pregnant belly.
She is one of seven sisters known as the Pleiades, the lovely daughters of the titan Atreus.
It is her destiny to be set amongst the heavens as a seven-star constellation with her sisters.
But that comes much later, when the age of man has overcome the age of myth.
For now, she is simply a beautiful mountain nymph, an oriat.
She awaits the arrival of her child.
In this cave, she calls home.
Found halfway up Mount Cyllene, this cave is no rude chasm in the rock.
The ground is carpeted with soft moss.
Across the walls grow lichen and bioluminescent mushrooms in delicate designs.
At the back is a freshwater spring.
It is a haven amidst the forested sides of the mountains.
Maya, like her sisters, is normally a companion of the goddess Artemis.
For years she has spent her days running through the forests with the others, as light and silent, as a herd of deer.
Every night, they sleep under the groves of willow trees, with the soft earth as their bed.
But now, Maya is about to enter a new phase in her life.
Artemis, as a goddess of childbirth, has attended Maya for months, helping her prepare for the new arrival.
Maya suspects that part of her friend's attentiveness is also due to the fact that the child will be a new sibling for her.
Yet the two friends have kept the pregnancy a secret, wanting to create a calm and peaceful environment for the birth.
If everyone else knew there was to be another little god or goddess born Maya would have no rest from visitors.
Maya stops rubbing her belly and calls to Artemis.
It is time.
Artemis helps her friend through the entire process and, in the end, Maya holds a beautiful baby boy.
Within minutes of his arrival, his eyes are open, and he is inspecting his mother's face eagerly.
They wash him in the fresh spring, and wrap him in blankets of lamb's wool.
Artemis bustles around the cave while Maya stares down at the little god in her arms.
She has never felt such a swell of love and contentment in her life.
Maya stands and walks to the woven bassinet in the corner of the room, placing her son amongst the soft furs that line it.
She stares down at the baby and names him Hermes.
The baby smiles.
Maya helps Artemis prepare a meal.
The two friends wonder aloud what the baby's special powers will be and how his godhead will reveal itself.
Their chatter is cut short when a tiny child's voice drifts over to them from across the cave.
Maya returns to her son and gasps where, a moment before she put down a newborn, there now sits a toddler.
Still wrapped in the lamb's wool and with the same sparkling eyes.
There is no doubt this is her child.
Little Hermes waves at his mother and asks to be let out from the bassinet in a more precocious manner than any other child before.
Maya does as he requests and sets him down on the floor of the cave.
Under the stunned gaze of his mother and Artemis, Hermes stands unaided and takes his first toddling steps.
He does one or two laps around the cave before turning to the goddesses and telling them, in the matter-of-fact tone of all toddlers, that he is going on a walk.
Maya, as a first-time mother, has the urge to stop him, but she looks to Artemis for advice.
Artemis assures her friend that this is a child of Zeus and he will not come to any harm.
This seems like something they should let him do.
Who knows what kind of adventure the godchild will have.
Maya relents and, like any good mother, wraps her son up in warm clothes before watching him toddle away.
With every step, he seems to become more sure-footed and comfortable with the actions.
It is in this way that Hermes goes into the world a mere few hours after his birth, seeking adventure.
The young god walks all the way from Cyllene in the southwest of Greece, northwest to Thessaly.
His wanderings take him to a large field populated with the most beautiful cows.
They have large, soft brown eyes and silky golden coats.
There are hundreds of them in this pasture, docile and calm.
The young Hermes is drawn to them like a moth to a light.
He runs his hands over their silky sides.
The herd, far from being alarmed by the child, nuzzle him with their satiny muzzles.
Immediately, Hermes decides he must bring them home as a gift for his mother.
As if he's had many decades of practice.
The young god herds the cows together and begins to lead them back the way he came.
He rides in the rear of the herd, on the placid bull's back, giggling with joy.
The return journey is long, but the sun is bright and the child god has endless ways of entertaining himself.
He sings songs, plays make-believe, and talks to the cows.
Every once in a while, they low back at him.
The warmth of the sun and the clear blue sky adds a perfect cap to this day.
The heat of the day is offset by a soft, cool and playful breeze that whispers through the countryside.
On either side of the road stretch golden fields of wild grasses.
They carpet the rolling hills so that the world almost looks as if it's a sea of gold.
Waves ripple here and there with gusts of light wind.
While they plod along, Hermes spots something on the ground near the track.
He makes a few calls, and the herd pauses in their stride, taking this time to munch on grass.
Hermes climbs down from the bull's back and walks over to the object.
It is a mottled, shiny tortoise shell.
The sun reflects off its brown and amber patterns.
The object has sparked Hermes' imagination.
He picks a handful of flexible grass from the side of the road and gets the herd moving once more.
As the cows amble slowly through the countryside, Hermes experiments and plays with the shell.
His mind is alive with the possibilities of making something new.
By the end of the day, as the sun begins to set, Hermes has completed his project.
He uses his new toy to calm the herd and lead them through the night.
The next morning, Maya awakens anxiously.
Her newborn child has been gone for nearly a whole day now.
Artemis tries to calm her with a cup of tea as the sun rises.
Still, Maya can't help but worry.
It's only when the two goddesses hear the gentle lowing of the herd and the footsteps of hundreds of cattle coming up the mountainside that they turn to the cave mouth.
Smiling brightly at his own cleverness.
Hermes leads the cows to the clearing outside the cave and runs up to his mother.
Though the child that walked away yesterday looked to be no more than a toddler, and the one running towards her now could be at least five years of age.
Maya knows it to be her own son by the glittering sparkle in his eyes.
Hermes proudly describes his adventures in finding and taming the cows, herding them back home and making a new toy.
The two goddesses listen to the little god, and at the end of his tale, Artemis breaks out in a knowing smile.
Maya asks her what is so funny, but Artemis merely replies that she expects they will have a visitor to their cave any moment now.
Hermes, overcome with excitement, pulls at his mother's sleeve and demonstrates to her his new invention.
He waved together the grass to make a tough twine and strung the twine across the tortoise shell.
When plucked in a certain way, a lovely sound comes from the shell.
Hermes is playing songs of his own invention for Maya and Artemis when a great sound comes from outside the cave.
Artemis gets up and announces that the owner of the cattle has arrived.
Sure enough, her golden brother Apollo stomps through the cave entrance, clearly in a rage.
Apollo announces that he has followed the track of his golden cattle all the way from Thessaly to this cave and demands to know who is responsible for their theft.
Artemis places a calming hand on her twin's arm and invites him to sit down.
The three fully grown gods look down at Hermes as he clears his throat for an explanation.
He opens his mouth and out tumbles a waterfall of words.
Despite being so young, Hermes has an impressive command of language.
He is silver-tongued, recalling the story of the past 24 hours with delight.
The story seems to float through the air and alight in the ears of the listeners.
Apollo, his outrage gradually dwindling, is wrapped by the tale.
Even Maya and Artemis, who have grown used to the child's odd ways in the past day, are also spellbound by his story.
Hermes is clearly a natural orator.
When he comes to the conclusion, Hermes picks up the instrument he invented and starts to play.
Artemis glances at her brother.
His face is bright with intrigue.
Apollo's eyes seem to be glued to the thing in Hermes' hands.
Maya and Artemis leave the two half-brothers together as Apollo sits next to the younger god and asks him about the instrument.
Hermes tells him that he calls it a lyre and begins to show Apollo how to play it.
The sun creeps across the sky and the cows graze peacefully outside the cave while the two brothers play the instrument.
Finally, Apollo seems to come out of his reverie and returns to the matter at hand.
As if reading his mind, Hermes stands to speak first.
He offers the lyre to Apollo as a gift and an apology for stealing his heart.
Apollo, clearly trying to hold back his glee, takes the instrument.
As soon as the golden god lays a hand on the lyre, a moment of stillness washes over the world.
The colors of the land, sea and sky seem to become more saturated, the lights brighter and the shadows darker.
As quickly as the moment arrives, it passes.
The four deities inherently know what has happened.
Apollo has gained yet another world of influence.
He is now the god of music.
Beyond being pleased with this, Apollo asks Maya immediately if he might take Hermes up to Olympus to introduce him to the other gods.
Maya looks at her son, who has grown to what appears to be the maturity of a 12-year-old over the course of the day.
She smiles her approval, and the two brothers depart immediately.
While Apollo and Hermes make their way up to Olympus, Maya and Artemis return to the deep mountain groves and the darkest places of the forest.
Maya will see her son often and knows that she cannot hold back the speed of his transformation.
She is content to rejoin the retinue of Artemis, living always with the wind in her hair and the fresh mountain air.
She looks forward to watching her son become one of the most revered and beloved gods.
But for now, the babbling brooks are calling her, and the wilds are where she feels at home.
Apollo and Hermes arrive on Olympus.
The older god wastes no time in introducing Hermes to its inhabitants.
Zeus greets his youngest son fondly, placing him at his side while his other half-siblings come up to meet him.
Zeus and the other gods question Hermes intensely about his abilities, his likes and dislikes and his desires.
After the interview, Zeus looks up to his wise daughter Athena for confirmation.
She nods slightly and smiles.
Zeus stands, announcing to all creation that Hermes will henceforth be the god of orators thieves cowherds, merchants and travelers.
Again, the world becomes still and bright, while the powers of Hermes are cemented and he comes into his full godhead.
Hermes spends the next few days on Olympus, charming every single resident.
His ability as a public speaker and orator is no less effective on a one-to-one basis.
He is charisma itself.
His eldest brother Hephaestus, becomes so taken with the young god that he retires to his forge for three days, working hard at a marvelous present.
During those three days, Hermes ages fully into the perfect image of youth.
As with all gods, he has aged to the moment of his most perfect beauty and will now stay this way forever.
He is cheeky, funny, teasing, and charming.
Soon enough, it's as if the young god has been on Olympus for as long as anyone can remember.
Finally, Hephaestus emerges from his workshop.
He presents Hermes with two incredible gifts.
The first are winged shoes called Talaria.
Hermes has already shown himself to be the fastest god on Olympus when playing on the athletics fields with his brothers Apollo and Ares.
But now, he is the fastest being in existence.
The sandals allow him to dart around the world in the blink of an eye.
To accompany the sandals, Hephaestus has made him a winged hat called a patassos.
These are to become his signature items.
For the rest of eternity, the winged hat and shoes will be a symbol of the mercurial Hermes.
With these new items, Hermes also receives new responsibilities.
Zeus calls for the young god and tells him that he is to have the role as messenger of the gods.
His way with words and his speed make him ideal for the job.
Whether they be decrees of all creation from the mouth of Zeus himself or intimate messages between the lowest nymphs, Hermes is the only one to be trusted with the words of the gods.
And Zeus has a job for him right this moment.
Hermes must go below and present himself to his uncle Hades, king of the underworld.
Hermes sets off at once.
With his winged hat and shoes, he soars through the air.
He flies through clouds, feeling the way water condenses on his skin as he passes through their midst.
The little droplets of water are quickly dried by the sun as he reaches new heights.
Hermes keeps an eye on the green and brown speckled world below him as he flies.
Here and there, the world glitters, as a river snakes through the landscape or a large lake sits between the trees.
Finally, he reaches Lake Laena and dives smoothly out of the air like a sparrow.
Near the edge of the lake is a cave that serves as the entrance to the underworld.
The world is not yet populated with human beings or mortals, so the great hydra that guards this entrance basks on a rocky outcrop in the sun.
The hydra is a beautiful dragon-like creature.
She has a long, graceful neck and glittering scales the color of gold, bronze, and copper.
Her long tail hangs over the outcrop and dips into the surface of the lake.
As Hermes approaches, she opens one of her great golden eyes to gaze at him.
The Hydra is a creature far older than even the gods.
She is the offspring of Typhon and Echidna, creatures that were born from Mother Gaia at the beginning of the well.
Hermes, for all his youthful energy, gives the creature a cheerful wave and a smile as he darts into the cave.
At this point in time, the underworld is free from souls.
There are no mortals to populate the place when their lives have ended.
That doesn't mean that the place is empty.
There are many deities and immortals that call the underworld home.
Hermes looks forward to the opportunity to meet them, as many are extended family.
The first he comes across is Cerberus, Hades' three-headed dog and sibling of the Hydra. not quite the fearsome hellhound he appears to be from stories.
The slobbery beast attempts to lick Hermes in greeting with all three heads at the same time.
Attempts to lick Hermes in greeting.
For a few minutes, Hermes throws several sticks for Cerberus before continuing on.
The huge caverns of the underworld glimmer in the dim light of the bioluminescent plants that live down here.
Hermes notices that the glistening is not from damp but from the great seams of precious metals and huge growths of crystals that protrude from every wall.
Hades is not just the god of the underworld, he is also the god of wealth.
Hermes admires the quiet stillness of the place and the peaceful beauty.
When he comes across an underworld resident, he stops to greet them with his cheerful manner.
Styx Erebus Nyx Tartarus, Charon and Hecate all have the pleasure of meeting the newest member of the family.
Finally, Hermes finds his way into the presence of Hades.
His uncle greets him as warmly as a god of the underworld.
Can They have a meal together, getting to know one another?
Hades rarely accepts guests, but he is intrigued by his new nephew.
Hades offers Hermes his most important duty yet.
He needs Hermes to become the arch-psychopomp the one who leads souls to the underworld.
It is an important duty, and one that will be important very soon.
Hermes accepts the duty gladly.
Uncle and nephew walk down to the bank of the river Styx.
The waters are calm and cool as they flow through the underworld.
The river has been here since the world was created and she feeds the various unending chambers of the world below.
Hermes considers how lovely the water sounds.
He admires the dark beauty of the underworld.
He thinks to himself that this is the perfect place to spend an afterlife.
It emits an atmosphere of peace, rest, and relaxation.
The way light reflects off the surface of the river paints the world in a pattern of dancing reflections.
Hermes thanks his uncle for the meal and goes to take his leave.
But Hades calls him back and presents him with a gift, a badge of office.
Hades pulls out a large staff, nearly as tall as Hermes himself.
Twisting around the central pole are two live emerald green snakes.
It is topped off with a pair of silver wings.
Forevermore, this staff will be the ultimate symbol of Hermes.
It will last through the ages as a sign of those who walk the line between worlds.
Hermes is a god of air, lightness, and all things quick.
He is also a god of the palace of the afterlife.
He flits between worlds as easily as he flies through the air.
He is the Quicksilver God.
See how he darts into the sky.
Gone before your very eyes.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching!
Thank you.
Thanks for watching! you Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching!
Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
