heckyeahhermes:

“Although we don’t think of Hermes as especially sexual, he was a fertility god, responsible for the well-being of the animals under his domain. He had many dalliances but, because he lived on the boundary, he was perceived as bisexual and is sometimes said to have invented the art of masturbation. (Robert Graves suggests that his rapid growth on the day he was born represents “Homer’s playful obscenity.”)”

— Nancy Hathaway, The Friendly Guide to Mythology

achangingaltar:

I adore you, friend of man,

I adore you, traveler and guardian of travelers,

I adore you, silver-tongued speaker,

I adore you, guide to the final destination,

I adore you, swift-footed,

I adore you, who carries the kerykeion,

I adore you, mountain-born,

I adore you, Maia’s son,

I adore you, who restored Persephone to her mother’s side,

I adore you, light-fingered,

I adore you, who lent pédila to Perseus,

I adore you, father of Pan,

I adore you, whom no lock may resist,

I adore you, master of ravens,

I adore you, given to playing tricks,

I adore you, who led away Apollo’s cattle,

I adore you, who waits at the crossroads,

I adore you, who stands outside every door,

I adore you, whose scepter brings sleep,

I adore you, thief at the gates,

I adore you, patron of wrestlers,

I adore you, escort for the dead,

I adore you, creator of the lyre,

I adore you, who gave moly to Odysseus,

I adore you, represented by piles of stones,

I adore you, Apollo’s brother,

I adore you, lucky one,

I adore you, who brings the word of Zeus to man,

I adore you, doom of Argus,

I adore you, foe of watchdogs,

I adore you, who proclaimed his own innocence,

I adore you, thoughtful one,

I adore you, who wins every race,

I adore you, most cunning,

I adore you, who knows every language,

I adore you, speaker with bees,

I adore you, deathless one,

I adore you, who receives the sacrifices of travelers,

I adore you, son of Zeus,

I adore you, who marks every boundary,

I adore you, who guided Priam to safety,

I adore you, who sang of his own cleverness,

I adore you, who watches over the markets,

I adore you, protector of shepherds,

I adore you, who bestows charm,

I adore you, arbiter and interpreter,

I adore you, great-grandfather to Odysseus,

I adore you, creator of fire,

I adore you, who enters and leaves Hades’ realm at will,

I adore you, lord of Arcadia,

I adore you, who gives luck to the luckless,

I adore you, patron of public speakers,

I adore you, who excels at every contest,

I adore you, who sends prophecy in dreams,

I adore you, who turned Battos to stone,

I adore you, whose voice is echoed in the rooster’s crow,

I adore you, who transformed the tortoise,

I adore you, who gifted Pandora with lies,

I adore you, who speaks in dreams,

I adore you, crafty one,

I adore you, who maps out the stars,

I adore you, wanderer along every road,

I adore you, who spoke before his first day ended,

I adore you, my lord and friend.

– Jennifer, In a Hawk’s ‘I’

blood-and-fire:

He tells you jokes in tongues just outside of your grasp, giggles when you ask him to translate them. He perches over your shoulder as you read books in languages you don’t fully understand yet, offering dictionaries and a native’s knowledge when your brain trips on words and phrases you don’t quite know. When you get angry and words pour from your lips choppily, swearing and cursing even though your accent is not quite perfect, he laughs in delight.

When you finally interpret a conversation or translate that word you’ve been forgetting time and time again, he stands by your side with pride. When you finally hold a conversation with someone without having to resort to your native language, he beams with joy. When you watch a film with your newly found fluency, he sits there and watches with you, sharing in your happiness.

And when life gets hard, he whispers to you in languages you know as intimately as your own body, languages which have carved themselves into your muscle memory and scorched themselves into your bones.

Because sometimes, your native language isn’t the one that comforts you at all.

frankincennamon:

Hermes in my daily life:

• keeping things you find on the sidewalk
• unlocking doors with coins
• lying to keep out of persecution at work (retail is hell)
• driving in silence with the windows rolled down
• reading into meanings behind typos
• losing jewelry and dollar bills
• smells that take you back to another place
• phantom touches
• the itching urge to break into a run
• texts from friends and family after get-togethers that say “home safe!”
• accidental discounts or freebies while shopping
• body blushes