The Son of Zeus and Maia
The Birth of Hermes tells the myth of Hermes who was wily from his birth. It is told in The Homeric Hymns in 700 B.C.E.
The First Day of His Life
Hermes wriggled out of his crib and saw a tortoise and killed it. He travelled to Piera, where his half-brother Apollo, one of the great Olympian gods, lived. Hermes saw Apollo’s herd of fifty cows and decided to steal them. He was afraid the cows would make tracks so he made two hundred shoes from the bark of a fallen oak tree. Hermes put the shoes on each of the cow’s feet and then got the cows to walk backwards. Hermes then killed two of the cows, cut them up into twelve equal pieces to sacrifice them to the twelve great Olympian gods, not forgetting to count himself as the twelfth. This was the first sacrifice ever made. Hermes took some guts from the two slaughtered cows and stretched them across his tortoise shell. He moved his fingers back and forth across it and beautiful music came out. He called this instrument, the lyre. He also invented the plectrum, or pick, for his lyre. He stroked the plectrum across the lyre, instead of using his fingers. Hermes then went back to his cave, climbed back into his crib and went to sleep. Big Brother
Apollo soon discovered his cattle had gone missing and searched as far west as Pylus and as far east as Onchestus, but there was no luck. In the end Apollo was desperate and offered a reward to whoever could name the thief. Silenus and his satyrs were greedy for reward and set out in different directions to track down the rascal who had stolen Apollo’s cattle. Finally a party of satyrs was passing Arcadia when they heard some strange, lovely music. A nymph named Cyllene (like the mountain) told them she was the nurse to the smart infant with the lyre. Just then Apollo arrived. Apollo was fed up and used divination to track the crook. Apollo saw the baby, lying in his crib, sleeping innocently. Apollo accused Hermes of stealing his cows. Maia pointed to the sleeping infant, thinking Apollo’s accusation absurd. Apollo was tired of this nonsense and flew Hermes with him up to Mount Olympus, to see their father Zeus!
God of Trade, Travel & Thievery
When they arrived at Mount Olympus Apollo complained to Zeus that this infant – Hermes – had stolen his cows! Hermes claimed, being a newborn baby and all, that he didn’t know what a cow was. Zeus knew of course that young Hermes had stolen Apollo’s cows. In the end Hermes gave in and admitted the truth. He took Apollo to the herd. Hermes told him he had slaughtered only two of the cows as a sacrifice to the twelve great gods. Apollo asked who was the twelfth. Hermes told Apollo it was he, and he ate no more than his share, though he was very hungry. Hermes showed Apollo his lyre and played, singing about how Apollo was so smart and generous. Hermes was forgiven. Apollo, loved the sounds that came from the lyre, and being the god of music wanted the lyre for himself. They decided to trade the cows for the lyre. Hermes then found some reeds and cut them. They became a Shepard’s pipe and Hermes played.