Hermes and Heracles: the Sword and the Arrow

Hermes is a personification and symbolic embodiment of the phenomenon we describe and view as design and the design process. Hermes is considered the inventor of language and speech and was associated with bringing dreams to mortals by dealing with the elements, circumstances and depictions that emerge from the depths of the unconscious.

“The Greek view of language as consisting of signs that could lead to truth or falsehood is the very essence of Hermes, who is said to relish the uneasiness of the recipients.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeneutics

Through symbols and metaphor design bridges the boundaries between the conscious and the unconscious. The word hermeneus, i.e. an interpreter, owes its meaning and function to Hermes as the translator of many hermenutical procedures and rites that in the past, attempted to reveal the inner meanings (huponoia) surrounding certain texts and discourses, e. g. the Homeric poems.

“… hermeneutics is a more widely defined discipline of interpretation theory, because it includes the entire framework of the interpretive process, encompassing written, verbal, and nonverbal communication.”

In 3D space/time every symbol and metaphor possesses a hierarchy of interpretation that allows for each depiction to function coherently or incoherently, inclusively or exclusively, holistically or separately with others that have preceded it. Every divisive interpretation has the potential of becoming the hermeneus of a more inclusive interpretation thereby causing every connotation to waver in meaning and purpose at greater and more inclusive levels of awareness.

“Words spoken are symbols or signs (symbola) of affections or impressions (pathemata) of the soul (psyche); written words are the signs of words spoken.

As writing, so also is speech not the same for all races of men.

But the mental affections themselves, of which these words are primarily signs (semeia), are the same for the whole of mankind, as are also the objects (pragmata) of which those affections are representations or likenesses, images, copies (homoiomata).”

—Aristotle, On Interpretation, 1.16^a4

Hidden within every holographic form is an opportunity for deep introspection. Every physical, mental and emotional reflection is dependent upon design, i.e. the symbol, and intrinsic to the power of Hermes. A pensive inquiry reveals an intimate perspective into the context in which every relative form is made mindful and conscionable. Each transition, i.e. change, contains a degree of distinction that can lead to a greater unification and understanding of consciousness itself. These meanings appear hidden within the designs of a holographic universe and extend beyond the parameters of every virtual province. These influences fall within the domain of Hermes who metaphorically straddles between the realms of the conscious and the unconscious by means of the dimensional fields we perceive as reality.

This is the first in a series of personal investigations into the mythological aspects of design as it relates to Western culture and civilization. The attempt to describe, interpret and understand these mysterious attributes were typically personified in the powers of many gods, particularly the Grecian god Hermes and the Roman god Mercury.

This first elucidation will eventually be joined with other expose’s describing how the concept of design has evolved over the centuries through the power of myth, i.e. tales that describe the qualities, trials and tribulations of Hermes.

HERMES AND THE FIRST ADVENTURE OF HERACLES

At the crossroads of his life and soon after his encounter with the seductive promises of “Happiness” and the good works of  “Virtue”, Heracles, son of Zeus and Almente, granddaughter of Perseus had decided he would walk the path of morality and righteousness. In order to meet this life challenge Heracles took the opportunity to rid the Grecian countryside of its lions and robbers and then he focused upon the abuses of Erginus, king of the Minyans who taxed the people of Thebes.

All Greece admired him for his courage and his victories to such an extent that the gods awarded him with gifts. Apollo gave him arrows; Hephaestus a golden quiver and Hermes gave Heracles a sword, which he was to use in his path towards virtue and integrity.

Humanity is the offspring of the earth Gaia, i.e. the personification of the feminine (Yin) and the result of the insemination of the masculine (Yang) personified as Uranus, the consequence being embodied in the form of the Giants of Greek mythology. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_(mythology) Folklore, legend, scripture and mythology from many cultures have described the consciousness of early primeval humanity as being chaotic and wild by personifying such qualities into the forms of gigantic, grotesque and frightful beings, many of which were attributed to having “nature spirits” that were in conflict with the gods.

"The Nephilim were on the earth in those days - and also afterward when the sons of God would consort with the daughters of man, who would bear to them. They were the mighty who, from old, were men of devastation. God saw that the wickedness of Man was great upon the earth, and that every product of the thoughts of his heart was but evil always."

K. M. Briggs, The Fairies in English Tradition and Literature, p 63 University of Chicago Press, London, 1967.

Because Zeus had banished her elder sons Prometheus, Atlas and the Titans, Gaia had rallied her giant offspring against Zeus. Heracles fought on the side of the immortals where he became an Olympian by distinguishing himself in battle. 

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SWORD

Besides being an instrument of warfare the sword symbolizes the concept of truth. Hermes, acting as a messenger between the conscious and the unconscious, had given Heracles the gift he needed on his path towards righteousness, virtue and integrity. In the battle against the giants Hermes had joined the fight using his own golden sword of truth and wearing the helmet of Hades, symbolizing Pluto and the hidden unconscious mind. 

"When the Gigantes (Giants) made war on Heaven, Hermes fought in the ensuing battle and slew the Gigante Hippolytos with his golden sword. He was frequently depicted wielding his sword against this Gigante in ancient depictions of the battle."


In essence, Hermes' participation in the battle recognizes the unconscious mind as being both a defender and source of truth. As an instrument of the mind, truth may be used to discover the knowledge and understanding necessary to meet the challenges leading to awareness, integrity and virtue by becoming the mind's slayer of the "real". Hermes involvement in the battle made it apparent that truth cannot be found, nor can it be made fully discernible, in the midst of a conflict between antagonists.

"The power to think true is the savior of humanity. The mythological and historical Redeemers of every age were all personifications of that power."  

Manly P. Hall; The Secret Teachings of all Ages

Hermes was one of the supernatural associates of ancient initiation representing the descent of divine wisdom incarnate. The hidden forces of heaven, i.e. the unconscious, were gifted to Heracles by means of the sword given to him by Hermes. In the battle to defend Olympus however, the arrows given to him by Apollo helped kill the earth giants. 

“Apollo has been variously recognized as a god of light and the sun, truth and prophecy, healing, plague, music, poetry, and more.”

Mind when used for the purposes of seeking truth, can become an instrument of virtue while remaining a two-edged sword. In reference to the Design Paradigm, the mind (Hermes) will bring forward, i.e. make conscious, its own contrasts before the psyche. These mindful contrasts are made apparent by the heart and the all consuming presence that engulfs both of them with the wisdom that knowledge, experience and awareness must find balance between what is both meaningful and purposeful in Life.

So why did Heracles use Apollo's arrows in defense of Olympia? The arrow symbolizes but another aspect of the mind. The arrow is swift, quick, powerful, focused, and filled with intent. The mind can travel great distances. By penetrating the eyes of the giants each arrow can get to the “truth of the matter" therefore being "out of sight and out of mind."

Thought can pierce the mysteries hidden in the virtual field of the unconscious and 3D space/time. Whether visible or invisible, the arrow represents the mind (Hermes) being targeted in the direction of both a meaning and a purpose. Its propellent may or may not be the truth.

"Once men died for Truth, but now Truth dies at the hands of men." 

Manly P Hall; What the Ancient Wisdom Expects of Its Disciples

Ref:

* Campbell, Joseph, “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”, Bollingen Series XVII, Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J. 1949.

* Schwab, Gustav, “Gods & Heroes of Ancient Greece”, Random House, New York, N.Y. 1974.

* Perseus Digital Library. Ed. Gregory R. Crane. Tufts University.

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu (accessed December 2, 2012).




Edited: 11.25.2012, 11.26.2012, 11.27.2012, 11.30.2012, 12.02.2012, 03.28.2017, 11.09.2017, 03.05.2018, 02.11.2020, 06.15.2020, 12.03.2021, 02.01.2023

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