Norman Oliver Brown Hermes The Thief

Annotation

Hermes is a vital and complex figure in Greek mythology-trickster and culture hero, divine child and patron of stealthy action, master of magic words, seducer and whisperer. Shepherd, artisan, herald, musician, athlete, merchant-who is this tricky shape-shifter, confronting us at every turn?In this classic, prescient work...Brown asks: Is Hermes the Thief the prototype from which, by extension and analogy, the Trickster was derived? Alternatively, is the notion of trickery the fundamental idea and theft merely a specific manifestation of it?This thoughtful study will be of interest to anyone wishing a fresh view of an important, often misunderstood, character of Greek mythology.-Print ed.