Hermes: Guide of Souls

by Karl Kerényi

Karl Kerényi presents here a beautiful, authoritative study of the great god Hermes whom the Greeks revered as Guides of Souls. Chapters on Hermes and Night, Hermes and Eros, and Hermes and the goddesses illuminate the complex role of Hermes in classical mythology, while also providing an archetypal background for the guiding of souls in psychotherapy. A vital contribution both to the study of the classics and the therapy of the soul.

Genres: Mythology, History, Nonfiction, Religion, Philosophy, Paganism, Psychology

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1942

About the author

Károly (Carl, Karl) Kerényi, Ph.D., (University of Budapest, 1919), was one of the founders of modern studies in Greek Mythology, and professor of classical studies and history of religion at the Universities of Szeged and Pécs, Hungary.

Karl Kerenyi is also published under the names Carl Kerenyi and Károly Kerényi, in French as Charles Kerényi and in Italian as Carlo Kerényi.

Reviews

[Steve Cran · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is classic especially to those who enjoy reading up on Greek mythology. The author who wrote the book passed on in the 1970’s and academic who was self-exiled from Hungary and lived out his days in Sweden. Yet the Greek God Hermes is alive and well. Hermes, the psychocpompos was active in the life of Karl Kerenyi, often times adding bits of fortune here and there and at other times sabotaging things.
Just who exactly was Hermes? or any of the other Greek Gods for that matter. Some modern scholars would narrowly define these gods as ideas or archetypes. Karl Kerenyi thought that they were more than idea or abstract personalities. The Gods were living beings and could be considered a world unto themselves. So Karl Kernyi goes about defining the lord Hermes.
Hermes is mentioned in the Iliad but not extensively as the Iliad is a story about fighting and wars. These are not the domain of Hermes. Destinies of war that are choses by men just are not his things. He is a god of luck, death and wild unplanned whim. He does soften the blow and instruct especially in thievery. When the slain are laying out of the battle field it is Hermes who summons their spirits to rise and follow him into the realm of the Dead or more apt to say Hades. That is what psychopomps do they guide you after you die. He also teaches Achilles how to enter the city of Troy and he helps a grieving father steal his son back.
Perhaps his best known area is depicted in the story of the Odyssey. This is a story of traveling or journeying not of wars. Hermes is a patron god of the roads and for travelers. The Odyssey is about Odysseus’s travel home. Travelers will move from place to place but they are adding more inches to their home as they travel. The Journey man will journey like he is floating in the wind never settling down permanently but always on the go with no ties. This nomadic existence seems to be Hermes specialty.
So far we have learned that Hermes is a guide to the dead, protector of travelers and now we shall learn that he is the master of trickery and the god of thieves. AS soon as he was born within days he steals Apollo’s sheep. Apollo confronts him but Hermes denies it. In the end Hermes is not only the lord of thieves but also the protector of cattle and sheep as Apollo appoints him that role. Hermes alos shows a cold heartedness to his nature by killing a turtle and making an instrument of it’s shell.
What are the real origins of Hermes? The Olympian mythology paints him as being the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia and growing up in a mountain cave of Cyllenica. In reality though he has rather pre Olympian origins that are rather obscure. In fact I would say that many deities have origins that are outside the Olympian tradition. Hermes may have had his origin in Northern Greece near Samothrace and Lemnos and might have been part of the pantheon Gods called the Cabiri.
Most Gods and Goddesses are paired up with someone, like Zeus with Hera, even if they are not entirely faithfull. Some diety couples do not last forever like Aphrodite and Haephestus. Hermes is not known for staying with one person. He gets it on with Artemis I and with Aphrodite II. The union with Aphrodite produces Hermaphrodite. People had Hermaphrodite statues in their homes and oft prayed to them and gave them gifts. There were also statues of Hermes designed to protect the home. Even Hecate showed her face in the home. Which leads us to the next Goddess he cavorted with.
Much like the maenad of Dionysus Hermes is seen as dancing with three nymphs. These nymphs are seen as being a representation of a three fold Goddess. The one who fits the bill is Hekate, Hekate is a psychomp like Hermes and she has wings. Both were worked with at the crossroads. Both in way were ambassadors to Hades. The Herms were altars at the crossroads with four corners. They marked property boundaries and lead to water. Offering were left there for Hermes.
It is a short book one that I finished in a day yet is totally loaded with information. Quite the enjoyable read. Definitely want to read more of this author’s work.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just re-read this and got even more out of it the second time. It's dense, but well worth the effort. Kerenyi's a superb scholar who kept good company (he was friends with Carl Jung and Paul Radin) and his deep love of the subject matter shines through every passage. Definitely an enlightening read, if not an easy one.

[Eddie Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short but densely packed book teasing out all the significances of the god Hermes. Known to us as ‘the messenger of the gods’, Kerenyi shows how very much more complex he is. Quite difficult to read in some places (I frequently had to reread some passages), Kerenyi’s prose also rises to poetry in others. His debt to Jung is clear.

It would be fabulous to have an illustrated edition of this book (frequent references to actual pieces of art are made in a work consisting solely of text). Luckily, the internet steps in to help here - I managed to Google the works surprisingly easily. Very well worth the effort.

Looking forward to reading more Kerenyi.

[John Fredrickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable and engaging look at a god that is probably under-appreciated. The book is difficult in some of the sections.

[Philologios · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magnífico. Lleno de sabiduría y conocimiento. Por momentos indigesto. Hubo literalmente dos páginas de las que apenas me enteré de lo que decía.
Aún así, supongo que el problema es mío. Necesito algo más mascadito. ¿¡Dónde estás Joseph Campbell!?
Recomendable sólo si tienes sólida formación y sólidas lecturas. En otro caso, abstente.

[Shimon de Valencia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a little book that bags a big punch. Dr. Kerenyi has revealed a deity who is complex, challenging and illuminating. He shows us the rich textures of 'ancient' belief, and breathes new life into neglected archetypes.

[Amir Hossein Fassihi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep Research

This book is a detailed and thorough research on the history of Hermes with many references to other researched papers and books.

[Michael David · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a ardent devotee of things mythological and psychology related from my reading of Campbell in my teens and onwards, and Hermes in particular is one of my favorite deities, his statue sits in a prime place on my table before me as guide of sorts in the spiritual and it psychic life. I loved this book and read it cover to cover in one sitting. Hermes lives for Kerenyi in the same way he does for me as a personal guide and patron, not a mere idea but an inhabitant of a world in which we can take part that is his own and yet of all worlds. The world in which he inhabits is not a mere one of idea but an experience one has to have themselves to comprehend. You can feel his deep connection with Hermes in all his names, and aspects.. and I loved the usage of the Greek in its original script not transliterated as ive been learning Greek over the last several years. The first half of the book was excellent, the second was more obscure and went into the primal roots and historical and geographical antiquity of the idea of the Hermetic to it’s pre Homeric Greek roots. Which I found fascinating as I also discovered this in Hermes and His Children by one of Jungs psychoanalytic disciples talks about the Paleolithic origins of Hermes in Arcadia before the other gods in the roadside herms and ithyphallic markers, and delves into his role in mystery traditions alongside Hekate in her varied forms. I was unable to find many of Kerenyi’s books on Kindle I have the one on Athene which I’m happy to read next as shes another spiritual guide for me as well. I love how he is very different in his approach to the psychology of Mythology of the Greeks than Jung yet clearly compatible, I’m also an avid reader of Jungian psych, whom I saw wrote a book along with him that I’m unable to find a copy of. I picked up my copies of Hesiod’s Theogony and Platos Symposium to put them higher up on my to read pile after this book on seeing the references made. I wish I could find a copy of W.F. Otto’s Homeric Gods; Spiritual Significance of Greek Religions for although he critiques it at times this is the third time ive come across this books reference and have no clue as to where to secure a copy 1200 dollars is not a price I’m willing to pay. Anyways 5 of 5 short but a true believer in the Hermetic as a third branch in addition to the Apollinaire and Dionysian models of psychology.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Speaking mythologically, each God is the source of a world that without him remains invisible, but with him reveals itself in its own light, and this world passes beyond the world-picture of natural science” (p. 55).

“He is most likely the same dark depth of being from which we all originate. Perhaps for this reason Hermes can so convincingly hover before us, lead us on our ways, show us golden treasures in everyone through the split-second timing which is the spirit of finding and thieving – all of this because he creates his reality out of us, or more properly through us, just as one fetches water not so much out of a well as through the well from the much deeper regions of the earth” (p. 51).

I enjoyed this book and the passion for the subject the author could convey through its pages. I look forward to reading more books by Karl Kerényi, especially his coauthored book with C. G. Jung and his correspondences with Thomas Mann and Hermann Hesse. I was slightly surprised that he did not mention Hermes' association with Thoth or Hermeticism in this text.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kerenyi is going on a little journey here (no pun intended) and sometimes when he points something out I'm like "oh, wow, neat!" But other times I am thinking "I don't know, Karl. I think that one might be in your head."

Well worth reading for those interested in Hermetic scholarship but would not be my rec for the first book on the topic.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful resource on the aspects of Hermes, but much too in-depth from my quick reading so I'll have to revisit sometime.

[ʕっ•ᴥ•ʔっ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nonsense of a caliber only academic writing can produce. Kerényi had an interesting mind, but he was an abysmal communicator.

[Manddra · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book about Hermes and I absolutely loved it. It's a good introduction.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

A great book for those looking to explore hermes and his concepts and his representation, though a little difficult to digest at first.

[Mephistopheles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent scholarly exploration of the role of Hermes in the Greek mind and his accompanying imagery

[Craig Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foundational text for anyone triangulating dreamwork with Greek mythology.

[Sas UrbaneHexe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not an easy read but it is woth it.
Lot's of interessting Information.

[Ragnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me a bit to get through, but I love it.