▁( ; ▁) ▁is ▁a ▁de ity ▁in ▁An cient ▁Greek ▁religion ▁and ▁myth ology . ▁Herm es ▁is ▁considered ▁the ▁her ald ▁of ▁the ▁gods , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁prote ctor ▁of ▁human ▁her ald s , ▁trav ellers , ▁th ieves , ▁mer ch ants , ▁and ▁or ators . ▁He ▁is ▁able ▁to ▁move ▁quickly ▁and ▁freely ▁between ▁the ▁world s ▁of ▁the ▁mort al ▁and ▁the ▁divine , ▁a ided ▁by ▁his ▁wing ed ▁sand als . ▁Herm es ▁plays ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁psych op omp ▁or ▁" s oul ▁guide " ▁— ▁a ▁conduct or ▁of ▁sou ls ▁into ▁the ▁after life . ▁ ▁In ▁myth , ▁Herm es ▁function ed ▁as ▁the ▁em iss ary ▁and ▁mess enger ▁of ▁the ▁gods , ▁and ▁was ▁often ▁presented ▁as ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Ze us ▁and ▁Ma ia , ▁the ▁P lei ad . ▁Just ▁as ▁well , ▁he ▁is ▁regarded ▁as ▁" the ▁divine ▁trick ster ," ▁for ▁which ▁H omer ▁offers ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁account ▁in ▁his ▁H ymn ▁to ▁Herm es . ▁ ▁His ▁attributes ▁and ▁symbols ▁include ▁the ▁her ma , ▁the ▁ro oster , ▁the ▁tort o ise , ▁s atch el ▁or ▁p ouch , ▁wing ed ▁sand als , ▁and ▁wing ed ▁cap , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁pal m ▁tree , ▁go at , ▁the ▁number ▁four , ▁several ▁kinds ▁of ▁fish , ▁and ▁inc ense . ▁However , ▁his ▁main ▁symbol ▁is ▁the ▁c adu ce us , ▁a