▁Sch olar ly ▁spec ulation ▁that ▁" H erm es " ▁der ives ▁from ▁a ▁more ▁primitive ▁form ▁meaning ▁" one ▁c air n " ▁is ▁disput ed . ▁Other ▁sch ol ars ▁have ▁suggested ▁that ▁Herm es ▁may ▁be ▁a ▁cogn ate ▁of ▁the ▁V edic ▁Sar ama . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁likely ▁that ▁Herm es ▁is ▁a ▁pre - H ellen ic ▁god , ▁though ▁the ▁exact ▁orig ins ▁of ▁his ▁worship , ▁and ▁its ▁original ▁nature , ▁remain ▁unclear . ▁Fro thing ham ▁thought ▁the ▁god ▁to ▁have ▁existed ▁as ▁a ▁Mes op ot am ian ▁s nake - god , ▁similar ▁or ▁identical ▁to ▁N ing ish z ida , ▁a ▁god ▁who ▁served ▁as ▁medi ator ▁between ▁humans ▁and ▁the ▁divine , ▁especially ▁Is ht ar , ▁and ▁who ▁was ▁dep icted ▁in ▁art ▁as ▁a ▁C adu ce us . ▁Ang elo ▁( 1 9 9 7 ) ▁thinks ▁Herm es ▁to ▁be ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁Th oth ▁arch et ype . ▁The ▁absor bing ▁(" com bin ing ") ▁of ▁the ▁attributes ▁of ▁Herm es ▁to ▁Th oth ▁developed ▁after ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁H omer ▁amongst ▁Gree ks ▁and ▁Rom ans ; ▁Her odot us ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁identify ▁the ▁Greek ▁god ▁with ▁the ▁Egypt ian ▁( H erm opol is ), ▁Pl ut arch ▁and ▁D iod orus ▁also , ▁although ▁Pl ato ▁thought ▁the ▁gods ▁to ▁be ▁dis - similar ▁( F ried land er ▁ 1 9 9 2 ). ▁ ▁His