Let’s Talk About Hermes and Why Lin-Manuel Miranda Is Perfect for the Part
Percy Jackson and the Olympians can be seen as an educational introduction to the gods and goddesses of ancient Greek myth. The show has already introduced us to one of them, Dionysus, god of wine, festivities, theatre, and even madness, but episode three gave us a quick glimpse at one more: Hermes.
Greek mythology has remained incredibly popular to this day, with stories of the exploits of the gods still taught and shared in the Western world. The stories of the gods are certainly entertaining with the ancient Greeks imbuing them with classic human foibles. Zeus is a habitual philanderer, Poseidon is known for his atrocious temper, Hera her intense jealousy and horrific punishments. All the gods fall short of perfection, each of them having flaws which only makes the stories surrounding them so much more fun.
The author of the books from which the series is adapted, Rick Riordan, knows this all too well and has continued the god’s, and demi-gods, journeys in our modern-day world through his novels. Many of the gods feature in his books, yet, by the third episode of the Disney+ series, we have only been properly introduced to one, Mr. D or Dionysus, played by Jason Mantzoukas. The ending, however, did give us a glimpse at another god, Hermes, played by the wonderfully well-cast Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Who is Hermes in Greek mythology?
Hermes is the offspring of Zeus and the Pleiad, Maia (yet another one of Zeus’ many flings), and he is a god of many things. One of his many titles is god of tricks as the moment he was born and his mother was asleep, he crept away to steal his half-brother Apollo’s sheep. He drove them backward to confuse anyone looking and bound his feet in twigs so as not to leave any footprints. He was soon discovered but feigned innocence due to the fact he was literally born yesterday. Eventually, he managed to quell his brother’s anger by offering an instrument he had made out of a tortoise shell, inventing the lyre.
In just two days, Hermes became known as the god of tricksters, god of thieves, and the protector of travelers and shepherds. He was also given the position of messenger to the gods and would use his winged sandals (which appear in the Disney+ series as winged basketball shoes) to deliver things around Olympus. Hermes was also tasked with delivering the souls of the dead to the Underworld. And here I thought that I was busy!
Hermes appears often in ancient Greek mythology, assisting his father with a task that Zeus was unable to carry out himself, one of which was to rescue his unborn half-brother Dionysus from his mother’s womb as she perished in flames. He also assists mortals with their own tasks on Earth, such as aiding Odysseus in getting home after the battle of Troy. Hermes is a man of the people, or god of the people, or man of the gods, either way, he is a helpful deity to know.
Why is Lin-Manuel Miranda such a good fit?
You must have been living under a rock for the past decade if you don’t know who Lin-Manuel Miranda is at this point. The actor, songwriter, and all-around lyrical genius has changed the landscape of musical theatre with musicals such as Hamilton and In the Heights, something he then did for animated movies when he created the soundtracks for Disney’s Moana and Encanto. Miranda has won three Tony Awards, three Emmy Awards, and five Grammy Awards as well as two Academy Award nominations.
At the end of Percy Jackson episode three, we glimpse Miranda as the messenger god Hermes. He delivers a box containing the head of the Gorgon Medusa to Mt. Olympus with a wry smile on his face.
Miranda is a great casting for the trickster god for many reasons. For starters, Miranda has an innocent quality to his appearance, something that Hermes has utilized in the past to get himself out of trouble. Secondly, Miranda is known for his fast and witty lyrics, perfect for the silver-tongued trickster god. We got to witness a brief moment of his musical talent on his elevator ride up to Olympus as he hummed along to the 80s tune, “Arthur’s Theme”.
Miranda also excels at playing lovable, sometimes cheeky, characters, (check him out as Lee Scoresby in His Dark Materials) and Hermes is certainly that. Upon arriving at Olympus he exits the elevator with the package and says to his fellow gods, “You guys are not going to believe this.”
Though Hermes never appeared in Riordan’s first book, which is what the first season is adapting, his inclusion in the series is a welcome one. I was sure happy to see him! It does beg the question if we will see more of him this season, especially given his connection to Luke and what is to come in that avenue. We also have plenty more gods to meet before the season is done.
I pray to Dionysus (also the god of theatre and entertainment) that we will see more of Miranda in the episodes to come!
(featured image: Disney+)
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