268 THE MYTHS OF CREATION: THE GODS
Mercury, by Giovanni Bologna (known as Giambo-
logna, 1529-1608). Bronze, 1576; height 25 in. Giam-
bologna has taken the classical attributes of Hermes—
the petasus, caduceus, and winged sandals—and
combined them with the nude figure of a running
man to create a masterpiece of Late Renaissance
Mannerism. (Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence.
Courtesy of Alinari/Art Resource, New York.)Statues of Hermes, called herms (singular, herm), were common in the an-
cient world and symbols of fertility. They were intended to bring prosperity and
luck. In the classical period, a herm might be found outside any house; and these
herms could be taken very seriously. In appearance, they were square pillars
equipped with male genitals; on top of each was the head of Hermes. These
phallic statues probably marked areas regarded as sacred or designated, at least
originally, the bounds of one's home or property.
To sum up, many of the functions of Hermes can be characterized by his
role as a creator and crosser of boundaries and an intermediary between two