batch.motif.greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg-l6249-l6341
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg-l6249-l6341
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
passage_locator:
label: II. TO DEMETER / III. TO DELIAN APOLLO / TO PYTHIAN APOLLO / IV. TO HERMES;
lines 6249-6341
start: '6249'
end: '6341'
translation: Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Hermes invents fire-sticks and fire, slaughters and roasts stolen cattle,
divides the meat into twelve portions but does not eat it, conceals traces of
the act, and returns secretly to his cave and cradle. Maia confronts him, and
Hermes replies that he seeks divine honor and threatens further theft from Apollo.
Apollo questions an old man at Onchestus about the missing cattle, and the old
man reports seeing an infant with a staff driving long-horned cattle backwards.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Hermes is credited with first inventing fire-sticks and fire, then piling
dry sticks in a trench until flame spread.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Hermes dragged two horned cows near the fire, killed them, cut up the meat,
placed it on spits, and roasted several parts.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Hermes spread the hides on a rugged rock, where the passage says they remained
long afterwards.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Hermes divided the prepared meat into twelve honourable portions distributed
by lot.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: Hermes desired the sacrificial meat but did not eat the flesh.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Hermes placed the fat and flesh high in the byre as a token of his youthful
theft, then burned the hoofs and heads.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: Hermes threw his sandals into the Alpheus, quenched embers, covered black
ashes with sand, and spent the night under Selene's light.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: At dawn Hermes returned to Cyllene without being met by gods, humans, or barking
dogs.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: Hermes passed edgeways through the key-hole like autumn breeze or mist, went
through the cave into an inner chamber, and returned to his cradle in swaddling
clothes with his lyre nearby.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:10
text: Maia saw Hermes and rebuked him as a rogue returning at night, warning that
Apollo might bind him or that he would live as a robber.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:11
text: Hermes told Maia he would seek a better plan to feed himself and her, join
the fellowship and honor of the deathless gods, and enter upon Apollo's rite.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:12
text: Hermes said that if Zeus did not grant him honor, he would become a prince
of robbers and plunder Apollo's house at Pytho.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:13
text: Apollo came to Onchestus and questioned an old man about missing cattle from
his herd.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: obs:14
text: The old man said he thought he saw an infant with a staff following long-horned
cattle and driving them backwards with their heads toward him.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Hermes
description: Son of Zeus; described as a god, a luck-bringing infant or babe, inventor
of fire-sticks and fire, and the actor who handles the cattle, fire, concealment,
return, and speech to Maia.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:8
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Maia
description: Goddess mother of Hermes who sees him after his return and rebukes
him.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Apollo
description: Son of Leto whose cattle are sought; Maia and Hermes refer to him,
and he questions the old man at Onchestus.
role_refs:
- role:6
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Old man at Onchestus
description: An old man grazing his beast near the pathway and vineyard who answers
Apollo about what he saw.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Two horned cows
description: Two lowing, horned cows dragged near the fire, killed, cut up, roasted,
and divided as meat.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Missing cattle herd
description: Apollo's cows with curving or long horns, associated with a black bull
and four hounds, later reported as driven backwards by an infant.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
roles:
- id: role:1
label: inventor of fire
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The passage says Hermes first invented fire-sticks and fire.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: sacrificial preparer
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Hermes slaughters, cuts, roasts, divides, and stores the cattle meat.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: concealer of theft
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Hermes disposes of sandals, embers, ashes, hoofs, and heads, then returns
secretly to his cradle.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:4
label: divine infant trickster
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Hermes acts while described as an infant or babe, passes through a key-hole,
resumes swaddling clothes, and speaks of robbery and plunder.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:8
- id: role:5
label: rebuking mother
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Maia confronts Hermes after his night return and warns him about Apollo and
robbery.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:6
label: owner or seeker of stolen cattle
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Apollo says he is seeking cows from his herd and asks whether anyone has
seen one passing behind them.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:7
label: threatened target of theft
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Hermes says he may plunder Apollo's house at Pytho.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:8
label: human witness
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The old man reports that he thought he saw an infant driving long-horned
cattle backwards.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:9
label: slaughtered cattle
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The two horned cows are killed, roasted, and divided by Hermes.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:10
label: missing herd
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Apollo describes his missing cows and the old man describes long-horned cattle
being driven backwards.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: fire
literal_form: Fire-sticks, dry sticks, trench flame, embers, and burning fire used
by Hermes.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: sym:2
label: cave
literal_form: The cave through which Hermes passes to reach the rich inner chamber
and cradle.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs:
- cave
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:3
label: water of the Alpheus
literal_form: Deep-eddying Alpheus into which Hermes throws his sandals.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: lyre
literal_form: Hermes keeps his sweet lyre close at his left hand while lying in
the cradle.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:5
label: twelve portions
literal_form: Twelve honourable portions of meat distributed by lot.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:6
label: key-hole passage
literal_form: Hermes passes edgeways through the key-hole like breeze or mist.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Invention and kindling of fire
summary: Hermes prepares laurel and dry sticks, invents fire-sticks and fire, and
kindles a fierce flame in a trench.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Slaughter and preparation of cattle
summary: Hermes kills two horned cows, roasts the meat, spreads the hides on a rock,
and organizes the prepared meat.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Division of meat and concealment of traces
summary: Hermes divides the meat into twelve portions, abstains from eating, stores
meat as a token of theft, burns remains, throws sandals into the Alpheus, and
covers ashes.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:3
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Secret return to cradle
summary: Hermes travels back to Cyllene, passes silently through the key-hole and
cave, and lies in his cradle wrapped as a feeble infant with the lyre beside him.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:4
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:5
label: Maia's rebuke and Hermes' reply
summary: Maia confronts Hermes as a rogue, and Hermes answers that he seeks food,
divine fellowship, honor, and possibly future robbery or plunder of Apollo's house.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:6
label: Apollo questions the old man
summary: Apollo reaches Onchestus, asks an old man about his missing cattle, and
hears of an infant with a staff driving long-horned cattle backwards.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:6
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: sacred theft of cattle
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_theft
basis: Hermes stores meat as a token of his youthful theft, Maia calls him a rogue
and robber, Hermes threatens further plunder, and Apollo seeks missing cattle.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The passage is an excerpt from a larger hymn; the theft's beginning lies
outside this selected passage.
- id: motif:2
label: divine infant trickster conceals adult deeds
taxonomy_refs:
- trickster_boundary
- miraculous_child
basis: Hermes performs fire-making, slaughter, concealment, and stealthy travel,
then resumes the appearance of a swaddled infant; the old man also reports an
infant driving cattle backwards.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The label combines literal infant status with interpretive trickster function
supported by conduct and speech.
- id: motif:3
label: culture hero invents fire
taxonomy_refs:
- culture_hero
basis: The passage explicitly says Hermes first invented fire-sticks and fire.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: medium
cautions: Only the invention of fire-sticks and fire is present here; broader culture-hero
activity is not developed in this excerpt.
- id: motif:4
label: ritualized division of sacrificial meat
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
- sacred_exchange
basis: Hermes slaughters cattle, roasts the meat, divides it into twelve honourable
portions by lot, desires the sacrificial meat, and abstains from eating it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage uses sacrificial language, but the full ritual context and
recipients are not completely explained in the excerpt.
- id: motif:5
label: quest for divine honor through transgression
taxonomy_refs:
- initiation
basis: Hermes says he will not remain without offerings and prayers, seeks fellowship
and honor among the gods, and threatens theft if honor is not granted.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The interpretation as initiation is cautious; the passage states a quest
for honor but does not explicitly call it initiation.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 6249-6255
quote_or_summary: Hermes is said to have first invented fire-sticks and fire, piling
dry sticks in a trench until fierce flame spread.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 6257-6270
quote_or_summary: Hermes drags two horned cows to the fire, kills them, cuts and
spits the meat, roasts flesh and organs, and spreads the hides on a rugged rock.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 6271-6280
quote_or_summary: Hermes divides the prepared meat into twelve honourable portions
by lot, longs for the savour but does not eat, stores the meat as a token of youthful
theft, and burns hoofs and heads.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 6282-6295
quote_or_summary: Hermes throws sandals into the Alpheus, quenches and covers embers
and ashes, returns to Cyllene at dawn, passes through the key-hole like breeze
or mist, enters the cave and inner chamber, and lies in his cradle with swaddling
clothes and lyre.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 6297-6304
quote_or_summary: Maia sees Hermes, calls him a rogue returning at night, warns
that Apollo may bind him, and says he will be a worry to mortals and gods.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 6306-6323
quote_or_summary: Hermes answers Maia that he seeks food, offerings, prayers, wealth,
and divine honor; he says he will enter Apollo's rite and, if Zeus does not grant
honor, become a prince of robbers and plunder Apollo's house at Pytho.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 6325-6331
quote_or_summary: At dawn Apollo comes to the grove and sacred place of Onchestus
and finds an old man grazing his beast near the pathway.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 6332-6341
quote_or_summary: Apollo says he seeks his curving-horned cows and asks whether
the old man saw someone following them; the old man says he thought he saw an
infant with a staff driving long-horned cattle backwards.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Extraction is based only on the supplied passage. Motif labels use the available
taxonomy where directly supported; more interpretive labels are marked with cautions.
No comparison claims were added because the passage itself does not explicitly
support comparison to another tradition or corpus.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Passage includes a lacuna marker and footnote numerals in the supplied text; these were not treated as narrative content.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg__l6249-l6341
passage_sha256=81ba0a3ad5e534e2a37a40b0cd6266532314242c96c7e5809ef0a7cdf2a8f33d