Who Did Hermes Turn Into a Turtle?

Have you ever wondered about the story behind Hermes turning someone into a turtle? Well, let’s dive into Greek mythology to uncover this intriguing tale.

As you might know, Hermes was the messenger god and a trickster figure in Greek mythology. He was known for his cunning and mischievous nature. However, one day he went too far with his pranks and faced some serious consequences.

The victim of his latest prank was a fellow god named Apollo, who was known for his love of music. Hermes stole Apollo’s prized possession, the lyre, and hid it away. When Apollo found out about this theft, he became furious and demanded that Hermes return his lyre immediately.

Hermes refused to return the lyre and instead challenged Apollo to a game of wits. The challenge was that if Apollo could guess where the lyre was hidden within three guesses, Hermes would return it. But if Apollo failed to guess it correctly within three attempts, he would have to let Hermes keep the lyre for good.

Apollo agreed to the challenge but failed miserably in all three attempts. As per their agreement, Hermes kept the lyre and returned it only after playing a beautiful tune on it.

But what happened next is what made this story famous. In revenge for being tricked by Hermes, Apollo decided to curse him by transforming one of his beloved creatures into a turtle.

Apollo chose Chelone as his victim because she had refused to attend his wedding ceremony with her fellow gods. As a punishment for her rudeness, Apollo turned her into a turtle and banished her from the company of other gods forever.

This story has been passed down through generations as an example of how even gods can face consequences for their actions. It also shows that sometimes even small things like attending someone’s wedding ceremony can make a big difference in our lives.

So now you know who Hermes turned into a turtle and why!