The Homeric Hymn to Hermes: A journey across the continuum of paradox

The phenomenon of play is evaluated as key theme in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes, where self-referential paradox is used as a passage way into play, game, and ritual. Hermes as hybrid, semi-divine God, embodies the metamessage 'this is play,' incessantly capitalizing on the chaotic ambiguity and generative power of play and paradox. Designing a sequence of paradoxes, Hermes moves processually along paradoxical contiunua to create a 'play reality,' trapping his opponents in a world of illusion, 'magic,' and movement and utlilizing the trajectory of his new creations to propel himself along the larger continuum of his own essential hybridity.