A herma (Ancient Greek: ἑρμῆς, plural ἑρμαῖ hermai), [1] commonly herm in English, is a sculpture with a head and perhaps a torso above a plain, usually squared lower section, on which male genitals may also be carved at the appropriate height.

Herm, in Greek religion, sacred object of stone connected with the cult of Hermes, the fertility god. According to some scholars, Hermes’ name may be derived from the word herma (Greek: “stone,” or “rock,” such as a boundary or landmark).

May 9, 2016 · The herma (more commonly written in English as herm; plural as hermae or hermai) was a form of statuary that originated in ancient Greece. In general, these statues were stone columns that corresponded to the stature of the human body, and were topped by the head of Hermes, one of the Olympian gods.

Aug 26, 2013 · Often we also see these milestones, blocks of stone or cairns with the function of marking a territory, designate a special place, as the grave of a deceased, or define a space. In the cult language we call these milestones "herm" or "Herma", in ancient Greek ἕρμα. word that means "rock, mound".

Jan 21, 2025 · Author and historian Patrick Garner examines the different periods and styles of ancient Greek pottery and delves into the strange effigies of the Olympic god Hermes which were used in ways few moderns would imagine.

In ancient Greek, a herma, was a pile of stones by the side of roads, especially at their crossings and boundaries of lands. The custom was, for each passer-by, to throw a stone onto the heap, which was said to ensure them a safe journey.

the herm developed was not a grave marker, but a sign-post (Wegzeichen) crowning a stone cairn. His theory, too, is evolutionary: "Der Malstein wandelte sich zur Herme."

The ancient Greek herm—a semi-iconic statue, consisting of a rectangular stone pillar topped by the bearded head of Hermes and sporting an erect phallus (carved in relief or in-the-round)—is unquestionably an unusual sculptural type, and one that has never been treated in a particularly thorough or satisfactory manner.

Almost intact Herm found in 1956 in cistern 14 on the Acropolis south slope. Its torso is in the form of a rectangular stele topped with the bust of a young man with short locks of hair and a thin band around his head.

Dec 24, 2024 · Herm of Hermes; Roman copy from the Hermes Propyleia of Alcamenes, 50–100 CE. / Photo by Marshall Astor, Getty Villa, Wikimedia Commons. In Ancient Greece, Hermes was a phallic god of boundaries. His name, in the form herma, was applied to a wayside marker pile of stones and each traveler added a stone to the pile.