In classical mythology, the gods often disguise themselves for various reasons. In the story of Baucis and Philemon, for example, Zeus/Jupiter and Hermes/Mercury disguised themselves as humans to see whether they could find any humans who would offer hospitality to them in the form of giving them dinner and a place to sleep at night. Zeus/Jupiter also put on various disguises (everything from becoming a swan to becoming a beam of sunlight) to seek out hospitality of the nfic variety.
Joy,
Lynn
