Hypnos Informational Post!
Pompeii Fresco of Ariadne asleep on Hypnos's lap
Hypnos is the god of sleep and is a chthonic deity, living in an Underworld cave next to his twin brother Thanatos on the banks of the River Lethe. Other sources have him living on the island Lemnos. Ovid describes his cave as being cloaked in darkness, where Helios’s light can never reach, a silent sanctuary built without doors to ensure a creaky hinge never disrupts the god’s sleep. In his cave, Hypnos sleeps on a bed of ebony while his thousands of children, the Oneiroi, also sleep.
Hypnos is the son of Nyx, and sometimes Erebus. The Oneiroi are sometimes his children, sometimes his siblings via Nyx. His wife is Pasithea, a Charity, whose hand in marriage was promised to Hypnos by Hera as a reward for putting Zeus to sleep during the Trojan War. Modern day sources have Pasithea as a goddess of rest and relaxation, however I have not found any ancient sources claiming that.
Hypnos is depicted with an inverted torch, a hoop, poppies and opium, and a branch dripping with water from the Lethe (River of Forgetfulness). He is said to have a horn that he pours slumber across the Earth with. He is winged and most often depicted as a young man with short curly hair.
Did you know Hypnos has healing associations?! Hippocrates was the first to explore the importance of sleep and dreams in the diagnostic and healing process. He believed that an interrupted sleep schedule was a sign of illness and that dreams could be used to diagnose a problem. Beyond that, sleep seems to have been important in healing sickness; a statue of Hypnos in a Temple of Asclepius was described by Pausanias. Even today we recognize the importance of sleep and healing; we rest when we’re recovering from an illness or procedure, or to recover from mental anguish and burnout.
On a personal note, while I had called Hypnos into my space, I had noticed he had a similar energy to Apollo. I then realized, not only is Hypnos connected to Asclepius, Apollo’s son, but it is likely he was once an aspect of Hermes, Apollo’s brother.
We spend a third of our lives sleeping - that’s a lot of time spent with Hypnos! Moreover, all of nature sleeps; Hypnos touches all life on Earth. A healthy sleep schedule is associated with a longer lifespan and better health outcomes, while sleep deprivation is associated with shorter lifespans and negative health outcomes. Those poor health symptoms start quick too - it’s amazing how awful you feel physically after a night of little to no sleep! Since sleep is such a big part of our lives, I’d say we all should say a few more prayers to Hypnos :)
Dreams are fascinating because scientists don’t really understand why we have them. There’s theories, but no definitive answer. Ancient people credited them to the Oneiroi, who visited mortals every night. They came from the Land of Dreams in the Underworld, and as Homer puts it:
“For two are the gates of shadowy dreams, and one is fashioned of horn and one of ivory. Those dreams that pass through the gate of sawn ivory deceive men, bringing words that find no fulfillment. But those that come forth through the gate of polished horn bring true issues to pass, when any mortal sees them.” (Homer, Odyssey, 19.562-567)
So, dreams that mean nothing pass through the ivory gate, while dreams that are important pass through the gate of horn. Now, the ancient Greeks did not have specific names for the Oneiori (that we know of), but Ovid on the other hand named Morpheus, a deity who brought dreams to mortals and appeared in the form of humans. The only ancient text that mentioned Morpheus is Metamorphoses where he appears to Alcyone in the form of her husband to inform her he is dead. As for the Ancient Greeks, Hesiod describes the Oneiroi as “the tribe of dreams” and writes that they are the sons of Nyx. In modern day, I most often see people worshipping Morpheus alongside Hypnos as his son and the god of dreams.
Endymion was a beautiful mortal man who spent his time gazing at the moon; some say he was an astronomer, others a shepherd. The Moon goddess Selene feel in love with the youth and asked Zeus to put him into an eternal sleep so he would never die. Zeus granted her wish, and it is said by Endymion in his entranced state, Selene had 50 daughters. However, one account by Likymnios of Chios, Hypnos had the youth put to sleep with his eyes wide open, so he could forever gaze into the eyes of his lover. I'm curious - does anybody worship Hypnos as a queer deity?
Lord of all mortal men and gods
And lastly, I’d like to end with a few of my favorite quotes about Hypnos.
“Hypnos beating his shady wing sent all breathing nature to rest.” -Nonnus, Dionysiaca.
“Thou rest of all things, sleep, mildest of the gods, balm of the soul, who puttest care to flight, soothest our bodies worn with hard ministries, and preparest them for toil again.” -Ovid, Metamorphosis, Book Two.
“Hypnos is now beginning to hand me over to his brother.” -Aelian, Historical Miscellany.
