“The best thing for anthropocentric dread, for individual anguish, for heartbreak, for illness, is interrupting your individuality. When you cannot walk, cannot move, cannot leave your bed you do not need to find a tree or landscape or butterfly to be. You can be a mote of dust. A potato bug vaulting across the room. The ten fungal spores that scintillate in each one of your inhalations. The anarchic bacterial legacy that melted into your very molecular makeup. The yellowjacket tapping his armored body against the closed window. Sometimes the answer is not to problematize your wounding, but to slip through it like a doorway into otherness. Other minds. Other types of anguish. Other animals and insects going extinct. Birds singing out courtship songs to mates that will never arrive.”
I'm sure you're all familar with Hypnos and the Erotes, respectively. But it's not as common to hear about them working together. Although, it is quite logical when you put some thought to it;
"Sleep and Love, after all, are activities that both have the bed in common." - Sleep and Death
Unfortunately, most of what we know about Hypnos' association with love and the Erotes comes from Nonnus.
"Nonnus (flourished 5th century ad, b. Panopolis, Egypt) was the most notable Greek epic poet of the Roman period.
His chief work is the Dionysiaca, a hexameter poem in 48 books"
- Britannica
Here are a few quotes from 'Nonnus, Dionysiaca'
[theoi.com]
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 31. 103 ff :
". . . Then Hypnos as one obeying a mother started up, and swore to charm the eyes of unresting Zeus even until the third dawn should come; but Iris begged him to fasten Kronion (Cronion) with slumber for the course of one day only. There Hypnos remained, awaiting the happy season of marriage. Then goddess Iris returned flying at speed and hastened to deliver her welcome message to her queen."
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 32. 95 ff :
". . . [and after their lovemaking] Hypnos (Sleep) the servant of the Erotes (Loves) had charmed the eyes of Zeus . . . Zeus slept delicately charmed among the flowers, holding his wife in his arms on that bed unseen."
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 42. 336 ff :
"He [Dionysos in love] sorrowfully prayed to Hypnos (Sleep) and Eros (Love) and Aphrodite of the Evening [the star Venus], all at once, to let him see the same vision [of his love] once more, longing for the deceptive phantom of an embrace."
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 47. 345 ff :
"[Ariadne laments her fate after being abandoned in her sleep by Theseus on Naxos :] ‘Give me again, Hypnos (Sleep), your empty boon, so pleasant; send me another delectable dream like that, so that I may know the sweet bed of love in a deceptive dream! Only linger upon my eyes, that I may know the unreal passion of married love in a dream!’"
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 48. 264 ff :
"The maiden [the virgin Aura] awoke . . . [and] bold Hypnos (Sleep) she reproached more than all and threatening the Oneiros (Dream) [i.e. for sending her a prophetic dream in which she loses her virginity to Dionysos]."
! CW : rape !
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 48. 621 ff :
"Iobakkhos (Iobacchus) [Dionysos] seeing her [Aura asleep] on the bare earth, plucking the Lethaean (Forgetful) feather of bridal Hypnos (Sleep), he crept up noiseless, unshod, on tiptoe, and approached Aura where she lay without voice or hearing. With gentle hand he put away the girl's neat quiver and hid the bow in a hole in the rock, that she might not shake off Hypnos' (Sleep's) wing and shoot him . . . On the ground that hapless girl heavy with wine, unmoving, was wedded to Dionysos; Hypnos (Sleep) embraced the body of Aura with overshadowing wings, and he was marshal of the wedding for Bakkhos (Bacchus), for he also had experience of love, he is yokefellow of Selene (the Moon), he is companion of the Erotes (Loves) in nightly caresses."
And some non-Nonnus ones
Greek Lyric V Anonymous, Fragment 929g (Rainer papyrus) (trans. Campbell) :
"Soft-eyed Hypnos (Sleep) came, embracing all his limbs, as a mother on seeing her dear son after a long absence folds him with her wings to her loving breast."
Licymnius, Fragment 771 (from Athenaeus, Scholars at Dinner) (trans. Campbell, Vol. Greek Lyric V) (Greek lyric C4th B.C.) :
"[Endymion was a handsome youth loved by the moon-goddess Selene. He was granted immortality in a state of eternal slumber :] Likymnios of Khios (Licymnius of Chios) says the Hypnos (Sleep) loves Endymion and does not close they eyes of his beloved boy even while he is asleep, but lulls him to rest with eyes wide open so that he may without interruption enjoy the pleasure of gazing at them. His words are ‘And Hypnos (Sleep), rejoicing in the rays of his eyes, would lull the boy to rest with eyes wide open.’"
^^ I understand that this one can simply be interpreted as one of his 'love stories' as most of the Theoi have them. However I thought it nice that it was said that He loved Endymion so much that He (Sleep) stayed with him forever; being forever in slumber.
Cult images depicting Him with the Mousai (Muses) and Aphrodite
Pausanias, Description of Greece 2. 31. 3 :
"Not far from the Mousai's (Muses') hall [at Troizenos (Troezen) in Argolis] is an old altar, which also, according to report, was dedicated by Ardalos. Upon it they sacrifice to the Mousai and to Hypnos (Sleep), saying that Hypnos is the god that is dearest to the Mousai."
Pausanias, Description of Greece 2. 31. 5 :
"[At Troizenos (Troezen) in Argolis there is] an ancient altar . . . they sacrifice on it to Hypnos (Sleep) and the Mousai (Muses); who they say are particular friends."
Pausanias, Description of Greece 3. 18. 1 :
"[Beside the temple of Athena of the Bronze House in Sparta :] Near the statues of Pausanias is an image of Aphrodite Ambologera (Postponer of Old Age), which was set up in accordance with an oracle; there are also images of Hypnos (Sleep) and of Thanatos (Death). They think them brothers, in accordance with the verses in the Iliad."
Little other bits!
Hypnos is married to Pasithea, one of the Charites, which slightly solidifies his association with 'love-like', good feelings; as the Charites presided over "grace, beauty, adornment, joy, mirth, festivity, dance and song."
His role in the myth of Endymion in which, depending on the version, was in love with Endymion himself or acted as a 'wing-man' for Selene in a way. <- linked a previous post of mine about the variations of the myth!
And yes, at the end there I did include his (more well-known) affiliation with the Mousai; I did this because, although not romantic (with exception for Erato), the Mousai can represent to some extent the love we feel for ourselves, for friends, the passion of a new hobby, the love of happiness, and really just a love for life. Since the Greeks didn't view love as a catch-all-term and had specific names for each type of love, I though it was fitting to also include his beloved friends, the Mousai.
Although we have little information on Hypnos' depiction as an Erote / companion to the Erotes. We can make the connection that the role of sleep and the role of love have much in common.
The bedroom, a holy place for sleep and love. Where intimacy and dreams mingle together. Dreaming about your lover, or of a friend (philia). Waking up next to someone, their arms around you as you remember the previous night (doesn't have to be sex, you could have just embraced each other in your sleep). Winding down after a long day by laying down and reading in bed, your partner joining you, just laying in silence. The giggles of a sleepover. The comfort of your pet snuggling up next to you. The solace you feel when your head hits the pillow, loving yourself and treating you to an early sleep. Anything!
Do I personally regard Hypnos as a love god? Yes and no. My perspective lies within the wording of it; and since this is purely my opinion, I will label this next part as !UPG! Okay, so. I think it would be wrong to say that Hypnos is a 'love god' or a 'god of love', because he is not, he's the god and daimon of sleep; with dreams, altered consciousness, and relaxation / wellbeings being under this domain as well - notice, love is not listed. However, would I ever reach out to Lord Hypnos concerning love? Personally, yes. I don't believe love to ultimately fall under his domains, but he can assist. I sometimes call him an 'assistant to Aphrodite' [or an 'assistant to love'], because that is how I personally view his role regarding love, assisting. To put it into a lil metaphor; Think of Aphrodite as a full-time, dedicated, expert-in-the-field person for Love - and Hypnos as a Casual-worker, called in when needed, knows how to work in the department but doesn't specialise there. Does that make sense? It does to me. Either way, this paragraph was just my personal view on it, if yours doesn't match mine that is totally fine. This aspect of Hypnos is nuanced and gives a huge allowance for UPG.
Anyway, let me know if I missed anything or you'd like to share your own interpretation of Hypnos' love aspect! I'd love to hear them! [heh]
May Hypnos bless you, and sweet dreams ♡
-> heart divider made by @/strangergraphics
-> sleep [zzzz] divider made by @/sisterlucifergraphics
Lord Hypnos is the personification of sleep, child of Nyx, brother of death, Thanatos. He and death are often represented as two youths sleeping, or holding inverted torches in their hands. He does not boast a lot of Epithets, but these are the ones I could find.
All-Vanquisher, Defeater of Woes, Rest of the Soul, Balm of the Soul, Peace of All the World, Stranger to Anguish, Gentlest of the Gods, Quietest of the Gods, God who knows no pain, the blackskin, the painless, son of Nyx, brother of Death, King of Slumber.
sources:
Hypnos was the ancient Greek god or personified spirit (daimon) of sleep. He dwelt in Erebus, the land of eternal darkness beyond the gates
I wrote this entire post in class, please keep that in mind.
I am so normal about them being intrinsically linked not just by being twins but by their roles in the universe. Sleep is the closest one can get to death without actually dying, and death is just an eternal slumber.
I am so normal about them being two sides of the same coin, not just connected by their DNA and their jobs. Needing each other to operate, needing the mortal dying of old age to be put to sleep before their soul can be reaped.
I am so normal about Hypnos having multiple lovers and children while Thanatos stays alone, content with being uncle death to his twins kids.
I am so normal about them needing each other to work efficiently. Helping each other carry bodies off the battlefield, lulling the dying to rest before they take their last breath, back winged Thanatos holding up his twin whoes head wings aren't as big and don't hold as much weight.
I am so normal about them being the light twin and the dark twin, the gentle twin and the 'scary' twin, the loved twin and the feared twin. No one truly understands them like they do each other.
I am so normal about godling death knowing he'll get the best rest possible if he just climbs into bed next to his sleepy twin and the two resting together with no stress.
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