Zzzzzzzzzzz.......

Having a new baby means you are busy doing a lot of things: changing diapers, burping (the baby, not me, although I do my share), making sure the siblings don't get left out, taking care of the new mom, and many, many more things.  I thought I would dedicate this blog entry to something I am NOT doing (besides writing posts).

Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep, appears in later myths.  Before him, Hermes had the job.  Hypnos is the son of Nyx and Erebus (night and darkness) and he lives in Hades.  He and his twin brother Death hang out in a little pad of their own on the banks of Lethe, the river of forgetfulness.  Seeing how their house is surrounded by poppies, one might see how they are in charge of sleep and death.

Hypnos likes to take the form of a singing bird (odd since we tend to think of waking up tot he sound of birds).  He carries around opium in a big drinking horn to give to those who need sleep (I guess he may also qualify as the god of drug dealers).

Hypnos also controls two gates - the Gate of Horn and the Gate of Ivory.  The Horn Gate gives you dreams that help to guide you and the Ivory Gate gives you dreams that mislead you.  Since you can't be sure which one is which, I would hold off on basing life changing decisions on a dream.

“O, Hypnos,

divine repose of all things!
Gentlest of the deities!
Peace to the troubled mind,
from which you drive the cares of life.
Restorer of men's strength

when wearied with the toils of day.”

Ovid, Metamorphoses, Book XI (1 A.D.)

Want to know more?  Here is a website that has devoted itself to Hypnos.  It's The Shrine of Hypnos.  It's where I got most of my information.
 
To the right is the Hypno Hustler.  No, it has nothing to do with Greek mythology.  He is a loser Spider-Man villain and I have no excuse for putting his picture up here other than my lack of a visit from Hypnos.