Greek mythology describes its deities as belonging to a large family, and it is likely that people today can recognize its most prominent members. Most people are probably familiar with the 12 Olympian gods, the main deities of the Greek pantheon. Many would also have heard of the Titans, the predecessors of the Olympian gods. However, the family tree of the Greek gods consists of more than just the Olympian gods and the Titans. There are gods whose existence predates even that of the Titans. One of them is Morpheus.
Who was Morpheus?
Morpheus was the God of Dreams, who had the amazing ability to appear in the dreams of mortals in any form. As his name suggests, the Greek word “morphe” means “form,” and it was he who shaped and formed dreams.
He was known as the god of dreams. Through them, he could appear to mortals in any form. This talent made Morpheus a messenger of the gods, able to communicate divine messages to sleeping mortals. Although he could take any human form, his true form was that of a winged demon.
Parents and siblings
He was born of Nyx, the personification of Night. The Romans believed, however, that he was the son of Somnus, the personification of sleep, who was himself a son of Nyx. Regardless of his lineage, Morpheus is said to have numerous brothers, known collectively as the Oneiroi (the Greek word for “dream,” incidentally, is oneiro). Apart from Morpheus, two other Oneiroi can be identified by name: Phobetor and Phantasos.
Abilities
Fobetor was believed to be the bringer of nightmares, and had the ability to appear as animals or monsters; ghosts were believed to bring surreal and strange dreams, and were capable of appearing as inanimate objects, such as stones or wood. In contrast to his two brothers, he carried messages and prophecies from the gods to mortals through dreams. He appeared particularly to kings and heroes, often taking the form of a human being.
When not appearing in dreams, Morpheus and his brothers were said to have human forms with wings on their backs. These wings would have allowed him and his brothers to easily reach those whose dreams were assigned to them. In addition, it is said that his wings allowed him to save his father Somnus, who had no wings, from the wrath of Zeus on more than one occasion.
In the arms of Morpheus
He was the god responsible for people’s dreams. When in Morpheus’ arms, people would enjoy a deep sleep, but they would also dream about their future or even upcoming events. He was the messenger of the gods’ dreams, communicating divine messages through images and stories created as dreams.
As the master of dreams, he had the ability to send images into people’s visions, shape these images, and shape the creatures that lived in dreams. Morpheus himself had a talent for imitating any human in dreams and was able to take any form he wanted.
The poet Ovid wrote in his Metamorphoses:
“The King’s Dream” was the father of a thousand sons, in fact a tribe, and of all of them, he chose Morpheus, who had such skill in imitating any human form at will. No other Dream (Oneiro, Morpheus’ brother) can match his art in counterfeiting men: their voice, their gait, their face, their moods; and he also imitates their clothing with precision and the words they use most often. But he only imitates men” …
The winged Morpheus
When in his true form, he had wings on his back. It was believed that he and his brothers received wings from their uncle Thanatos, the god of death, although some interpretations said that they were born with wings.
Legend has it that he used his wings not only to reach those who needed help in their dreams, but also to carry his wingless father, Hypnos, to the world of dreams in the caves, when on several occasions it was necessary to save him from the threat of Zeus. This version also suggests that Hypnos was a rather lazy deity, who spent most of his time sleeping.
Family tree of Morpheus
Father: Hypnos, god of sleep. Descendant of Erebus and NyxMother: Pasithea; goddess of relaxation and rest. Descendant of Hera and Dionysus.Uncle: Thanatos; god of deathBrothers:
Phobetor: He was the creator of frightening dreams. He was the personification of nightmares, taking the form of enormous and terrifying animals.
Phantasus: He was the creator of false and illusory dreams, and had no form of animus.
Ikelos: He was the creator of true dreams, making them more realistic. He was very protective of his entire family. He had the perfect family for his deeds: his father, Hypnos, was the personification of Sleep, seen as both god and devil. His mother, Pasithea, was the goddess of hallucinations, his grandmother, Nyx, was the goddess of night. And his uncle was the fearsome Thanatos, who brought death to people.
Morpheus and his brothers were called the Oneiroi (Dreams). They were his best helpers: Icelus was responsible for the parts of dreams that were real, Phobetor was the creator of phobic or fearful dreams, while Phantasus created unreal dreams, full of ghosts. What made Morpheus the greatest among his brothers was his ability to oversee the dreams of heroes and kings and influence the dreams of the gods.
The world of Morpheus’ dreams
Morpheus’ world of dreams was where his family lived. While shaping the dreams of mortals he desired and visiting countless bedrooms, Morpheus slept in a cave filled with poppy seeds. This mythical fact is perhaps why morphine (also known as morphium), an opium-based medicine for severe pain, took its name from Morpheus.
The river of forgetfulness and the river of oblivion met in that world, highly protected by gates under the supervision of two monsters that would easily materialize the fears of any uninvited visitor. Legend has it that only the gods of Olympus were allowed in this family nest.
It seems that Morpheus was one of the busiest deities, so he had no wife, or at least that is how he was known in Greek mythology. But some interpretations were ready to see him with Iris, the personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods.
Facts about Morpheus
- The phrase “in the arms of Morpheus” means “to be asleep.” It was said that when people slept in the arms of Morpheus, they dreamed of their future or of events to come.
- The Greek word “morphe” means “form.” Thus, Morpheus is the god who shapes dreams.
- Morpheus appears in the Metamorphoses by the poet Ovid. He is also likely to be the nameless spirit of sleep in Homer’s Iliad who delivers a message from Zeus to King Agamemnon.
- Morpheus was the leader of the Oneiroi (Dreams), and he and his brothers were the personified spirits of dreams. Phobetor (or Ikelos) created phobic or terrifying dreams. Phantasm created unreal or ghostly dreams. What distinguished Morpheus from his brothers was his ability to influence the dreams of gods, heroes, and kings.
- Every night, the Oneiroi left the palace of Hypnos and passed through one of two doors. Morpheus would pass through the horned door, which represented true or divine dreams. His brothers passed through the second door, which was made of ivory and represented dreams with no real meaning. The Greek words for “ivory” and “deceive” are very similar.
- Morpheus slept in a cave filled with poppy seeds while he shaped mortal dreams. This could be why opium-based medication for severe pain is known as morphine. Poppies have also been used to treat insomnia due to their hypnotic properties.
- Morpheus, his brothers, his mother, and his father lived in the land of dreams located in the Underworld. Among the other members of his family were NYX, his grandmother and the deity of Night, and Thanatos, Morpheus’ uncle and the god of death.
- Only the gods who resided on Olympus could visit him and his family in the land of dreams. His door was heavily guarded by two fearsome monsters who would materialize the fears of those who tried to pass without being invited. The River of Oblivion was also located in the land of dreams.
- The supervision of mortals’ dreams made Morpheus one of the most active dietitians. He had no wife, but some interpretations would have seen him paired with Iris, another messenger of the gods and the personification of rainbows.
- Some statues of Morpheus have been sculpted depicting him with a winged ear. This is said to symbolize that he listens to dreams through his regular ear and transmits messages from the gods through dreams with his winged ear.
