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Morpheus (pronounced /ˈmɔr.fjuːs/; Greek: Μορφεύς, Morpheus, or Μορφέας, Morpheas, "he who shapes [dreams]") is the Greek god of dreams and sleep. Morpheus has the ability to take any human's form and appear in dreams, but is described as having wings on his back when in his true form.

Family

He is the son of Hypnos, the God of sleep. His mother is Pasithea, the goddess of hallucination. Morpheus' uncle is Thanatos, the god of death (Hypnos brother), his grand mother is Nyx, the goddess of the night, and his grandfather is Erebus, the god of darkness.

Morpheus and his brothers have a close connection with Hades and other Olympian gods as well.

In other myths, he was the son of Hades.

Morpheus, along with his brothers Phobetor (also known as Icelus), and Phantasos have wings on their backs, which they were given by his father Hypnos. Morpheus used his wings to go to others to help them in their dreams. He also used his wings to carry his father to Morpheus' dream world to keep him safe in a cave next to the river of forgetfulness. Phobetor and Phantasos live in Morpheus' dream world.

It is unknown if Morpheus had a wife, though a suspected wife was often portrayed as Iris (the personification of the rainbow).

Abode

Morpheus' dream world is protected by the Gates of Morpheus, which had two monsters capable of becoming one's fears, a method to drive one away. Only other Olympians could enter Morpheus' Dream World. It is notable that his dream world is where his family lived - other gods that were exiled out of Mount Olympus. Notable features of Morpheus' dream world are the Rivers of Forgetfulness and the River of Oblivion.

As Morpheus goes to and from the mortal world, he leaves his brother Phantasos in charge when he is absent from his home

Attributions

It is said that Morpheus is always watching in one's dreams as a shadow.

Morpheus sends images of humans in dreams or visions, and is responsible for shaping dreams, or giving shape to the beings that inhabit dreams. Phobetor made fearsome dreams (etymologically related to "phobia" from the Greek φόβος "fear"). Phantasos produced tricky and unreal dreams (hence "fantasy", "phantasmagoria", etc.). Together, these attendants of Hypnos rule the realm of dreams.

Morpheus also had special responsibility for the dreams of kings and heroes. For these reasons, Morpheus is often referred to as "Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams", in superiority to his brothers.

The drug Morphine is named after Morpheus for its ability to make one sleepy and dreamy.

Appearances

• Morpheus is spoken of in the Metamorphoses of Ovid. According to Ovid, Morpheus concentrated on the human elements of dreams, his brothers Phobetor and Phantasos being responsible for animals and inanimate objects, respectively.
• It is also believed that in the Iliad he is spoken of as "Dream".
• He is referred to in Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene (1590). He sleeps on an ebony bed in a dimly lit cave, surrounded by poppy flowers.
• Morpheus, under the name "Dream" is the principle character in Neil Gaiman's comic book series, "Sandman". As the embodiment and ruler of the dreams, he uses many different names, one of which is "Morpheus".
• Morpheus is featured in episode 3, season 1 of Xena Warrior Princess, where he is the object of worship of a corrupted dream cult. He is also in Homer's Adventures of Odysseus/Ulysses.
• Morpheus as a reference to Morphine is used in a song by the American rock band "Hurt" in a song off their "Vol. I" album called "Overdose"
• Morpheus is also referred to in "Comatose (In the Arms of Slumber)" from the album "Desireless" by Eagle Eye Cherry.
• Morpheus makes an appearance in the "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan - the fifth book of his "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series - as the god of dreams. He puts all of New York City to sleep.
• Morpheus "appears" (only his darkness) in God Of War: Chains of Olympus
• Morpheus is mentioned in the song "The Safest Way Into Tomorrow" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Reference is also made to his wings which he is "offering" in the song (to the person being addressed).
• In the film The Matrix (1999), Morpheus (interprted by Laurence Fishburne) is the leader of a team of free humans and enables Neo to wake up from his "sleep".

References

• Ovid, Metamorphoses, Book XI, at Google Books
• John Potter, "Archaeologia Graeca, or The antiquities of Greece. To which is added, an appendix, containing a concise history of the Grecian states", 1818, Chapter XIII - Of Divination by Dreams, at Google Books