#hypnos epithets

[the-banks-of-lethe]

Epithets of Hypnos

I'm sure many people have posted about his epithets before, but whats one more? Also, I'm going to be adding some epithets that I have made personally for Lord Hypnos. Feel free to use them! [CE = Cult Epithet. PE = Poetic Epithet]

[transliteration - meaning - greek]

Original:

Epidotes - Bountiful Επιδοτες CE

Paean - Healer Παιάνας CE

Makar - Blessed one PE

Pannikitis - All-vanquishing Παννικίτης PE

Melamkhrotos - Black-skinned Μελαμχρωτος PE

Dios apate - the deception of Zeus Διός απάτη PE

Personal:

Nychtopouli - Nighthawk Νυχτοπούλι

the nighthawk is one of Hypnos’ (sacred?) animals. I also took into consideration how this works as a metaphor for what he does each night [in myth]. Nighthawks are nocturnal birds, only awake and flying at night. And although He is awake throughout the day, every night he rises to the earth with His mother Nyx, and flies across the skies giving sleep to all. Flying at night? Nighthawk? Get it?

Dianomeas - Deliverer (of woes) Διανομέας *

Apeleftherotis kaimo - Liberator (deliverer) of woe Απελευθερωτής καημό *

Eleuthereus - Liberator (tion) Ελευθερευς *

Eirinikos - Peaceful (the peaceful one) Ειρηνικός

Oneiropolos - Dreamy Ονειροπόλος

Evgenesteri - Gentlest Ευγενέστερη

*I believe these three can be used in conjunction with each other, as they have similar meanings, although can also be seperated if the meaning needs to be specifically one or the other :))

If anyone has any epithets that they've made for Lord Hypnos (or any deity!) please feel free to share!! Hope everyone is having a lovely day/night, wherever you are. May Hypnos bless you all!

Sweet dreams 💙

[ruebarbpie]

I finally have art to share

Technically, they're all my comfort characters

[templeofelysium]

who are the chthonic deities?

HADES: the god of the dead, riches, and King of the Underworld

PERSEPHONE: the goddess of springtime and flowers, Queen of the Underworld

HERMES: messenger of the gods, god of commerce, luck, thieves, and travel. under his Chthonius epithet his role in guiding the dead to the Underworld is emphasized

DEMETER: some sources consider the goddess of agriculture and fertility a chthonic deity because of her relation to the earth and as Persephone's mother

HEKATE: goddess of magic, crossroads, necromancy, and ghosts, she is a close companion of Persephone

TARTARUS: the primordial god of the abyss and personification of the deepest level of the Underworld

NYX: the primordial goddess of night

EREBUS: the primordial god of darkness, husband of Nyx

HYPNOS: son of Nyx and Erebus, the god of sleep

NEMESIS: daughter of Nyx and Erebus, goddess/daemon of revenge

CHARON: son of Nyx and Erebus, the ferryman that carries the dead across the river Acheron to the Underworld

THANATOS: son of Nyx and Erebus, the god of death

dividers by @vibeswithrenai

[khaire-traveler]

Random Greek Deity Facts

- Artemis has been associated with horses in the past.

- Ares has associations with owls.

- There are ancient gravestones with reliefs on them that historians still cannot tell if the art is of Dionysus or Jesus.

- It is common for historians to struggle identifying if a statue is of Artemis or Apollo because they often look so much alike.

- Hephaestus is a god of fire.

- Maia, the Mother of Hermes, was thought to assist in raising both Dionysus and Hephaestus.

- Hypnos is said to live in a massive cave, sleeping with thousands of his sons.

- Rather than blood, Greek gods are said to have something called Ichor running through their veins; no one is quite sure what "Ichor" actually is.

- Both Apollo and Artemis are deities of light; it is not just Apollo. Along with this, it is believed Leto may also be a goddess of light.

- It is commonly believed that the hyacinth flower is not actually the flower Hyacinthus was infamously transformed into; most sources seem to agree that it was likely either an iris or a larkspur.

- At one point in the Dionysiaca, Dionysus wages a war against India. The goddess Rhea is said to have gathered troops for him, and Zeus was said to have been the one to task Dionysus with going to war in order to allow him to join the gods on Mount Olympus.

- Demeter's chariot is pulled by two giant winged serpents; she has literal dragons pulling her around, and no one is talking about it.

- The Python was a child of Gaia, and before Apollo took up the Oracle in Delphi, there was actually an Oracle with Gaia in that location.

- The twins Castor and Pollux, who made up the Gemini constellation, were commonly worshipped throughout ancient Greece under the title of the "Dioscuri" or "Dioskouroi".

- Also regarding the Dioskouroi, the name "Castor" ("Kastor") may translate to "Beaver".

- The famous epithet "Paean" of Apollo was also listed on an ancient Mycenaean tablet that listed the names of separate deities. It is, therefore, possible that Paean was once a separate god who later became associated/merged with both Apollo and his son Ascelpius.

- Besides being an epithet, a Paean was also a type of devotional chant/song that was sung in honor of Apollo. Some ancient sources claim that the event of singing a Paean could actually be quite loud, involving clouds of stomping/banging and movement.

- The masculine version of Hekate's name, "Hekatos", was an epithet for the god Apollo; both names can be translated to "worker from afar".

- The first record of the more "traditional" view of a werewolf comes from the Greek myth about King Lycaon, when Zeus transformed into a wolf for ten years as punishment for tricking the gods into consuming human flesh (yes, you read that right).

- In the myths, Zeus and Hermes have a lovely Father-Son bonding trip of destroying an entire village (except for one home) for not showing either of the disguised gods hospitality as poor travellers.

- Both Apollo and Zeus were seen as gods who purified "blood-guilt" - a condition which was caused by the killing of another person and required immense purification.

- Cerberus is described as a fully sentient being who can communicate as other immensely powerful children of Gaia could, meaning he is akin to the gods in terms of intelligence rather than being like an overgrown dog.

- Hermes is said to be the inventor of offerings, specifically animal sacrifices.

- One origin of the Pegasus was Poseidon and Medusa doing the devil's tango.

- There is a tale that claims Hermes to be the one who granted Aesop his knowledge of fables.

- According to some ancient sources, Cerberus has as many as fifty heads, a mane of snakes, the claws of a lion, and a snake tail.

- Iris was not only the goddess of rainbows but was also the personal messenger of Hera and was prominently featured in The Iliad delivering many messages on behalf of the Olympian gods.

- Eros has been depicted as the child of Aphrodite and Ares, the child of Ouranos and Aphrodite, the child of solely Aphrodite, the child of Poros and Penia, the child of Ouranos and Gaia, the child of Zephyrus and Iris, and a primordial being who simply came into being. So, where did Eros actually come from? Your guess is as good as any.

----

That's all for now! Let me know if y'all enjoyed these and would like more. 🧡

----

|| Sources ||

- Theoi.com (of course)

- The Iliad by Homer

- Theogony by Hesiod

- The Dionysiaca by Nonnus

- Information from various museum trips in Athens and Delphi, Greece (sorry, I don't remember the exact sources 💀)

[sunkissed-psyche]

THANATOS: AN INFODUMP

Thanatos (Θανατος) known to the romans as Mors is the god or daimon (personified spirit) of non-violent death. He is a chthonic deity residing in the underworld.

This post covers his family, symbols, notable myths, epithets, orphic hymn, and my favourite passages about him.

PARENTAGE AND SIBLINGS

His parentage and family can be understood through Hesiod’s Theogony (A Greek epic written in the 8th or 7th B.C)

And Nyx (Night) bare hateful Moros (Doom) and black Ker (Violent Death) and Thanatos (Death), and she bare Hypnos (Sleep) and the tribe of Oneiroi (Dreams). And again the goddess murky Nyx, though she lay with none, bare Momos (Blame) and painful Oizys (Misery), and the Hesperides . . . Also she bare the Moirai (Moirae, Fates) and the ruthless avenging Keres (Death-Fates) . . . Also deadly Nyx bare Nemesis (Envy) to afflict mortal men, and after her, Apate (Deceit) and Philotes (Friendship) and hateful Geras (Old Age) and hard-hearted Eris (Strife).

— Parents: Nyx with no father (Roman versions of his birth name Erebus the father)

— Siblings:

Apate (deceit)

Eris (strife)

Geras (old age)

Hesperides (nymphs of the evening)

Hypnos (sleep) Ker (violent death)

Keres (death-fates)

Moirai (fates)

Momos (blame)

Moros (doom)

Nemesis (retribution)

Oizys (misery)

Oneiroi (dreams)

Philotes (friendship)

SYMBOLS AND APPEARANCE

SYMBOLS

— inverted torch → represents a life being extinguished

— butterfly → symbolises the soul

— sword → indicates his authority to sever the thread of life

— poppies → as a symbol of eternal sleep

— wreath → suggesting eternity, or the cyclical nature of life and death

APPEARANCE

Greek vase paintings depicted him as a winged, older man with a beard and rarely as a young, beardless youth.

Roman sculptures portrayed him as a youth holding an inverted torch and a wreath or butterfly

NOTABLE MYTHS

— THANATOS AND THE BODY OF SARPEDON

As seen in the Iliad, Thanatos and Hypnos are tasked to carry the body of Sarpedon away from the battlefield to Lycia so his brothers and countrymen can give him a respectful burial.

Homer, Iliad 16. 453 ff (trans. Lattimore) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) : "[Hera speaks to Zeus about the approaching death of his son Sarpedon :] ‘But after the soul and the years of his life have left him [Sarpedon], then send Thanatos (Death) to carry him away, and Hypnos (Sleep), who is painless, until they come with him to the countryside of broad Lykia (Lycia) where his brothers and countrymen shall give him due burial with tomb and gravestone.’"

Homer, Iliad 16. 681 ff : "Then [Apollon] gave him [Sarpedon] into the charge of swift messengers to carry him, of Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death), who are twin brothers, and these two presently laid him down within the rich countryside of broad Lykia (Lycia)."

— THE CAPTURE OF THANATOS BY SISYPHUS

Sisyphus was the (possibly) founder and king of Corinth and was known as ‘the craftiest on men’ in texts by Homer. In the myth, Thanatos was sent to carry Sisyphus into the underworld. Upon Thanatos’ arrival, Sisyphus who was hiding chained him and in doing do, suspended death across the entire world. Thanatos was later freed by Ares who had noticed an absence of death from the battlefield

Alcaeus, Fragment 38a (trans. Campbell, Vol. Greek Lyric I) (Greek lyric C6th B.C.) : "King Sisyphos (Sisyphus), son of Aiolos (Aeolus), wisest of men, supposed that he was master of Thanatos (Death); but despite his cunning he crossed eddying Akheron (Acheron) twice at at fate's command."

Aeschylus, Sisyphus the Runaway (lost play) (Greek tragedy C5th B.C.) : Weir Smyth (L.C.L.) quotes from Pherecydes, a C5th B.C. mythographer, in his discussion of the plot of this lost play: "The drama was satyric; its theme, the escape from Haides of the crafty Korinthian king. According to the fabulous story told by Pherekydes (Frag. 78 in Müller,Fragmenta Historicum Graecorum) Sisyphos made known to Asopos that it was Zeus who had carried off his daughter Aigina; in punishment for which offence the god sent Thanatos (Death) against the babbler; but Sisyphos bound Thanatos (Death) fast, so that men ceased to die, until Ares came to the rescue, released Thanatos, and gave Sisyphos into his power."

— THANATOS WRESTLED BY HERACLES

In the Euripides, a Greek tragedy written in the 5th C B.C. Thanatos is wrestled by Heracles to save the life of Alkestis. Heracles does this to repay Admetos, Alklestis’

Euripides, Alcestis 839 ff : "Herakles : I must save this woman who has died so lately, bring Alkestis back to live in this house and pay Admetos all the kindness that I owe. I must go there [to the funeral at the graveside] and watch for Thanatos (Death) of the black robes (melampeplos), master of dead men (anax nekrôn), and I think I shall find him drinking the blood of slaughtered beasts beside the grave. Then, if I can break suddenly from my hiding place, catch him, and hold him in the circle of these arms, there is no way he will be able to break my hold on his bruised ribs, until he gives the woman up to me. But if I miss my quarry, if he does not come to the clotted offering, I must go down, I must ask Kore (Core, the Maiden) [Persephone] and the Master (Anax) [Haides] in the sunless homes of those below (domos anêlios)."

EPITHETS

Greek

- Paean -> the healing (delivers men from the pains and sorrows of life)

- Melampeplos -> of the black robes

- Anax Nekron -> master of dead men

English (these are ones I've derived from text so partial upg)

- insatiable

- dreadful/dreaded one

- awful god

- with a heart of iron

- without mercy

Latin

- Acherontis - inflicter of Acheron (woe)

ORPHIC HYMN

The Fumigation from Manna. Hear me, O Death [Thanatos], whose empire unconfined, extends to mortal tribes of every kind. On thee, the portion of our time depends, whose absence lengthens life, whose presence ends. Thy sleep perpetual bursts the vivid folds, by which the soul, attracting body holds: Common to all of every sex and age, for nought escapes thy all-destructive rage; Not youth itself thy clemency can gain, vigorous and strong, by thee untimely slain. In thee, the end of nature's works is known, in thee, all judgment is absolved alone: No suppliant arts thy dreadful rage control, no vows revoke the purpose of thy soul; O blessed power regard my ardent prayer, and human life to age abundant spare.

MY FAVOURITE MISC. COLLECTION OF TEXTS

Hesiod, Theogony 758 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.) : . . . These are Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death), dread divinities. Never upon them does Helios, the shining sun, cast the light of his eye-beams, neither when he goes up the sky nor comes down from it. One of these [Hypnos], across the earth and the wide sea-ridges, goes his way quietly back and forth, and is kind to mortals, but the heart of the other one [Thanatos] is iron, and brazen feelings without pity are inside his breast."

Aeschylus, Fragment 82 Niobe (from Stobaeus, Anthology 4. 51. 1) (trans. Weir Smyth) (Greek tragedy C5th B.C.) : "For, alone of gods, Thanatos (Death) loves not gifts; no, not by sacrifice, nor by libation, canst thou aught avail with him; he hath no altar nor hath he hymn of praise; from him, alone of gods, Peitho (Persuasion) stands aloof."

Aeschylus, Fragment 141 Philoctetes (from Stobaeus, Anthology 4. 52. 32) : "[The wounded Philoktetes (Philoctetes) laments :] ‘O Death (thanatos), the healer (paian), reject me not, but come! For thou alone art the mediciner of ills incurable, and no pain layeth hold on the dead.’"

[may-be-made-of-arsenic]

for Odysseus’ name to become synonymous with journey; Odyssey- he has lost his humanity; even after he dies and his body burnt to ashes on a pyre he won’t enter Hades. he will be damned to a thousand more journeys, a thousand more trials and a thousand more deaths. his spirit floats through the plays that recite his journey, echoes through the songs sung about him, his pain seeks through every epithet. Sacker of cities. Great glory of the Achaeans. Mastermind of war. Master mariner. Man of pain.

he will be damned time and time again to suffer and reach home for it to be torn out of his grasp each time. he will reach where the river styx fades into Hades and see the descent and before he can feel relief he is back where he started. He is in Troy. He is in a boat in an unfamiliar land, but it has his name. He is in Troy again, but not the same one he raided and burnt. he is floating through the aether. he is not a man anymore. nor is he monster. he is a Thing, an Ideal; akin more to Thanatos or Hypnos or Eris in he is no longer Odysseus he is the personification of journey.

If there truly are three deaths; one of the mind, one of the heart, and one of the memory. then Odysseus has become immortal and yet he begs for death. he no longer knows whether he begs for the peace of Hades or to truly be forgotten, to truly cease to be

[sleepnowmychild]

This is a Hypnos worship blog but because I very much appreciate his twin lemme just say ‘Unrelenting one’ is by far my fav epithet for Thanatos. Like yeah, death doesn’t stop. No one can escape it. It’s unrelenting.

Compared to my favourite of Hypnos ‘Soft eyed’ it’s a perfect contrast for the perfect two sides of the same coin like twins.

[coinandcandle]

Eris Deep Dive: Goddess of Discord and Strife

Eris (Ἔρις) is the Greek personification of discord and strife—more notably she was considered to be the daimona of the strife of war. She was not considered a goddess in the same respect as the Olympians until more recently.

While she was not worshiped in ancient Greece, she has become a popular deity in Discordianism, a modern religion, as well as being worshiped by solitary individuals. In modern day she is given a kinder but still discordant role, worshiped as a goddess of chaos and specifically necessary chaos; chaos invoked as the catalyst of change. She is also said to be the goddess of the chaos needed for artists to create.

Parents and Siblings

Her parentage depends on who is relaying the story. The most popular belief is that she was spawned by Nyx alone.

Nyx, no father

Nyx and Erebus (only because Erebus was Nyx’s lover)

Zeus and Hera (because she is noted as Ares’ sister)

Siblings will also depend. According to Hesiod’s Theogony, her siblings are:

Aether

Hemera

Moros

Apate

Dolos

Nemesis

The Keres

The Moirai

The Hesperides

The Erinyes

Oizys

Momus

Oneiros

Hypnos

Thanatos

Philotes

Geras

If she is the daughter of Zeus and Hera then the list of siblings would be way longer including all half siblings. She is specifically mentioned to be Ares’ sister in Homer’s Iliad. Too many to list, I will instead offer you the genealogy of Zeus and Hera.

Her full-blooded siblings would be:

Hebe

Ares

Eileithyia

Lovers or Partners

No lovers mentioned

Children

Ponos (Hardship)

Lethe (Forgetfulness)

Limos (Starvation)

Algea (Pains)

Hysminai (Battles)

Makhai (Wars)

Phonoi (Murders)

Androktasiai (Manslaughters)

Neikea (Quarrels)

Pseudea (Lies)

Logoi (Stories)

Amphillogiai (Disputes)

Dysnomia (Anarchy)

Ate (Ruin)

Horkos (Oath)

Epithets

Note that these aren’t historically attested, they do come from translated myths but that doesn’t mean she was called this throughout history.

Strife

Infernal Goddess

Mother of Cacodaemons

Notes

Often Eris is called a goddess of chaos in modern times, but in history she is recorded as the goddess of discord. While they seem like synonyms they are not, chaos is disorder and confusion; discord is argument or disagreement. While discord may lead to chaos, they are not one in the same.

This confusion may come from the conflation of Eris and the similar but still separate Roman goddess Discordia, who is the goddess of chaos and was often seen in a kinder light than the Greek Eris.

Eris is the last born of Nyx according to the Theogony.

She is noted in mythology to be particularly fond of the bloodshed of war.

Eris and the goddess of war Enyo are often conflated.

In his writing Works and Days, Hesiod says that there are two Erises; one that exists purely to plague mankind with strife, and the other is a kinder Eris who instills a healthy sense of competition in mankind.

Unfortunately Eris does not appear in mythology often, as is the case for many daimones, However her most popular roles in mythology are:

Throwing the (sometimes golden) apple into a feast with the words inscribed “to the fairest”, causing three goddesses, Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera, to argue about who the apple should go to. Eventually, not wanting to deal with it, Zeus made the human mortal Paris decide. Though her role was short, it was a huge part in starting the Trojan war in mythology. Read about The Judgement of Paris.

When Polytechnos and Aëdon said their relationship was way better than Zeus and Hera’s, Hera sent Eris down to create marital discord between them. She did just that, making them compete against each other. Polytechnos was completing a standing board for a chariot and Aëdon a tapestry at the time, so they made a bet on who would finish first. Whoever lost would present the other with a slave. It gets pretty dark and they end up getting turned into birds by Zeus, a common ‘kind’ gesture from him in mythology. Read more here.

Interestingly enough, Eris is pictured with Themis, the goddess of divine law and order on a vase depicting the Judgement of Paris. The two watch over the three goddesses.

In another painting, Eris is depicted wearing winged shoes and having wings herself. This could symbolize freedom and swiftness—sometimes sneakiness as well. This would make sense for Eris as she is considered in mythology to be a sneaky troublemaker.

There were no shrines known to be dedicated to Eris.

Discordia, Eris’ Roman counterpart, was associated with the type of discord needed for societal change and going with the grain.

Modern Deity Work

Seeing as she was not worshiped as far as we know in ancient times, these are pulled from mostly modern practitioners’ posts as well as general practices of Hellenism.

Correspondences

Rocks/Stone/Crystals

Gold, Onyx, Smoky quartz, moldavite

Herbs/Plants

Apples, hallucinogenic plants,

Animals

Venomous snakes, scorpions, ravens, foxes (all associated with other deities of chaos and discord)

Offerings

Apples with Honey

Honey

Fruits

Breads

Olive oil

Red meat

Wine

Blood (please be smart about this)

Gunpowder (again, don’t be dumb)

Imagery of war

Weapons or imagery of weapons

Acts of Devotion

Learn to embrace chaos as a catalyst for change.

Enter into competitions, whether they be sports or art contests, just go compete!

Learn about the history of war, especially the wars of Ancient Greece.

Join protests for what you believe in, breaking societal norms.

Pull a prank! She’s a trickster, what trickster doesn’t love a good prank?

References and Further Reading

Eris - Theoi Project

Eris - Britannica

Eris -World History Encyclopedia

Eris - Greek Mythology Link

A Guide to Worship Eris Cheat Sheet by screeching-0wl

Theogony by Hesiod

The Iliad by Homer

Works and Days by Hesiod

Subtle Eris Worship by khaire-traveler

[beautyofaphrodite]

Χαίρετε and welcome to the Shrine of Aphrodite!

*Χαίρετε (Khairete) means hello (plural, as in to a group) in Greek, to my understanding. I do not speak Greek, but I am learning, so please let me know if the meaning is wrong.

This is a place to honor and worship Lady Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty, war, and more. The Shrine is a communal shrine, meaning it’s a shrine for many of us to share, offer, and show our Love for Lady Aphrodite.

The Shrine is a safe space for everyone. By that, I mean any queer people, BIPOC, nonhumans, systems, those who are disabled, neurodivergent, mentally ill, and anyone else who does not wish harm on others. There is ZERO tolerance for racism, ableism, queerphobia of any kind (homophobia, transphobia, etc), or any other kind of hate. The person who runs this blog has signed the xenia declaration.

This is also a place where you may ask any questions you have or request posts you would like to see. That being said, asks or requests that make me uncomfortable or I simply do not want to answer will be deleted.

Our lovely logo was made by the wonderful @hyakinthou-naos

What is Posted?

Informational posts about Lady Aphrodite or Hellenic Polytheism in general

Information about Her epithets, aspects, and associations

Prayers and Hymns

Collages related to Her

My personal experiences

Community Questions and Polls

Monthly Tarot with Lady Aphrodite

Etc

Guidelines

The biggest one- Be respectful. Everyone worships differently, everyone believes different things, everyone has different experiences. Please always be respectful to others.

This is a safe space for all - as well as all those I mentioned above, this space also welcomes minors (who are old enough to be on this app, of course). In addition, I, the person who runs this blog, am a minor. So please, please keep everything sfw and kind.

Do your research. It’s okay to be wrong or to not know something, but learn from that. Additionally, I will try to list my sources in informational posts, and I always encourage you to fact-check me, please don’t blindly trust information from a random Tumblr post, as much as I hope my information is true.

Use common sense and kindness. Always think before you say something, be kind when speaking to someone else. Don’t do something you wouldn’t do in real life.

Who Runs the Shrine?

Hello there! I’m Aspyn and I run this shrine to Aphrodite. I’m relatively new to hellenic polytheism, but I have been worshipping Lady Aphrodite for a few years and have believed in the gods for about half my life, even though I didn’t know worshipping them was a thing you could do.

I am trans, queer, and aroace. My pronouns change a lot but He/Him and It/Its reliably fit me.

I am a devotee of Lady Aphrodite, Lord Apollon, and Lord Hypnos, though I regularly worship many other deities.

Tags

beautyofaphrodite shrine: any original posts

beautyofaphrodite asks: community questions or polls

beautyofaphrodite answers: answered asks or requests

beautyofaphrodite speaks: original textposts

beautyofaphrodite reblogs: reblogs

May the loving goddess Aphrodite watch over you and bless you with love of all kinds in your life.

[witchesofvaliant]

✦ Minor Deity Monday - Morpheus ✦

Welcome to the first of a series!

The first episode of this series starts off with Morpheus, the Greek Shapeshifting God of Dreams and the leader of the Oneiroi, personifications having to do with dreams, or dream spirits (aka daemones).

Who is he?

The name of Morpheus (Μορφευς) means "form" or "shape" and he is known specifically for being the Oneiros who personifies the human form in dreams, taking the shape of various humans and being able to copy the exact voice and mannerisms of the being as well. He also is known to have delivered dreams to humans, and at times delivered messages or prophecy through these dreams.

Mythology

In mythology, Morpheus is considered leader of the Oneiroi, dream daemones, children of either Nyx (Night) and Erebos (Darkness) or of Hypnos (Sleep) and Pasithea (Relaxation), that are called brothers with each other, with the three Oneiroi mentioned in mythology being Morpheus (Form), Phobetor (Frightener), and Phantasos (Fantasy).

Morpheus, along with the rest of the Oneiroi are said to "sleep" in a cave in Erebos (with either Hypnos or Erebos) that is located in the Underworld. The Oneiroi seem to tend to be "sleeping" under the effects of poppy seeds which exist in the cave they reside in. The Poppy plant contains opiates, which is where morphine is derived from. In low doses, it causes drowsiness, sleepiness, and a mild high.

There isn't much mention of Morpheus specifically throughout mythology, with the most prominent of myths including him being in the story of Alcyone and a suspected theory of Morpheus being the unnamed Oneiroi who gave Agamemnon a dream in the Iliad.

Alcyone and Morpheus

After the death of Alcyone's husband, Hera feeling terrible for the situation, had Iris go to Erebos, where Hypnos and the Oneiroi reside, and told Hypnos that Alcyone needed to be told of her husband's death. Hypnos then enlists Morpheus, who fit the situation best as he then goes to Alcyone in the night, and takes the form of her dead husband, copying his voice and mannerisms perfectly, and telling her that she had lost her husband.

Agamemnon's Dream

In the Iliad, Zeus wished to give victory to Achilles during the Trojan War, so to do this, he planned to fool Agamemnon first. For this to work, Zeus enlists the help of Dream (who is suspected to be Morpheus), who turns into Nestor, an advisor to Agamemnon, and speaks to him in his sleep making him believe Zeus is on his side. By doing this, Agamemnon follows through on this fake advice and makes a tactical error, losing in battle instead.

Personal Gnosis

In my personal experience, Morpheus, alike to how he is thought to be in myth, he seems to appear as a young man or entirely cloaked in shadow, either way having dark/blackened angel-like wings, and standing far above even a tall human height. He does also live in Erebos, within the Underworld, with the other Oneiroi.

I also personally feel him to be nonbinary, but primarily male-presenting, so "he" or "they" works!

His attitude can tend to be stoic but with a dark sense of humor, at times being fairly serious when he truly needs you to know something and more mischievous when you fail to pay attention to him, especially if you're in a dream with him. He's a wonderful guide and teacher especially in terms of dream work and has actually helped me quite a bit with understanding lucid dreaming much better. Additionally, as I've seen some talk in a few spaces of liminal deities, I'd consider Morpheus one, especially as a deity known for changing shape and existing primarily in the world of dreams.

He's connected to the element of Air, and the colors silver, black, dark blue, grey, and gold.

The three primary epithets I know him as are: - Winged Guide of Dreams - Focuses on his dream and guiding aspects - The Dark Messenger - Focuses on his prophetic aspects - The Shifting Shadow - Focuses on his more liminal and transformative aspects

Further Resources on Morpheus:

https://www.theoi.com/Daimon/OneirosMorpheus.html

https://www.greeklegendsandmyths.com/morpheus.html

https://www.thecollector.com/morpheus-greek-god/

https://olympioi.com/demigods/morpheus

https://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/morpheus-the-god-of-dreams/

Divider by @enchanthings

[royal-wren]

People will wonder why Hermes and Hypnos have a similar look/aesthetic even though both are sleep and the leader of dreams (Hermes' is just more overt and older). They will wonder when academics are under the consensus that Hypnos is just an epithet of Hermes who got a life of its own when the above is taken into account, while wings are prominent and both are born to a nighttime star goddess that is a leader in the heavens/space and also a khthonic deity. People will see that both are a giver and taker of sleep but Hermes expounds on it by also giving dreams and being death in some circles and guide of souls, as Hermes is the god of the unconscious and says I wonder why. Hermes doing what Hypnos does but doing so much more is why people that study this professionally are convinced Hypnos is just an aspect of Hermes that became its own thing.

[the-odd-laundromat]

On Miquella, St. Trina, and Spirits

Warning, this is a fairly long post. Best buckle up.

I've started to let my imagination wander of late about Miquella, St. Trina, and spirit ashes within the lore of Elden Ring and its DLC. I made this for fun and I don't intend it in serious spirit. If this doesn't line up with your own theories or headcanons, that's cool. There are billions of people on the planet, and some of us are bound to disagree. Let's all be civil about it, please. (Do note this is just my personal blog, not dedicated exclusively to ER).

My theory is this: Apart from sleep (through St. Trina), Unalloyed Gold and the Haligtree, Miquella holds dominion over spirits; specifically Torrent, Spirit Ashes and spirit bosses you fight.

Miquella fits, if abstractly, into Elden Ring's mythological basis. He parallels the god Baldr from Norse myth, already an influence on Elden Ring (e.g., The Erdtree = Yggdrasil) in some ways: Baldr was associated with light and all good things, and was specifically noted to be beloved by all. Baldr's death (though that's Godwyn in ER) triggers Ragnarok. Baldr is among the gods who survive and return to a renewed, clean-slate world (Miquella wants to create a new world order with the Haligtree).

Now, I'll go out on a limb and propose that he also parallels Apollo of Greek myth. Apollo wasn't specifically beloved by all (I don't think), but he was significantly venerated, comparably to big-shots like Zeus, Athena, Aphrodite, and Hermes. He's also associated with light (one of his most common epithets is Phoebus Apollo, meaning Shining or Radiant Apollo), and is a twin (granted, Apollo and Artemis are rather different to Miq and Malenia). In the DLC trailer, Miquella glows, and the camera cuts immediately to a bright light bathing the strangler-fig tree (nature unknown) from behind.

Now comes the fun part: The connection between music, death, and sleep. Apollo is also famously a god of music, and in Elden Ring, spirits are also associated with it. You summon spirits in combat with the Spirit-Calling Bell, and Melina gives you the Spectral Steed Whistle to summon Torrent (who some speculate Miquella is the "original master" of, as supported by promotional art for the DLC). Curiously, Miquella's alter ego St. Trina is also associated with music: One of their titles is Saint Trina of the Cradlesong, and as mentioned in a cut quest, Miquella, as St. Trina, supposedly sang a lullaby to the Frenzied Flame Merchants to ease their suffering. To my knowledge, no other figure has such an association to music.

Fittingly for a game constantly trying to kill you, Elden Ring is in no shortage of death gods and suchlike figures. Maliketh and Godwyn may be considered death gods through their relation to Deathroot/the Rune of Death, you have the Deathbirds/Twinbird and the Gloam-Eyed Queen and the Ancestor Spirit, Ghostflame and Blackflame and the Frenzied Flame - heck, Malenia/the Scarlet Rot God could even qualify, as a harbinger of decay and apocalypse. My proposition is that Miquella is or will become another death god, but of merciful death, of deathlike sleep and the peaceful dream of oblivion - hence his connection to the Shadow Realm. And potentially the first spirit tuner - Hewg tutors Roderika because he's "indebted to a spirit tuner [he] met long ago". After all, in Greek mythology, Sleep (Hypnos) is brother to Death (Thanatos).

Are there holes in this? Yeah, probably. Will the DLC canon crush this theory under Messmer's open-toed cowboy boots? Most definitely. That's okay. Part of the fun of speculation is seeing just how crazy you can get with it. Sorry this is so long-winded. I hope you enjoyed this deranged romp through the mythology of this super cool video game.

[h0bg0blin-meat]

Dudski Im feeling rainbow 🌈

Give me some Indra-Iris silly plat sparkly rainbow headcanons ✨

Even better if it's the retelling :D

Okay so

Chaotic chaotic x calm chaotic, ifywim

Indra gets jealous everytime Iris spends more time hanging out with Hermes instead of him.

Indra made Iris and Heqet best friends and they're sometimes like a trio, where Indra gets manhandled sometimes.

Indra also made Iris and Garud friends saying "yall so much alikeeee :D" and they're just like "Gurl??" but are used to his playful stereotypes atp.

In the Dionysiaca retelling, Iris and Hydaspes being (supposedly) twins, probably can get into like a sibling fight and Indra tries to break them off, even taking the help of Hermes as well, hence fixing their bumpy relationship over jealousy of who's the bigger bestie of Iris.

Another hc for the retelling is that Hera makes Iris overwork for her (out of paranoid-ish stress about Dio's side kinda winning) and Indra feeling bad for her decides to talk to Hera about it, and almost gets into a heated argument regarding this, but they calm down and Indra tries to reassure Hera. Iris loves him for this.

Zephyros and Shachi also become good friends because of their spouses, but the war messes up their relationship a bit.

When Hera asked Iris to talk to Hypnos in the guise of Nyx, Indra saw her in her Nyx form at night and almost fell off his bed (just how she intended things to go XD I can't with these two) cuz ofc Iris wouldn't leave for a mission without messing with her bestie for a hot second djfsdkj.

Indra understands that Iris is just as much of a messenger as Hermes is and hence he can't force her to pick any side. He's cool with it.

In fact, it would be Iris who would send the message to the Hindu pantheon about the war, and that would be Indra and Iris's first ever interaction.

Even when Iris disguised herself as Ares in the epic, she informed Indra about it in the most humorous ways possible.

Everytime Indra uses his rain-bow to shoot someone Iris is like "So which sucker are we queering up today" and Indra is just done with her atp.

Iris and Shachi are "sisters from different mothers" and gossip about Indra's shenanigans right in front of him.

Indra makes a ton of "killing the messenger" jokes and ends up getting bonked by Iris's kerykeion.

Indra knows all of Iris's epithets and she knows all of his.

I can't think of more so that should do it I guess djfndjf I love this duo sm.

[burst-of-brilliance]

Epithet Shifted: Sylvester Ashling

For Epithet Shifted Sylvie takes on the role of Molly Blyndeff.

He’s 11 years old and just started college as a psychology major.

Despite being an only child his parents barely pay attention to him. In fact they set him up in an apartment so they don’t have to deal with him. They do pay his rent and give him a monthly allowance but they refuse to do more than the bare minimum.

Sylvie prone to doubting himself and hates being seen as a disappointment. Because his parents don’t care about his emotions he thinks all adults are like this and doesn’t tell people when he’s struggling.

His roommate is Giovanni, a culinary major and member of the college baseball team. They have a rocky relationship but neither of them have the financial means to swap roommates so they are stuck with each other.

Museum arc starts the same way as normal. Sylvie wants to see the amulet and hides in the museum to get a peak. He accidentally bumps into Molly who passes out from his sleep dust.

Because Sylvie is extra baby in this AU he only has access to his sleep dust and sheep but he’s trying to develop his epithet further.

Gets mixed up with Lorelai and her banzai blasters when they break in to rob the museum and to find Molly who never came back home.

Sylvie uses his sleep dust to stop an angry Lorelai from hitting Naven which allows him and Yoomtah to defeat the remaining blasters. Though Naven now wants to take Sylvie’s epithet.

Lorelai gives Sylvie the minion name “Hypnos” after the Greek god of sleep.

Lorelai and Sylvie’s encounter with Molly is quite different than canon. Lorelai makes Sylvie spar with Molly as “minion training”. Neither kid wants fight to but Lorelai goads Molly into it. Shift!Molly’s power-set makes her much more of a threat than canon. But that’s a discussion for another time. 😉

Zora is the cop who takes Sylvie home and finds his living situation awfully suspicious for a boy his age. She makes a mental note to look into it after she retrieves the Arsene amulet. She knows Sylvie is lying to her during the follow up interview but decides not to press him on it.

Lorelai and Molly make Sylvie an honorary member of the Blyndeff household and start inviting him over to their home.

[ravenandmoon]

The deities (+ epithets) I dream on having in my space as small shrine (the ones in bold are already there) :

Aphrodite Areia and Ares (where i put on make up and focus on my courage and self-esteem)

Aphrodite Aphrogenês & Philommeidês (for cleansing, skincare, peace and joy)

Athena (for knowledge and studies)

Apollon Mousagétês/Hermes Diaktoros/Calliope (for my writing space)

Hekate Enodia/Artemis Hêmerasia/Selene (for my space for the moon and shadow work)

Hestia/Hera (for my kitchen space)

Haides Ploutôn/Erebos (money stuff and also shadow work/mindfulness)

Hypnos (on my nigthstand, cause i'm insomniac)

[blooxxy]

Hello!Welcome to my blog!

My name is Roxi and I am a hellenic polytheist.I mainly worship Lord Ares,Lady Eris,Lady Hera,Lord Hypnos,Lord Thanatos,Lady Athena,Lady Aphrodite,Nephelai nymphai and Lady Persephone.

My pronouns are she/her.

Bisexual

I'm an adult.

DNI list:

-TERFS

-Bigots

-Racists

-H○m○ph○bes,b¡ph○bes,etc....

-Z¡○n¡sts

-Cultural appropriation in any way (including Lilith worshippers who are not Jews)

-This blog fully supports Palestinians and supports the movement "Free Palestine"!🍉🇵🇸

My own masterlist:

-Nephelai nymphai:

- General information about them

- Their Epithets

- Prayer for rain

- Subtle Nephelai worship

- Digital offering for Nephelai

-About violent and cruel gods

-Ares' violent epithets

Below are some helpol resources that I have,that might be helpful for beginners.

Hellenic polytheism resources

That's all for now.Χαίρετε!