#mervyn pumpkinhead

[densewentz]

and i thought 'Jealousy, but make it stupid'

[thenightling]

A theory about Merv

I have a theory about Mervyn Pumpkinhead.  I’d say it’s a headcanon but it’s more a theory. 

  According to the tale of Stingy Jack (the origin of the jack-o-Lantern) we carve Jack-o-lanterns to drive away old Jack and other wandering ghosts.  The Jack-o-lantern is a protection ward against supernatural threats from entering your home. One superstition has it that if you blow out the Jack-o-lantern before midnight on Halloween you invite evil spirits to enter your home for the entire year.  It’s only safe to blow it out after midnight. Another superstition is if you let the Jack-o-lantern burn out naturally you invite good luck for the entire year and have warded your home against evil for the full year.  It is especially good luck if it manages to burn until after sunrise. In The House with a clock in its walls Pumpkin Jack-o-lanterns are used as protection wards all year long. Jack-o-lanterns, at their heart, are symbols of protection.  Now, because we see Mervyn as a Mervyn Turniphead in The Sandman story The Tempest, it’s very clear that his Jack-o-lantern head isn’t just for the aesthetic. In his Turnip form, that is an old school Irish Jack-o-lantern.  That is a pre-Halloween decoration (use for any time of year) Protection symbol against supernatural threats.

So even in present day when Mervyn has a modern Pumpkin Jack-o-lantern head, Mervyn is a walking, talking, protection ward against supernatural threats.  He’s not just the groundskeeper or janitor.  He’s a line of defense.   This does explain why Mervyn stands up to The Furies (The Kindly Ones) the way he does.

And this is also one of the many reasons I, myself, love Jack-o-lanterns.  They aren’t just symbols of Halloween. They are kind of comforting in their protective light. 

[joytherabbit]

I finished. weeeeeeee～

[fishfingersandscarves]

no idea where this would go, truly just wanted to make the title card

[bobbole]

Daniel - art by Nick Robles

[pelinthehay]

can somebody please get lucienne a raise. please (yeah they’re playing uno instead of working)

( + i bet on losing dogs.mp3)

[designtheendless]

Hi! If you’re still accepting Meowpheus requests, would you consider using the below post as inspiration for Meowpheus in the Dreaming, maybe with Lucienne or Mervyn?

Happy Meowpheus Monday! (Sorry it took so long for me to get to this one 💛✨)

[moresandmanstuff]

Sandman text posts (part 26)

[skxtchyghost]

can you guess what my fav type of char is

[mimisempai]

Up for some gossip in The Dreaming ?

[star-rats-arts]

art dump!

All old stuff again! Some of these are older than others!!

[densewentz]

MS Paint Inktober Day 5 and I was having Matthew and Jessamy feels~ (This made me want to cry. I don't think i could regularly cope without layers or opacity) Bonus:

[writing-for-life]

The Dreaming—Charles Holbert (Kid Notorious)

[joytherabbit]

[fishfingersandscarves]

and then they all had to clean the castle

[tumbleringismycopingmechanism]

It's probably glaringly obvious but Dream's subjects all represent aspects of him

Lucienne = his love for stories/books (although maybe Lucienne her love for books in common with Dream (seeing as she used to be a raven and is thus not entirely formed by Dream), instead of being specifically made of that part of himself; or maybe that part of himself became a part of her when she was reshaped from a raven into a librarian)

Mervyn = stubbornly doing his duty, however much he hates it

Corinthian = the part of him that is Nightmare, but also his ache to taste humanity and to impact their waking lives as well as their dreams

Gault = his desire to be better, to not hurt everyone he touches and to make their lives happier

Fiddler's Green = the part of him that comforts, that is a respite for the dreamers from their waking lives, but also once again his love for books and his desire to be among the dreamers in the waking (though here a bit more passive; less a wish to shape their waking lives and more a wish to simply be a part of them and to see the world as they see it)

Cain and Abel = his feelings for his siblings, a constant push and pull of hating them / wishing to hurt them / wanting to be left alone by them and loving them / forgiving them, however big their betrayal / seeking their company

Ravens = his loyalty and (again) sense of duty (while they are not made by Dream and a huge part of their personality comes from their waking life, I would argue that they do at least get a deep sense of loyalty with their raven body. I can't quite imagine someone like Matthew, being self-proclaimed "not the best person when he was alive", otherwise having this deep loyalty to someone he barely knows, or such a strong sense of duty / wish to please The Boss)