The Story of Morpheus: God of Sleep & Dreams

In ancient Greek mythology, there were many demons, gods, goddesses and creatures of the heavens. The most mysterious of them all was Morpheus, an entity specifically made to give people what they desire the most while they’re asleep. Morpheus was the son of Pothos – the personification of desire – and Aphrodite, goddess of Love and Beauty. He was destined to give pleasure or pain as he thought fit.

Morpheus could take any form he wanted, human or otherworldly so that he could give people what they deeply dreamt of! Sometimes he transformed into a beautiful young maiden to provide an innocent boy the joy he lusted for. And, under other circumstances, he could transform into a strong, bold and ruthless hero, like Achilles in the castles of Troy, to bring dreams of glory to an ambitious warlord! So his eternal life went on and on, changing his shape as the trees change their leaves as the seasons go by.

Lots of other Gods were jealous of that exceptional talent and charisma of his. But his inner truth was quite different... Morpheus actually felt he was doomed. While he was able to witness people’s dreams and deepest desires, while he could watch and transform into illusions of the human life, which faded away as the sun rose in the sky, he could never have a real-life and a genuine love of his own.

That was the tragedy of his divine heart! Morpheus – a name deriving from the Greek word for “form” or “shape”, did not actually have a form of his own. So, while his life was an endless journey from dream to dream, and although he met so many charming, ethereal creatures he could dream of being with along the way, he could never even conceive the idea of having a fulfilled soul! On a beautiful summer morning, he visited Kythera in order to sneak into the king’s dreams and bring his long-dead wife back into his arms, if only for a night.

But, as he was flying above Kythera like a summer breeze, he saw Lavender - the king’s daughter. What a fine, delicate and beautiful young girl she was! An exotic flower ready to discover the gardens of her heart! And, when the night came, he could enjoy the sight of Lavender dancing like a star in the summer sky. “Oh mighty Gods upon the heavens, she could be the one! She could truly be the one for me!” he whispered to himself.

Morpheus’ heart was shot by the arrows of Eros, and now there was nothing to do to forget her! He was deeply in sorrow because he knew that Lavender could not really see him unless she was dreaming of someone or something else, and Morpheus could just take that form to pretend that they’re close to each other... But that was not enough for him! That would never be enough for him again! You might also enjoy: The Story of Aphrodite: Goddess of Love and Beauty .