Why Is Morpheus “The Dream King” Called Sandman In Netflix Series?

Netflix’s fantasy series ‘The Sandman‘ opens with a small chunk of exposition explaining its protagonist ‘Morpheus’ the King of Dreams — which is much more than comics readers got when Neil Gaiman’s ‘Sandman‘ series launched in 1988.

In ‘The Sandman‘, Dream of the Endless, played by Tom Sturridge, goes by many names and titles. In Scandinavian folklore, he is said to sprinkle sand or dust on or into the eyes of children at night to bring on sleep and dreams. The grit or “sleep” (rheum) in one’s eyes upon waking is the supposed result of Sandman’s work the previous night.

What Is The Actual Story Of ‘Dream‘

The roles of The Endless in The Sandman — Netflix series ‘The Sandman’

Dream is the third of the Endless, after Destiny and Death, and he’s older than his other siblings – Destruction, Desire (Mason Alexander Park), Despair (Donna Preston), and Delirium. It’s Dream’s responsibility to keep the world of dreams in check and balance. When Netflix’s ‘The Sandman’ begins, in Preludes and Nocturnes, a wizard named Roderick Burgess (played by Charles Dance) summons and imprisons Dream.

The self-styled Magus actually intended to capture Dream’s older sister, Death, essayed by Kirby Howell-Baptiste, but he snagged the master of dreams instead. This incident wreaks havoc on mankind, as most people lose the ability to dream – if not sleep at all. After being held prisoner for over a century, Dream escapes and begins a quest to rebuild his shattered realm, the Dreaming, by reacquiring the tools of his office – his ruby, his helmet, and his bag of dream sand – which were stolen from him. As the Sandman embarks on his journey, enemies old and new conspire against him.

Why Is Morpheus Called ‘Sandman’

I am the Lord of Dream and Nightmare. pic.twitter.com/8t8NI9PZZd
— The Sandman (@Netflix_Sandman) September 25, 2021

Sandman is a figure of mythology, and the roles he plays across fairy tales and stories are complex. This folkloric creature lulls people to sleep and brings pleasant dreams to his charges. In the show, the character is played by Tom Sturridge. Morpheus is technically a legacy character, taking his name and some loose inspiration from the Golden Age Sandman, Wesley Dodds. Sandman is one of the seven siblings known as the Endless, who predates god. They each rule over a different realm of existence. They are powerful but not totally invulnerable, all-knowing, or free from the rules of the universe.

‘The Sandman‘ paints a picture of Morpheus as a selfish, arrogant adventurer whose pleasure with his own cleverness fades over time. Having existed for eons, Dream has walked among mortals as well as lorded over their fantasies in his realm, the Dreaming. Therefore, Dream is known by many names and different titles and honorifics have been bestowed upon the Sandman throughout time.