His name is the origin of the word hypnosis. The very word hypnos has entered the English language to mean a deep sleep.In Greek mythology, Hypnos (/ˈhɪpnɒs/ Greek: Ὕπνος, 'sleep') is the personification of sleep the Roman equivalent is known as Somnus. Hypnos remains an important figure in Greek mythology, known for his powers over sleep and his role in the war with Troy. What does Hypnos symbolize? He symbolizes sleep.What is Hypnos’ symbol? His symbols include the branch of a poplar tree dipped into the Lethe, river of forgetfulness, an inverted torch, a poppy-stem and a horn of opium to induce sleep.Who does Hypnos marry? He marries Pasithea, a goddess of relaxation and hallucination.What are Hypnos’ powers? Hypnos is able to fly and as the god of sleep, he can induce sleep and manipulate dreams.What is Hypnos the god of? Hypnos is the god of sleep.Who are Hypnos’ parents? Nyx and Erebus.Zeus never found out that Hypnos had tricked him, and the war changed to favor Hera, with the Greek’s eventually winning the war. Hera then went to Zeus with a dashing beauty that he could not resist and once they had lain in bed together, Hypnos managed to put the god to sleep without him noticing it. Hypnos himself flew to Poseidon’s location to inform the god of sea that Zeus was asleep and that it was the moment to push the offensive forward, helping the Akhaian ships against the Trojans. After this, Hera offered him the Grace Pasithea for his wife and Hypnos agreed. Hera tried to bribe Hypnos, offering him a golden throne and certain other objects that would be designed by her son Hephaestus, the craftsman of the gods. Remembering how the last attempt had ended, Hypnos refused. Zeus had decided that the gods were not to get involved in this war, but Hera and Poseidon had other plans.Īccording to Homer, Hera visited Hypnos to ask him to put Zeus to sleep once again. Hypnos plays a decisive role in Homer’s Iliad since thanks to him, the gods were able to take part in the war of Troy. Homer’s Iliad is known to have portraited not only the war of the mortals but also the conflict among gods, who could not agree on which side to take. Some other accounts say that Nyx hid Hypnos to protect him from the wrath of Zeus.

Zeus was conscious of the power of the night and decided not to confront her. Infuriated with Hypnos, Zeus looked for him in his cave to make him pay for his part in Hera’s scheme, but Nyx defended her son. However, Zeus’ sleep was not as deep as expected, and the god awoke while she was still acting against his son. Once Hypnos had Zeus fall into sleep, Hera was able to attack.Īccording to Homer, Heracles was sailing home from Ilion after sacking Troy when Hera unleashed the strongest winds towards the oceans he was crossing. She requested Hypnos to put Zeus to sleep so that she could act against Heracles, without Zeus’ intervention. Hera hated Heracles, an illegitimate son of Zeus, and wanted to have him killed, especially after his role in sacking the city of Troy. On both occasions, he did this as a request from Hera.

One of the most famous stories connected to Hypnos relates to his ability to put even the great god Zeus to sleep, not once but twice. The other two, Icelus and Phantasus, created dreams about animals and inanimate things. Their three sons, named Morpheus, Icelus, and Phantaus were the Oneiroi, who were the dreams in Greek mythology.Īccording to some myths, Morpheus, who created dreams about men, was the chief of the three. He was normally seen with a horn, the stem of a poppy, or with water from the Lethe to induce sleep. In terms of appearance, Hypnos is depicted as a young man with wings on his shoulders or his head. According toOvid’s Metamorphoses, he lives in a cave in the land of the Cimmerian and that the Lethe, the river of forgetfulness and oblivion, crosses to the cave. However, in the Iliad, Homer places his dwelling in the island of Lemnos. The cave was out of reach of sunlight and had poppies, flowers which are known to induce sleep, at the entrance. In some accounts, he is said to have no father some others state that he was the son of Nyx and Erebus.Īccording to some sources Hypnos lived in a dark cave in the underworld with Thanatos. Hypnos is said to be the son of Nyx, goddess of night, and the twin brother of Thanatos, the god of death.

As the god of sleep, he had the power to induce sleep on all creatures. In Greek mythology, Hypnos was a primordial deity, the first celestial beings who lived on the earth. Here’s a closer look at Hypnos, a primordial deity.

Although he may not be one of the most important gods in the Greek pantheon, he was powerful enough to put Zeus to sleep. Among the great Greek figures, Hypnos (Roman counterpart Somnus), the god of sleep, had power over both men and gods.

Hypnos somnus