Oneiros, Morpheus, Dream: Why Does ‘The Sandman’ Main Character Have So Many Names?
Neil Gaiman’s Greek mythology-inspired comic books can compete with George Martin’s Game of Thrones when it comes to memorizing all the names in there. However, things might not be that complicated with Oneiros and his identity in The Sandman.
Less than a week is left until Netflix’s The Sandman wraps its story up, with fans of Neil Gaiman’s comic books having no other choice but to turn to the original source material once again.
Boasting of only two seasons, the TV series is a humble representation of “The Sandman”’s vast cultural lore explored in the comic book series ever since its first published edition back in 1989.
It might also be the reason why some minor details never got enough attention in The Sandman, with some newcomers being confused about a character named Oneiros.
Who Is Oneiros in ‘The Sandman’?
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In both the comic book series and TV adaptation, Oneiros is one of many names of the entire story’s leading character Dream aka Morpheus.
One of the seven cosmic beings that embody some fundamental aspects of human existence, Dream is named Oneiros for a reason, drawing a direct connection to a Greek term of the same name.
In Greek mythology, dreams were personified as Oneiros or rather Oneiroi; since Dream is also the ruler of the realm called The Dreaming, he is a pure personification of the entire concept, which is why he can also take the name of Oneiros.
Is Dream the Only Endless to Have Names in ‘The Sandman’?
As many took notice across the TV show’s run, Tom Sturridge’s character is the only one to boast of so many different names that even The Sandman’s diehard fans struggle to remember.
In the meantime, there’s no such thing when it comes to the real names of Destiny, Death, Destruction and other Endless.
On Reddit, a fan also reflected on the matter in a thread, suggesting that the TV series doesn’t really explain why “Dream of the endless is known by many names depending on who perceives him like Morpheus, Kai'ckul, Sandman, Oneiros, L'Zoril, Shaper, while his siblings are just known as Destiny, Death etc”.
While others still acknowledged that Dream’s names get more mentions because he’s the lead in the first place, they also linked such an outcome to the character’s “dreamy” nature that gives him more reasons to be called by different names that he’s given in various dimensions.
“While the other Endless do have other names that are just referenced less as they are not our leading man, the nature of who dream is, a master of stories, also contributes to his many names. Death need be known by no other name, she will be there no matter what you chose to call her”, Emperor_Joker revealed in the same thread.
When Is ‘The Sandman’ Finale Being Released?
The show’s final episodes will arrive on Netflix on July 24.
