Sandman
A folklore figure who brings sleep and dreams.
The Sandman is a mythical figure from Germanic and Scandinavian folklore who visits children at night, sprinkling sand into their eyes to induce sleep and bring dreams. The grit found in the eyes upon waking is attributed to his work. This character has become notable through its varied and often darker portrayals in literature, film, comics, and music.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- Germanic and Scandinavian folklore
- First literary appearance
- 1816 short story Der Sandmann by E. T. A. Hoffmann
- Notable literary version
- Ole Lukøje by Hans Christian Andersen (1841)
- Notable comic series
- The Sandman by Neil Gaiman (1989–1996)
- Notable song
- Mr. Sandman by The Chordettes (1950s)
Facts from the source article.
Literature
E. T. A. Hoffmann's 1816 short story Der Sandmann gave the character a sinister turn: a nurse tells the protagonist that the Sandman throws sand into the eyes of children who refuse to sleep, causing their eyes to fall out, which he collects and takes to his iron nest on the Moon to feed his own children. The protagonist later associates this creature with his father's menacing associate, Coppelius. Romanian folklore has a similar figure, Moș Ene (Ene the Elder). Hans Christian Andersen's 1841 tale Ole Lukøje presents a gentler Sandman named Ole Lukøje, who sprinkles dust into children's eyes to give them dreams over a week. In Norway and Sweden he is called John Blund or Jon Blund; in the Netherlands, Belgium, and parts of southern Africa he is known as Klaas Vaak. Klaas Vaak appears in a Dutch musical, a TV series, and as an entertainer at the amusement park Efteling.
Film and television
The East German stop-motion children's program Unser Sandmännchen (Our Little Sandman), based on Hans Christian Andersen's Ole Lukøje and E. T. A. Hoffmann's story, has aired since 1959; a West German version was discontinued after reunification. The 1976 film Logan's Run features a protagonist whose job title is 'sandman', referring to his role of catching 'runners' who try to escape a mandatory ritual at age 30. In the 1990s, Nilus the Sandman aired on Anglophone Canadian television. The French show Bonne nuit les petits (1970s) included the Sandman (Le marchand de sable) who drove a cloud and played a flute, showering sand to put the toddlers Nicolas and Pimprenelle to sleep; the bear Nounours would say 'Bonne nuit les petits' before the Sandman's sand induced sleep. The show aired nightly at 7:50 pm for 10 minutes, later reduced to 5 minutes in the 1990s reboot. The Sandman appeared in The Smurfs episodes 'Darkness Monster' and 'Lazy's Nightmare', voiced by Frank Welker. Paul Berry directed a 1991 stop-motion short The Sandman based on Hoffmann's story. Bobcat Goldthwait portrayed the Sandman in a 1993 episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? titled 'The Final Wish'. The Sandman also appeared in a 1998 episode of The Powerpuff Girls, 'Dream Scheme', voiced by Greg Eagles.
Comics
In Marvel Mystery Comics, the Sandman governs the Land of Dreams, a region inside the Realm of Fairies found in the possibly imaginary world of Nowhere. Each day, he covers his domain with a blanket. Anyone who takes a dream from the dream tree has a dream matching what they picked, and wakes up when the Sandman lifts the blanket. Those who fail to grab a dream fall into an endless sleep without dreams. DC Comics has published stories about multiple characters called Sandman, the most famous being Neil Gaiman's series The Sandman for Vertigo Comics. This series follows Dream of the Endless, an anthropomorphic embodiment of dreams who goes by names such as Morpheus, Oneiros, the Shaper of Form, and others. He rules the dreaming world and carries three items of authority: a helm, the Dreamstone amulet, and a pouch of sand. A comic adaptation of the German TV show Unser Sandmännchen has also appeared in print.
Music
Songs based on the Sandman include the 1950s classic 'Mr. Sandman' by The Chordettes, Roy Orbison's 'In Dreams' (where a 'candy-colored clown they call the sandman' induces sleep), and Metallica's 'Enter Sandman', which juxtaposes childhood bedtime rituals with nightmarish imagery. The Sandman also appears in 'Blood Red Sandman' by Lordi, 'Mein Herz brennt' by Rammstein, 'Dream Weaver' by Sandman and Klaas Vaak, 'Sandmann' by Oomph!, 'Sandman' by Hurts, the 1971 song 'Sandman' by America, and the Seekers' version of 'Morningtown Ride'. He is mentioned in Fall Out Boy's 'Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet' and Smashing Pumpkins' 'Farewell and Goodnight'. Ed Sheeran's album = includes 'Sandman', referring to the sandman bringing magical dreams. Oranger released 'Mr. Sandman', SYML recorded 'Mr. Sandman' in 2021, and ASAP Rocky released 'Sandman' on his 2021 re-release of Live. Love. ASAP. Dominic Fike's 'Sandman' states he is not the 'Sandman's type' because he gets no sleep.
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