Nada
The silent, terrifying nothingness that existed before the first dream was ever spun.
Nada is not a singular character or a member of the Endless family, but rather the primordial state of nothingness that existed before the universe and the Dreaming were formed. In the metaphysical history of this world, Nada represents the absolute void from which all things eventually emerged through the act of creation. It serves as a conceptual backdrop and a terrifying counterpoint to existence itself, embodying the silence that precedes the first dream.
Quick Facts
- Nature
- Primordial Void
- Affiliation
- Pre-Existence; The Nothingness Before Creation
- First appears
- The Sandman: Preludes (Flashback/Conceptual Reference)
- Status
- Transcended; Replaced by the Dreaming and Reality
- Relation to endless
- Antecedent to their existence
Lore & Background
In the ancient myths of the Dreaming, Nada is often treated with a mixture of reverence and fear. It is the canvas upon which the Endless paint their stories, but it is also the abyss that threatens to swallow them if they falter. Unlike the other abstract entities who have domains and personalities, Nada has no will, no desire, and no consciousness; it simply is the absence of being. Its presence is felt most acutely in the moments between dreams or when a dreamer slips into a coma from which there is no return.
Reader's Guide
The hierarchy of Nada is non-existent because it predates structure; it is the foundation upon which all other hierarchies are built. Its collective purpose is simply to exist as the baseline of reality, serving as the ultimate destination for all things that cease to be. There are no key members within Nada itself, as it contains nothing but absence. Its interaction with other factions is purely conceptual. The Endless, particularly Morpheus and Delirium, often grapple with the implications of Nada when dealing with forgotten dreams or dying universes. While the Living and the Dead operate within the bounds of existence, Nada represents the boundary they cannot cross while alive, yet must eventually face. It acts as a silent judge to all creation.
More in Endless & Courts
Elsewhere in The Sandman
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