Like many Greek gods, Hypnos bore children that supported his goals and purpose. Hypnos used the river’s water to induce forgetfulness. These include poppy flowers, a horn of sleep-inducing opium, and was from the River Lethe. Hypnos had several symbols, which artists often portrayed alongside the god. In some works of art, the wings grew from his shoulders or wings. His most defining feature was the set of small wings sprouting from his temples. Artisans typically show him in human form as a young man with elaborately arranged hair. He mainly appeared on vases and sculptures. Hypnos inspired many Hellenistic artists. His island was dream-like and supported the lives of his children. In Homer’s Iliad, Hypnos is said to live on the island of Lemnos in the Aegean sea.
His home was fitting for his duties, cementing his purpose and role within the legend of Greek gods.Īnother version of Hypnos’ living arrangement comes from the ancient Greek poet Homer. No light or noise penetrated the cave, allowing Hypnos to fall into a deep slumber. At its entrance grew poppies and other sleep-inducing plants. It represented forgetfulness and oblivion. In Greek Mythology, River Lethe was one of the five rivers of the Underworld. The god resided in a musty cave where the waters of River Lethe flowed through. More specifically, the legend says that he lived in the valley known as Erebus. Most scholars say that he lived with his brother in the Underworld. He was the brother of Thanatos, who personified death. Regardless of his parentage, most retellings of the myth agree that Hypnos had a twin brother. The two bore many children, including the ferryman of the Underworld, Charon. Erebus personified darkness and had an ongoing relationship with Nyx. In other reports, he was the progeny of Nyx and Erebus. Some versions of the myth say that he was the fatherless son of Nyx. There are a couple of different accounts involving the birth of Hypnos. She was a dreadful and powerful goddess, drawing the ire of Zeus himself. Nyx was one of the key primordial goddesses, representing the night. Hypnos represented sleep, serving as a calm and gentle god that mortals throughout Greece owed half their lives.Īccording to the poem Theogony by Hesiod, the god Hypnos was just one of many children born from Nyx. He belongs to a group of gods that personified concepts of human existence.
Hypnos was born from some of the first beings to come into existence. The children of the primordial gods bridged the gap, playing a part in memorable myths while extending the genealogies outlined in the Theogony.
Instead, they were the personification of abstract concepts. Unlike more familiar gods like the Twelve Olympians, older deities had fewer human-like features and characteristics. We are thrilled to have completed ‘Hypnos’, and with good faith wish that it will invoke a similar curiosity in you just the same.In Greek Mythology, the first gods and goddesses represented fundamental forces and the foundations of the physical world. As a piece aligned more with poetry than prose, many aspects to the film’s creation were driven by an intuition not only of my own accord, but that of the fellow filmmakers as well, resulting in a journey of discovery for all involved. In finding a familiar thematic thread of mortality, transcendence, and serenity in these reference points, as well as an aesthetic similarity in relation to the gothic and the biblical, ‘Hypnos’ allowed me to explore these styles and narratives in a manner that was personal, unique, and unrestrained by my creative vision and interpretation of the mythological canon.įrom a production standpoint, ‘Hypnos’ was primarily an exercise in risk-taking, spontaneity, and self-belief. There were numerous inspirations that contributed to the conception of ‘Hypnos’ alongside Greek mythology, I was equally led by my interests in dark ambient soundscapes, 19th century Romantic artwork, and various iterations of underground/experimental cinema. Given my previous experience with more dialogue-centric cinema, ‘Hypnos’ was an exciting venture into the unknown in creating what is essentially a silent film, reliant on visual storytelling, aesthetics, and symbolism. ‘Hypnos’ is my second completed short film, produced as part of my MA in ‘Film Direction & Production’ with the Huston School of Film and Digital Media.
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