#FolkloreThursday - The Sandman #European

De Zandman. Frontispice uit de Nederlandse vertaling

'Sprookjes: tweede verzameling', 1847

Most think of the Sandman as a benevolent character from European folklore. Sprinkling magical sand onto the eyes of children, he was responsible for good dreams. His appearance was usually that of an old man wearing golden robes, and carrying a small bag of sand. Innocuous enough, right? But there were other folkloric versions of the Sandman who were quite different, and creatures you wouldn't wish to encounter.

A "less-beloved" version of the Sandman had long fingers, sharp teeth, and discolored skin like a that of a dead person. Hiding in the dark, it whispered, "tik-toc, tik-toc" in order to lure its unlucky victims into a deep sleep. Once asleep, this Sandman would come out of hiding and devour its prey. It only needed to feast once per night, but would sometimes choose to kill for fun.

Yet another version was used to scare children. If a child refused to go to sleep, this Sandman would sneak into their bedroom and throw sand into their eyes, causing them to itch. When the child rubbed, their eyes would fall out onto the floor in a bloody mess. The Sandman would then collect those eyes to feed to his pet bird.
Sleep well, little children.

By the late 19th century, the Sandman had transformed from a monster, into a more benign character. This led to the belief that there were two Sandmen, perhaps brothers. One brought good dreams, while the other had more evil intentions. In some folklore, their powers were even more varied. There were family Sandmen who offered special dreams, power over dreams, or glimpses into the future.

Over the years, the folklore has continued to change due to popular culture. It will be interesting to see what happens to the Sandman fifty years from now.

So...which Sandman will be visiting your dreams tonight?

#Paranormal Wednesday-Origins of the Fae

Legends of faeries date back to the beginning of time and are prevalent in many cultures. In European folklore, they are described as mythical beings or supernatural spirits. Typically, they are depicted as humanoids of small stature, sometimes winged; but some accounts describe them as tall, radiant and angelic beings, or even short, wizened trolls. As far as European folklore, there are many theories as to their origin.

Theory One:

Faeries were originally worshiped as minor goddesses, such as nymphs or tree spirits. In alchemy they were regarded as elementals.  With the coming of Christianity, the church decreed them to be evil beings and they were marginalized. 

Theory Two:

Faeries were a folkloric belief concerning the dead. Ghosts and faeries have similar legends; the burial mounds of the Tír na nÓg, the danger of eating food in the Realm of Fae or Hades, and both the dead and faeries living underground.

Theory Three:

Faeries were a class of demoted angels. One story states that when the angels revolted, God ordered the gates shut; those still in heaven remained angels, those in hell became demons, and those caught in between became faeries.

Theory Four:

Faeries were an intelligent species, distinct from humans and angels.  The Celts describe a race of diminutive people who had been driven into hiding by invading humans. They came to be seen as spirits and believed to still exist in the Otherworld.

Some believe faeries still exist in one form or another--a race of beings, spirits of the dead, or descendants of fallen angels. Others believe they are nothing but folklore and myth. What do you think?