Netflix is currently making Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman graphic novels into a show series. I can’t wait to see what they do with the world of Morpheus. I have read and reread the graphic novels since being introduced to them in 1997. They originally came out in January 1989. I have seen the behind-the-scenes teaser on YouTube. I will share it below. The novels follow Dream of the Endless as he sets things right and regains his power. We meet his siblings and the realms they rule. Well, we don’t really see their realms so much as learn of them.
In light of Netflix working on The Sandman, I want to introduce you to the Endless. In this series, I will spotlight each one of the siblings. Today I will tell you about them collectively. Interestingly enough each of their names starts with a D and they each have a sigil that they are bound to. Dream, Death, Destiny, Desire, Destruction, Delirium, and Despair.
Dream is the main character of the series. He is tall, pale, and moody. I love that his robes often hold the stars. His eyes often glitter strangely, as if they were twin stars. His sigil is his helm and his realm is The Dreaming.
Death is Dream’s sister. Though none of the siblings are considered “close”, Dream is closet to Death. She is portrayed as a cute or beautiful goth girl. Death’s ever-present ankh necklace is also her symbol. Her realm doesn’t seem to really have a name but is sometimes called The Light At the End of the Tunnel.
Destiny is the oldest of Dream’s siblings. He is very tall and wears a robe with a cowl covering his face. Though he is blind, he can see. He has a book chained to his wrist and it is his sigil. Destiny’s realm is a labyrinth that symbolizes one’s life journey and is called The Garden of Forking Ways.
Destruction isn’t as tall as Dream or Destiny but he is broad-shouldered and is a redhead. He could be a lumberjack. Everything points to him being loud and caring. His sigil is a sword. He abandoned his realm and lived in hiding. He did bring his gallery with him, leaving it in a locked room called The Family Room.
Despair and Desire are twins. Desire is the older twin and everything you could ever want. They are a beautiful male and/or female, slender or full-bodied, Desire truly is for everyone. Desire’s symbol is a glass heart and their realm is The Threshold. Despair is the younger twin and looks completely different from her twin. She is a naked, large-bodied, squatting woman. Despair’s sigil is a ring with a hook that she is always wearing as she sits with her rats. She stays with those rats in her realm, The Gray Realm.
Delirium is the youngest of the Endless and probably the most colorful, as well as the most of kilter. She was once Delight but no one knows why she changed. She changes her appearance whenever she feels but has beautiful eyes. She often seems very childlike and innocent and her siblings protect her. Her sigil is her swirl of colors. While her realm is never named, it is as weird as her.
Their realms are basically their functions. That is their sole purpose for being. Dream (aka Morpheus) is responsible for bringing dreams and fueling imagination. He is not the personification or representation of dreams. He simply is Dream. Death is simply Death. This is true for all of them. There are some rules about how they live. Though I don’t know them all, I know of two. You are not to spill the blood of family else you be harmed. Another is not to fall in love with a mortal. The relationships don’t end well.
Next time I will introduce you to Dream. I covered the graphic novel Preludes and Nocturnes Volume 1 here on TGON. Check it out. I have to get the other novels again. When I do I will review them. Do you know about The Sandman? Are you excited about the coming adaptation? Let me know in the comments below. Until next week…
