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Ever have one of those days (or weeks or months) when you find it absolutely impossible to get out of bed in the morning? We’re not talking about the I really, really don’t want to get up and go to work/school today feeling that each one of us experiences every single Monday. We’re talking about the wow, my dreams are so amazing, I would be happy to live in my subconscious until the end of time feeling. In that case, you may have been visited by Hypnos, the rarely seen Greek god of sleep.
We’ve met members of Hypnos’s family before: his terrifying mother, Nyx; his traitor child Morpheus; his demigod son Clovis; and more than enough of his awful siblings, such as Thanatos, Eris, and Nemesis. And yet, Hypnos must have been sleeping during the events of the Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus, and Trials of Apollo series, because we haven’t seen much of him. But with Nico and Will traveling down to Hypnos’s hometown of Tartarus next month, we can’t think of a better time for readers to meet the god of ZZZs.
If we can keep our eyes open long enough, that is . . . We’re just giving them a little rest, that’s all.
Slumber of the Gods
We know what you’re thinking. So, his whole deal is that he puts people to sleep? He has the same power as a podcast about soil conservation! You’d be wise not to underestimate Hypnos, though. He is one of the only gods we can think of who has defeated Zeus in battle—and not just once, but twice!
Okay, maybe “defeated in battle” is a little too generous. In reality, Hypnos simply put Zeus to sleep twice. Which is still massively impressive when you consider how much the King of Olympus enjoys his espresso. And after Zeus woke up in a rage the first time, Hypnos did run to his mommy for protection, so maybe he’s not as tough as we’d like to give him credit for.
The second time? Well, Zeus never discovered that it was Hypnos who put him to sleep. Oops! Hope he isn’t reading this right now . . .
Mellow-tonin
Maybe it’s because of his powers, or maybe it’s only because we’re comparing him to his siblings, but Hypnos is a pretty laid-back guy. Some might even call him lazy. But how else would you expect the god of sleep to act? We just see him as an expert in his craft.
Putting aside some questionable behavior in his past (name a god who hasn’t broken bad at least once), and that one time when his family tried to destroy Percy and Annabeth (if you can’t handle the heat, don’t enter Tartarus), Hypnos is the only child of Nyx we wouldn’t mind hanging out with. Most of the other protogenoi will tell you that they’re beyond traditional classifications of good and evil. With Hypnos, we can actually believe it. Deep down, we’re sure he just wants to chill and have a good time. If only he weren’t surrounded by such bad influences.
Dream a Little Dream of Me
Hypnos may be the one to put you to sleep, but it’s the mysterious, self-proclaimed “demon of nightmares” known as Epiales who will give you the nasty dreams. Together, these two make quite a team. As for why they’ve teamed up? Well, you’ll have to read The Sun and the Star to find out. Even we’re too frightened of Epiales to show you what they really look like.
What we will tell you is that a certain gloomy demigod at Camp Half-Blood has been experiencing recurring nightmares. Nightmares that will no doubt only get worse with time. Especially once they become real. Maybe this demigod could ask Hypnos for just five more minutes before he has to wake up.
The Mansion Family
Whatever family drama the Pantheon experiences is nothing compared to the backstabbing antics of the protogenoi. We’re not sure how many of Hypnos’s siblings will play a part Nico and Will’s quest. What we do know is that whenever Nyx’s children do show up, they always leave a lasting impression.
Don’t pretend you wouldn’t watch their reality show. Hypnos would definitely be the one standing in the back delivering one-liners while Thanatos and Eris argue over who Mother likes best. We doubt even Hypnos himself could sleep through something like that.
Want to see more of Hypnos? Be sure to pick up The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure, on sale 5/2!
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