Mythful Meanings

In the English language, many meanings come from myths. This blog considers many of those words.

Myths are stories people tell to explain the great mysteries of life, such as birth and death, why the sun rises and sets, and why the moon changes in a predictable pattern.

I decided to start over from the end of the alphabet and work toward the beginning. I have a stack of index cards with information typed on them, all in alphabetical order. When I started this blog, I started at A, because I didn't realize that all the entries would be pushed down.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Somnus

To the ancient Romans, Somnus was the god of sleep (Hypnos to the Greeks). He was said to live in a dark cave where the sun never shone. At the mouth of the cave grew poppies and other plants associated with sleep. Somnus was the father of dreams.

English word: From Somnus, we get somnolent, sleepy, and somnambulism, sleepwalking.


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