He is my favorite of all the Greek gods.
While I do understand the necessity of praying to, say, Ceres for a good harvest, it has always been a mystery to me as to why Morpheus gets passed over so often. We're talking a day-to-day thing here, and I don't think I'm alone when I say a "good" nightmare can put me off for the rest of the day.
As per most Greek deities, even lesser ones, his lineage is disputed. Personally, I think it makes the most sense that, as the god of dreams, his father is Hypnos (sleep) and mother, Nyx (night).
For a lesser god, Morpheus has had a fair amount of attention. There are the traditional paintings, of course, but there are two people who have really launched him (sheez, he sounds like a movie star, doesn't he?) to a wider-known circle of obscurity:
Laurence Fishburne and Neil Gaiman.
I think it's a toss up as to who brought him into the spotlight more. The Matrix (first movie alone) grossed over 171 million, and simply googling "Morpheus" brings up far more photos of Fishburne's "hero" than Gaiman's.
On the other hand, Gaiman's Morpheus (also known as Dream, or rarely, the Sandman) is a thoroughly well-rounded character.
Acceptable, since he is the main character of ten graphic novels and a secondary one in...fifteen, maybe?
Don't snort (which you may be doing) at the "graphic novel" thing. I'm not a big fan, but these are gorgeous--writing and illustrations (done by different artists, so he's always a little to a lot different). In other words, don't snort.
And then go read them.
(Dream with Death, his sister)
I prefer Gaiman's Morpheus out of all of the different renditions I've seen, but I think that's only because he's the closest to matching the Morpheus in my head.
No, I don't believe in Greek mythology, but he's just been...sitting in the back of my head for years. A character I'm sure I'll get around to using someday.
But then there's Evan Shaner's take on Dream and Death, and this Dream I love for completely different reasons.
m.
First image, Morpheus, Phantasos and Iris, by Pierre-Narcisse Guérin, courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morpheus_(mythology)
Second image (if you know the artist, or the title, I'll love you forever) from http://vovatia.wordpress.com/2010/09/18/hello-morpheus-i-think-im-going-down/
Typical Matrix promo shot, although better than most, since it lacks Keanu Reeves, http://rocksijenist.blogspot.com/
Dream and Death from Gaiman's most excellent Sandman series, volume I, http://www.totalfilm.com/features/7-films-that-must-be-saved-from-development-hell/page:5
Dream asking for Lucien (his librarian) in volume...three? I honestly have no idea. From http://forum.lostpedia.com/lostpedias-favorite-comic-characters-countdown-t41860.html?p=2054580
Best. Spoof. Ever. thanks to peanuts http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2008/morpheus-you-blockhead/
