The Sandman is Scarier Than You Think

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You've probably heard of the Sandman, but not many people have heard the original fairytale. The one where the Sandman comes and steals children's eyes from their bloody sockets to feed to his strange moon-babies; where a man falls in love with a very convincing machine.
It is a strange and shockingly dark tale. Buckle up. This isn't the Sandman you know.
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[@TheTaleFoundry]

AUDIBLE ➤ www.audible.com/talefoundry/ Sign up for a free 30-day trial of audible and get any audiobook of YOUR CHOICE for FREE! Including THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI, which we talked about in this video! It's a great way to support the show for free!

[@pyeitme508]

Wow

[@zionleach3001]

Can you do a video on contemporary fantasy without a masquerade keeping the Supernatural hidden.

[@tsiria]

honestly... the story you told was just as good as the original, but as someone who has read the "official" presumably original story, this version feels way different... more clear maybe? Some parts of the story you told aren't actually written in the german version. they may be hinted at, or "the most likely version" of what had happened, what had been said or what had been heard. The most likely version, NOT the "information" E.T.A. Hoffmann gave us. Knowing the long history of translating texts, stories and lyrics, i have to assume that, as someone who doesn't understand german, this may be the "official" version. I personally thik the official version is way. WAY. more vague in what it's giving us. The roles of the mother and nanny nathanaels have completely been left out (in nderstandable for a video, but still interesting in regards or seeing nathanael being torn between fear and rationality) also, the one who saves clara is her brother. a character who nathanael writes letters to at the start of the story. another character who could have tied him down to reality. it's important to note that this is not the story germans have read, tho I think it might convey a similar feeling.

[@tsiria]

i really miss the option to edit my comment... infuriating little spelling and grammar mistakes :(

[@whee2390]

I actually read the golem and the jinni a while ago, I'd definitely recommend it

[@chrs-wltrs]

Humans: _finds dead skin crusted around their eyelids_ "...I bet the bird-people from the moon were trying to steal my fucking eyeballs."

[@JoseGonzalez-nx7mc]

Underrated comment honestly 😂

[@mrpickles-hb6zx]

Well they were!

[@ohpompomppp]

Somebody once told me the world was gonna roll me but i ain’t the sharpest shed in the world

[@andistansbury4366]

​@@ohpompompppPerish

[@ohpompomppp]

Shrek

[@ChaosChatter]

I love how the original German fairytales are sometimes really screwed up. I grew up with many original tales, all the gruesome details of snow white, the little mermaid and basically everything the Struwwelpeter and Max and Moritz had to offer. Yet, I've never heard the original sandman. The story is great and very dark, so this video was super interesting to watch! I love your videos so much, keep it up!

[@literaturmurks]

As a little child I was so scared of that one picture in Max und Moritz after the explosion. XD

[@literaturmurks]

Krabat is wonderful as well!

[@ChaosChatter]

@@literaturmurks oh, I don't know/remember Krabat at the moment. I will check it out!

[@roflcopter4273]

The Sandman is often part of the curriculum in German highschool because it exemplifies a certain period in German literature history very well: (Dark) Romanticism. I had it in 12th grade in my German class. I would not necessarily call it a traditional fairy tale like those of Brothers Grimm who collected stories told by people for generations. Another interesting thing to point out (maybe its done in the video, i havent watched it all the way through yet) is that Clara can very much be seen as a representative of the cultural-historical period of the Enlightenment while Nathanael is obviously is a romantic - Hoffmann himself as a writer on the other hand was part of (Dark) Romanticism which intentionally moved away from the clarity, rationality and "boring" sobriety of the Enlightenment to focus on emotionality in literature and other art forms. So there's some meta narrative and self reflection about Hoffmann's own style of literature going on I suppose. (Additionally Olympia - her name gives it away - might be a critisicm of Weimar Classicism which idolized the ancient Greek literature, art etc.) Besides that: Krabat by Ottfried Preußler is absolutely fantastic. It is based on an old folk tale and one of my favorite novels ever.

[@knilchh]

@@roflcopter4273 I agree, that is exactly what we just learned in German class, too. We analysed 'the sandman' for half a year now and it is incredible how much there is to consider while doing so. I guess sometimes it's about small words in the right context that make a huge opportunity for interpretation, that couldn't be translated into other languages the same way. Also 'the sandman' is not a fairy tale, as some people here assumed, it's a narrative by E.T.A. Hoffman. Popular fairy tales like snow white are just written down by the brothers Grimm, not invented.

[@kamille286]

Perhaps this is just a coincidence, but its interesting how the one who tried to offer Nathaniel clarity is named "Clara"

[@sera_kath]

I think its intentionally. It works even better in the original language (german). Klar = clear or Klarheit = clarity. It's really clever naming.

[@collegemaster5683]

Coincidence? I think NOT!!!

[@SingingSealRiana]

Its very intentional

[@brettbeyer73]

Nathaniel also found that he didn't WANT to love a real person. He wanted someone who would agree with him regardless of any faults in his thoughts. That road contains real monsters.

[@lillypharaoh5945]

On the other hand if your loved ones are suffering you don't tell them it's in your head or its your own creation or that it's in their own control and its somehow their fault, you don't humiliate them or make fun of their woes calling them stupid or ridiculous, denying the existence of the monster that is mental disease makes Clara as bad as olympia but in a different way and it explains why he got worse again when he went back with her, ending up killing himself with her going on to live happily as if nothing happened (which is how it usually ends with mentally abusive relatives/partners they aid the mental monster in destroying you in the name of help but when you're in pieces they say they did all they could and go on with their lives) Im a psychologist in training and the amount of patient families that are like this are scary and watching the detrimental affect it has on the patient is even worse so long as they're far away from such family members they improve, and when they're discharged and go back to them the mental symptoms start to flare up

[@roflcopter4273]

Yep. He interprets the mindless agreement of the robot as a deep personality because in reality he only wants an empty space he can project his own thoughts and feelings on. Ironically he calls the woman who genuinely cares about him the automaton.

[@rewerstfd]

This story comes true when you think of the men who become obsessed with the idea of being in a relationship with the realistic sex dolls.

[@trenvert123]

@@lillypharaoh5945 Yeah, I agree with this. My family member seems to have some severe delusions, and I responded by telling him to think logically through it, and some hurtful things. It didn't go over well. I decided to research if I'm doing the right thing, and found that it wasn't right at all. I apologized, and encouraged him to take his medication, and haven't denied his delusions since. And am even looking into therapy for what could possibly be my own.

[@lillypharaoh5945]

@@trenvert123 that's amazing it takes a lot of courage and intelligence to be able to correct an error without rigidity, you actually want what'd best for that family member and that's a very good piller for your role in helping them, delusions are always best danced around no confirming or agreeing and no condescension or forceful confrontation, medication are very helpful in battling delusions, however if we're forceful and overly confrontational the person suffering from the delusions will believe that we're out to get them or even conspiring against them and will be less inclined to listen to us when we encourage them to seek help and take their medicines but we take on a more gentle, supportive/passive approach they start to view you as an ally against the subjects of their delusions and will start to take your advice into consideration

[@strega0]

I don't know if the plucking of the eyes has any kind connection or reference to The Corinthian in Neil Gaiman's Sandman but nevertheless this is the first time I've heard of this fairytale and it's quite terrifying. It's another look on the Sandman character in folklore.

[@MySerpentine]

He's an expert on mythology, so I wouldn't be surprised.

[@VeritabIlIti]

I'd never thought of that! That's a great insight. Especially considering what Dream says to Corinthian before un-making him

[@Meriadoc]

Honestly, it's what Neil does so XD it probably is a connection. And if we want to be sure, we could ask him on Tumblr XD

[@joeydurant6267]

@@MySerpentine came to say this.

[@april4524]

in all honesty this is just an incredible look at what real mental illness feels like. someone or something triggering it making you spiral, all the working parts of it your relationships and the way the world goes on without your distorted perceptive

[@aishaazeemah4289]

Right?? I've always thought it obvious that this was about mental health issues and was baffled at people thinking Clara was right for basically telling him to just get tf over it.

[@hainleysimpson1507]

He should get over it. It would fix many issues. But he can't.

[@april4524]

@@hainleysimpson1507 ok as u said he can’t get over it. so what r u talking abt he “should”

[@mightworth3735]

Objection! Clara did not call Nathaniel's poem stupid and such. He wrote a very artistic but dark poem which even scared himself the first time he read it out for himself before he deemed it beautiful because of the artistic values. Clara, the science lover, never got that second feeling. She told him to burn it quickly because it was so horrible and terrifying. That made Nathaniel lash out since she hasn't ever shown much interest for his artistic side and the suggestion to burn that awesome poem was just too much

[@howaboutataste]

That makes a huge difference. Thank you.

[@PloKoonTheOne]

1 reply? (Now 2)

[@Niggcolo]

⁠2 replies? (Now 3)

[@IamJenJen101]

3 replies? (Now 4)

[@gren8te319]

@@IamJenJen101 4 replies? (now 5)

[@Joe_Potts]

I always thought the Sandman thing was he's some kind of faerie that sprinkles sand into your eyes to help you sleep, resulting in the natural eye crusties that you wipe away after waking up. That and... "Sandman, bring me a dream. Make her the cutest that I've ever seen." That song just reinforced it for me.

[@Quirderph]

Well... he is. I’d say Hoffmann’s story is an early example of a Dark retelling.

[@shirleymaemattthews4862]

@@Quirderph so, basically, he was doing a Meatcanyon move? Right? He took something normal (like a little fairy dude who sprinkles dust in people's eyes), and then making him ABSOLUTELY terryfying and then makes a story about him revolving around a boy with CRAZY ISSUES!!!

[@Quirderph]

@@shirleymaemattthews4862 Probably, yeah. (Though in his story, the implication is that the Sandman doesn't *actually* exist.)

[@Nyctonaut]

I did an episode on disturbing Fairytales a few months back and during my research I was absolutely astounded by how dark and disturbing they were. It's like every Grimm Fairytale ends with "And then everyone died." 😆 One of the tales actually ends with "The mother died after the baby died and then the father came home and died from grief." 🤣 crazy stuff! Anyways thanks for this episode i haven't read this story so I'm very excited to hear it!-SLD

[@erysian]

You'd probably love a twisted little book called Grimm's Grimmest then.

[@fast1nakus]

Middleage Europe was a cruel and fucked up place. As far as I remember Grimms even softened the original stories a bit.

[@miristtotallw]

There's a duo here on KZbin called Calvin & Habs and they did a great (although very short) reenactment of The Butcher and the Pig (and other German fairytales as well). I especially liked how they incorporated the moment when the mother slayed one of her children (with another one being dead beforehand) and suddenly remembers her third child in the bath but they made it seem like her remembering "oh fuck there's a third one" actually means she forgot to kill this one as well. But I think this wasn't intentional.

[@gregoryblack8109]

And they were toned down as well!

[@ThestuffthatSaralikes]

As soon as you said “German fairytale” I knew shit was about to get dark!! Those Germans were dark as hell back in the day- kind of a constant “waiting for the other shoe the drop” but in the scariest, worst, most macabre way possible- which I guess back then- when a cold or tiny cut could kill you… Most of “The Mouse & Co” fairytales we’ve all grown up with started out back in the day as horribly dark cautionary tales to basically help keep kids alive and girls “pure”.

[@waltdill927]

...It's those Black Forest(s) ... : 0)

[@DawnMK2023]

You should look into their Christmas and Halloween tales.

[@fynnmethner2109]

I'm from Germany and read this book when I was in school. I love the madness he goes into and the attempted combination of machines, humans and magic. The eyes metaphor are the best though. Because they ask the real question: Was Nathanael really crazy, or Clara just blind? i love this story. It's a pity that the true genius of the language only becomes clear in German, as in Poe or Shakespeare only in English. I'm a big fan of this KZbin channel. You guys are great

[@LeePendragon69]

Your channel has reignited the flame of wonder in the literature I consume. Your voice is incredibly soothing as well and I feel very calm listening to you.

[@sample_text9276]

Talebot: "And then it got better!" Video Length: "No it didn't."

[@darthchalupa2485]

As sad as this story is I think it is weirdly comforting that a side effect of this tragedy was that the women in the town got a lot more autonomy. Being able to speak their mind and share opinions instead of siting and being quiet. Wasn't expecting that at all

[@andreahardin7521]

Me either- even if it is out of fear of your partner being “fake”, but it also lets people know their partners better:) -idk, I think it’s kinda sweet

[@jessicaclakley3691]

Me either, was pleasantly surprised

[@KarloXox]

Damn if u think that woman never have voice in sociaty. Thats sad modern media tell u u victim but they cant even define woman. Just read more fairytales, mythology and history books to find out that both genres ruin sociaty equally

[@donutlovingwerewolf8837]

All fairytales are nightmares depending on your perspective, their perspective, and the meaning

[@killgriffinnow]

I would love to see your take on “The king of the cats” and “the fisherman and his wife”. These are my favourite fairy stories in that they both have a very eerie and mysterious tone.

[@Nightfire613]

"The King of the Cats" is my absolute favorite fairy tale precisely because it has no morel, no judgement, no curses, no wishes. The man is not punished for telling his wife of the Cat King's death, nor is he rewarded for delivering the news to the new Cat King. It's all so wonderfully mundane, just accepted that that's what cats do, as if I today were to tell my cats the same news then one of them might also spring up and declare themselves the King of Cats.

[@darkworrior1259]

@@Nightfire613 Old Tom is dead, now I am the King of Cats.

[@rokamayonoh3rt362]

I remember I loved "the fisherman and his wife", though I can't remember what is was about nowadays. I'll have to read it again!

[@krono6400]

Or the magnus archives

[@Delcat42]

PLEASE King of the Cats, it's perfect. I'm not sure what the philosophical takeaway would be, it's just so good

[@chia7794]

I'm really surprised to see this story here! I've worked with it during highschool and we interpreted nearly every chapter and spoke about it together in class. We concentrated on the used symbols (eyes, fire ring, the glass for example), narrative techniques and worked on it for several months, it was quite intense. The analysis of the story in class was pretty interesting to me, so it made me smile to see it here. We were reading the book in German though (we were a German class) and I didn't expect to see it anywhere outside of Germany or Europe at all. I like the way you interpreted the story and it's similar to the conclusion we came to. Just wanted to share my two cents on why this story means something to me and my experiences, thanks for reading and I wish everyone who's still here a great day!

[@olympiadeverre]

I have to ask: what are your feelings on the possibility that Nathanael is a doll himself? That was a really interesting idea to read about, seeing as you could interpret the alchemy scene as a sort of proof. I don’t lean one way or the other, but always like asking what others think because it’s such an intriguing concept!

[@ironrose6]

Thank you! You just validated a very hazy memory of mine! I can't remember the context, but I remember seeing a clip of a clay person entering the room of a child through the window, sprinkling something on their eyes, and flying to the moon with their eyes clasped in its beak and feeding them to several of its young in a nest.

[@guardianangel379]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKXJZpKrmpd_sNk could it be this you are looking for?

[@nidohime6233]

Yes, is a stop motion movie of Sandman. The one who made it worked on Nightmare Before Christmas.

[@caseyp3447]

It's called the sandman you can watch it for free on KZbin. I showed it to my husband recently since he didn't know about the backstory of the sandman. :)

[@tiffanybiscuit7587]

I have been looking for that short film for ages. I watched it one dark windy night many years ago ....and it was bloody scary . Thanks for the info ...rewatching it again was still creepy AF !!!

[@charliejones7512]

I just read in the description, the part about The Sandman taking the eyes from children, reminds me of a children’s t.v show I used to watch called Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids and it had an episode where a petulant child wouldn’t sleep so The Sandman of that story took the child’s eyelids so he would never sleep again.

[@fractalgem]

my eyes got more watery and irritated just thinking about that ACK

[@Hair8Metal8Karen]

Mr Peeler's Butterflies!

[@Motivatededits0]

@@Hair8Metal8Karen that shit spooked me bro💀

[@Hair8Metal8Karen]

@@Motivatededits0 same. I'm 35 and occasionally, usually when I can't sleep, that story creeps into my head and still creeps me right out

[@MrCmon113]

Silly. Eyelids aren't a prerequisite of sleeping.

[@azathothsscarecrow3938]

Obsession. Imagination. Perfection. Complete despair and dark illusion. Fatalism. Eventual hope in the distance. Only to be consumed by ones own madness. And everyone else moving on. What a hell we live in, eh Nathaniel?

[@QueenBoadicea]

If you want to see another version of "The Sandman", look for the terrifying stop-motion cartoon from the 1990s. It's deliciously creepy.

[@RaydarVI]

What is it?

[@QueenBoadicea]

@@RaydarVI kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5vKeZWIp9Odnrc

[@akisatsuki8444]

@@RaydarVI It's on KZbin, I think.

[@Eclipcore]

Truly dark and disturbing really

[@Eclipcore]

​@@akisatsuki8444 Yup it was

[@WalkingOshaViolation]

13:50 Man, reading this story when it was written must have been wild. "Women? THINKING?! PREPOSTEROUS!"

[@hollynotholy]

It's funny how I found E.T.A. Hoffmann's story on the Sandman because of The Magnus Archives. The idea of the Sandman using sand to steal children's eyes and leave their eyesockets bleeding was absolutely horrifying and I had to read the story to see what other things it would tackle. I'm so excited you made a video on it! The themes of the story are really interesting. The way people just started letting women be a little less perfect so they would know they were not automatons.

[@rowan404]

The brief description of The Golem and the Jinni was already relatable. I had a rough time in school, with emotionally-abusive teachers and classmates bullying me, but now that I’m finally free, I don’t know what to do with myself. I don’t have any aspirations, passions, or anything; I was too focused on good grades to find myself; and I’m not even going to college, so all I did was waste time.

[@noname-bv2hc]

Have you thought about improving your skills and making new friends. It might help.

[@Indigenouschaos]

@@noname-bv2hc it's not as easy as that, cause when you talk about why you never made friends to begin with, than talk about more of your past and making good grades and such. people start to look at you in a different light. they get this thought in there head that "this guy is smart so he thinks he's better than everyone else, that's why he doesn't have friends" I've been down this road myself. I'm older I've tried a multitude of different things. so I myself have given up on making friends.

[@hannahkirk1516]

The good news is there’s no such thing as too late to find yourself. Many people find themselves again and again in life. As long as you have hope, it’s never ever too late to try again. Sending you love.

[@corvusdominus9835]

Had similar experience with my teachers, my reaction to being yelled at was crying. It led to me being relentlessly targeted by classmates. I had numerous panic attacks and breakdowns as a child that were often labeled as tantrums by my teachers. The people around me would constantly tell me I should stop crying (despite it being a reaction to being yelled at and treated like shit) It led me to bottle up my emotions to the point were they reached a fever pitch and resulted in mental health crisis. I’ve forgiven my bullies to us being immature kids being influenced by teachers. I will never ever forgive my elementary school teachers, they were adults gossiping,slandering,ganging up on students. Literal adults in charge of the future generation traumatizing children, it was goddamn unforgivable.

[@QueenBoadicea]

I read this tale decades ago. The author is one of my favorites, his disturbing tales often having morals (the dangers of making deals with the devil, e.g.). But occasionally they deal with madness, such as this one.

[@KingII_]

I'm curious, what exactly was the point of Coppola? Was he just there to torment the protagonist?

[@QueenBoadicea]

The poet is a sensitive, nervous type. He had succumbed to a kind of manic fixation about this Coppola, due to the childhood trauma of his father's violent death. He never understood the circumstances nor ever really recovered from the incident. As time wore on, he became convinced that the Coppelius he'd known and Coppola were one and the same person and no one could convince him otherwise. Seen through the lens (pun intended) of Nathaniel's fevered imagination, Coppola seems a demonic figure. Viewed dispassionately, there seems to be no harm in him. What reason does Coppola have to wish Nathaniel harm? How could a pair of eyeglasses cause a man to fly into a murderous rage? How and why would Coppola make a man commit suicide? I'm reminded of an old film "The 7 Percent Solution". Sherlock Holmes's drug addiction has caused Watson to stage an unusual and drastic intervention. Using a clever ruse, he lures Holmes to the study of Sigmund Freud and at last we learn the identity of Moriarty, the Napoleon of crime. He's a mere math tutor, a humble man who is beset and bewildered by Holmes's constant persecution. He's no criminal mastermind. But he had an affair with Holmes's mother when Sherlock was a mere boy. When Sherlock's father discovered the affair, he shot and killed his wife in a jealous rage while Moriarty escaped unharmed. As Holmes grew to adulthood, the incident (which burrowed into his subconscious) was exacerbated by his drug abuse, leading both to a distrust and dislike of women and the inflation of Moriarty from math tutor and adulterer to criminal genius. I believe that is something of what Hoffman is writing here. Whatever psychiatric care Nathaniel was given didn't cure his underlying psychosis. It was just driven underground until those glasses triggered it.

[@danillo.eu.rodrigues]

I love your channel, i wish i could write in a way that i wouldnt feel cringe by just looking at what i wrote If i could, i'd help the channel in other ways, but unfortunately being a subscriber for now is the only way, cheers and success

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Building skills at writing takes practice like anything else... Write it, refine it with revisions and edits, and moving stuff around the timeline to explore and restructure it... and when you can't stand it anymore, toss it or burn it... AND then repeat this process with something new and different. Take a few occasional chances with a Thesaurus and Dictionary, to help fart and futz around with wording... AND just keep practicing and playing with stuff... You might well be surprised how quickly your vocabulary and other skills build, and you'll (at least) get better at the objective sense of judging more about what you read as well. ;o)

[@MrCmon113]

Well at least that means you have taste, which already puts you above 99% of fanfiction writers, who somehow manage to write thousands of pages without ever developing a style more fluent than that of a sixth grader.

[@unterdessen8822]

There's a difference between actual folktales (like the Grimms' fairytales) and so-called "artificial fairytales" (Kunstmärchen). - Real folktales have no author. They're usually extremely old, have often gone through different cultures in different versions and have been passed on through generations in oral form. Most of their characters don't even have names. They're known as "the prince", "the twins", "the taylor", "the frog" etc. More archetypes than real people. They often come with a lesson to be learned, like good deeds being rewarded and bad deeds being punished. They make justice visible. An example is Cinderella. The oldest Cinderella comes from Egypt, but the story has been distributed on the Silk Road for millennia. Our modern tale is actually a slightly modified version of the Chinese variant: The tiny feet only make sense in a Chinese context and weren't a part of the Egyptian original. Silk merchants took the Chinese Cinderella to the Middle East, where French knights picked her up during the crusades. From France the tale spread to neighbouring regions of Germany and that's how it got into the Grimms' collection. Cinderella doesn't have an actual name - it's a nickname for someone, who sleeps in the ashes by a fireplace. The time period is entirely unclear, even if we go back and try to date the Chinese or Egyptian tale (which is basically impossible). She is the archetype of the "hidden princess", who lives in squalor and has to be rediscovered and elevated back to her rightful position. - Artificial fairytales came into fashion in the late 18th/early 19th century: Authors like E.T.A. Hoffmann and Hans Christian Andersen wrote stories and even whole novels in the style of folktales, but they gave the characters backstories and personalities (and often names, although Andersen was a bit cautious with names) and didn't necessarily let the good triumph over the evil. Those stories have a distinct author, an official written origin and publishing date, and their morals can be blurry or uncomfortable. An example is Undine (1811), a novella (and its main character) by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué. Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" (1837) is based on it and very similar in its theme. Although Undine is the character's name in the novella, it was originally a philosophical term for a whole class of mythical female water spirits, that derives from Latin "unda" (= "wave"). In Germany they're usually not mermaids, but live in rivers. (Despite the French surname Fouqué was a German writer, who descended from French Protestants, who were persecuted in France long before his birth and fled to Germany, where they wouldn't just be murdered in the streets.) In the novella, the characters have names and personalities and behave much more realistically than the often a bit one-dimensional fairytale characters. Sometimes folktales are even turned into artificial fairytales. Take that Cinderella movie with Drew Barrymore ("Ever After", 1998). Or lesser known novels - the German author Lilach Mer, for example, heavily relied on Grimms' fairytale "The Seven Ravens" in her novel "The Seventh Swan" (2011) and added ancient, spooky German myths like Bride Lakes.

[@valivali8104]

Since folktales were often for both children and adults or only for adults, not every folktale had morals or those were unclear. And many "artificial fairytales" had morals, especially if those were targeted for children.

[@schwarzerbada6772]

Hoffmann's fascination by the Gruesome and Dark, the Bizarre and Grotesque paired with such psychological insight and storytelling already 200 years ago... a delight to have read this story in class some time ago :)

[@beckstheimpatient4135]

So the ballet Coppelia is based on this fairytale. I had no idea! (Though Coppelia isn't nearly so dark, and is actually a rather nice ballet.)

[@Hair8Metal8Karen]

That's my favourite ballet! I always think Guillermo Del Toro would be able to do a great adaptation of the story.

[@eiliscantsleep]

I saw it done once with the aesthetic of a 50s B movie and it was awesome

[@LuckyLiegeLady246]

It also features in the opera Tales of Hoffman

[@museesum]

Every video from this channel is a banger, the analysis is unique and stories are captivating calling us listeners to look deeper! I wonder about the symbolism in this story about the eyes and the eye glass, how/if our perception is our own doing or a cause of something else. GREAT WORK KEEP IT UP!!!🎉

[@sirrjean1553]

I really thought it would end with Clara’s children being sandmanned.

[@BainesMkII]

I figured Nathaniel, acting similar to the sandman he so feared, would steal Clara's eyes to place within the head of Olimpia. If he couldn't get the original Olimpia head, then it would be an imitation Olimpia that he'd made.

[@TylerLarson]

From what I can tell, this story *isn't* the age-old fairy tale of the Sandman, who instead was the explanation for why you sometimes wake up with grit in your eyes, told in clips exactly this brief across many Germanic/Scandinavian cultures. The original Sandman is a simple answer to a question posed by 5-year-olds across history. The storyline shared here is, instead, a short story from the 1800s featuring a reimagining of the Sandman as a sinister character. The same way I might write a story recasting Tony Stark as a riches-to-riches billionaire who imagines himself to be a lot smarter than he is. Who as he ages invents increasingly fantastical stories of how he used his wealth and brilliance to become a super hero, and who today uses his wealth on buying up and controlling social media companies in an attempt to control the narrative, and force his imagined version of himself into the history books. It wouldn't be *the* folktale of Tony Stark, but it'd sure have a lot more relevance to today's audience.

[@aishaazeemah4289]

Yeah, Hoffman's version, shared here is just a popular short story based on the old tales of a sandman. Not the original.

[@epiccheeseman42069]

I just discovered your channel yesterday and am totally obsessed now, the stories you find and tell are so unique and enchanting

[@artsydragon4874]

Has anyone seen that short film inspired by this book? It was pretty scary even out of its original context.

[@sukunasgaylover]

I always thought the idea of a perfectly constructed partner, masquerading as a human, super interesting. The Plain Doll from Bloodborne was my introduction to that concept. Such a good way to explore the horrors of obsession, infatuation, and the place of people in society, primarily women.

[@seraphinasullivan4849]

The segment of Tales of Hoffman based on this story seems almost more a parody than a straightforward adaptation due to how not so grim it is in comparison, but it's probably my favorite. Has anyone who works on Tale Foundry watched the Tales of Hoffman opera? I'd love to hear opinions on it from people who have so much love for stories!

[@sibauchi]

Love the opera. Olympia's aria is extremely challenging as it is hilarious, and it's wonderful to see how different sopranos (as well as costume designers) have interpreted the role.

[@seraphinasullivan4849]

@@sibauchi ^-^ i watched the 2015 Metropolitan Opera production of it with my girlfriend when they were still doing free opera streams. I loved the way they opened the parisols with eyes painted on them as Olympia was introduced. It reminded me of a scene with the robot Maria in Metropolis. Come to think of it, the robot Maria subplot in Metropolis probably took inspiration from The Sandman so it's like artistic influence cycling back to (an adaptation of) the source.

[@abracadaverous]

Yeah, I've performed in it (chorus), and I was thinking something similar. I guess it's like any adaptation of a dark fairy tale for general audiences, but I like the change of the protagonist to Hoffman himself, and that he lives to tell the tales. I also liked the framing of having it set in a tavern, with Hoffman as a raconteur regaling his friends with fanciful stories while they drink. The fantasy elements of the stories can be chalked up to the imagination of the narrator; they're not meant to be taken at face value. It's a very fun opera. One of my favorites, to be sure! And the Barcarolle is lovely.

[@seraphinasullivan4849]

@@abracadaverous oh, the Barcarolle is lovely! Makes me feel like i'm walking on air every time i hear it.

[@nyarparablepsis872]

Since we read this in school and everyone in the comments speaks of fairytales like those of the brothers Grimm I feel like I have to clarify here that E.T.A. Hoffmann's "Der Sandmann" is not a fairytale like you can find it in the Grimm collection (i.e. a folk story with a one-dimensional plot) but what we call a "Kunstmärchen" (s.th. like "artful fairytale"). These are a hallmark of German romanticism, but were already invented earlier and have elements of what we today would call fantasy literature. It might be nitpicking, but I feel that presenting this wonderful and incredibly complex story as "just" a fairytale does not do it justice and misinforms those watchers who did not have to go through German school ;)

[@roflcopter4273]

Dachte ich mir auch. :) Die Leute haben halt dieses Klischee von den "brutalen/gruseligen deutschen Märchen" im Kopf und der Sandmann scheint da vordergründig reinzupassen, ist aber natürlich nicht dieselbe Literaturgattung wie Hänsel und Gretel und co.

[@BrendamProductions]

This channel is quickly becoming my favourite from script, to narration to animation it's all brilliant and in this case chilling! I love it!

[@RGC_animation]

The Sandman is the real hero in this story. He did what many decades of women right movement accomplished with one single puppet.

[@criticalmaz1609]

Reminds me of a nightmare I had when I was a kid: something about a cursed doll who wanted to rip out my eyes... Might make a good short story. Thanks for the inspo, robot guy.

[@isamekailmahmud9302]

ok i haven't finished the video yet but I'm expecting a creepy blue bird man to steal my eyes and feed them to his children

[@odysseus7227]

Here we go into another wonderful video

[@Pale_Empress]

Der Sandmann was one of the books we had to read in german class. I really enjoyed reading it! I think I will revisit this story soon and read it again some time

[@hiimbobno4391]

I don't know why but I love that your song so much I listen to it over and over sometimes. I wish there was a version where the mechanical sassy jazz was an entire song.

[@scienceteam9254]

Bruh Why do we rarely get good endings for robots in literature?

[@escribiendoenpijamas6259]

I just got out of a class feeling terrible, hut seeing a new video from you guys lifted my spirits c: ❤️

[@kroschoxymor4356]

Im german and my grandma was very passionate about these books and fairytales. She always told me the most disturbing and scary stories in such a lively manner that i was often scared she got possessed. Anyway, “der Sandmann” was one of her favourites and it showed in the way her eyes always lit up when telling it, thtats why it quickly became one of my own favourites as well, even though my 4 year old self was so scared and most of the time couldn’t sleep well after. But she always made me some hot chocolate when she realised it was a bit too much for me. This video was very nostalgic for me! Thank you :)

[@MrCmon113]

>that i was often scared , she got possessed I think you're looking for a different word there.

[@kroschoxymor4356]

@@MrCmon113 idk but the way i meant it was that younger me was scared that she was possessed by a demon or smt because when she read out those stories to me she sometimes acted like a creep when someone villainous appeared in the story cause she always acted like the characters themselves would. For instance in one story a Boy always bit his nails and then his parents decided to cut off his fingers so he cant bite them anymore. When she acted out the parents parts i always thought the mind of the parents in the story possessed her because she acted like she normally wouldn’t have ,yk know what i mean?

[@ron3138]

Ive seen this story in theater in 9th class. None of my classmates and neither myself understood it. Good to get another chance of thinking about it

[@diem1095]

it would have been super cool if Nathanel ended up being an atomiton, one of the best built, and the only reason he did poety and philosophy was because of the programing (i get automitons cant be programed like computers, but hay, its magic world logic), which is why he was so obsessed with the Sandman and Olympia, he was seeing parts of himself in these people, one is a creator, someone like the person that would have created him, and the other is the only other being he has met like him. And can you imagin the reveal? When he jumps and hits the ground he could have exploded into a mess of springs and cogs. I guess that version would make more sence if it was written today. With the inclusion of AI and what not. Olympia would still be absent minded, but Nathanel would just have a currupted AI that allows him the 'creativity' for poety, but eventually leads to madness once that curruption gets to far into his system. (Im just a sucker for a suprise reveal, especially if the reveal is "the main character isnt who they say they are and even THEY didnt know it")

[@leavemealone802]

too bad for Nathenial, but I am do happy for Clara. girl deserved better

[@greyfox4838]

thanks for introducing me to this work, I'm trying to discover more gothic fantasy and I'm finding myself enjoying them more than even dark fantasy, only because gothic fantasy has exactly the kind of non-edgy, non-nihilistic and non-gorish type of darkness that I always craved for from fantasy, in stories like these the "darkness" itself is so much more human and twisted than the stuff I've read from more conventionally dark works of fantasy like A Song of Ice and Fire for example

[@minespatch]

The Residents did a operetta on this called "Voice of Midnight" set in modern day.

[@mathieuleader8601]

ahh yes Hoffmann the writer behind Little Zatches & the Nutcracker and the Mouse King one of my favourite festive stories

[@MrCmon113]

His stories are like a really bad trip on 300ug.

[@desknerd]

I love how the drawing here is similar to Dream's outfit at the family gathering in Season of Mists, it's probably unintentional, but I think it's neat.

[@Слышьты-ф4ю]

When i heard "his head broke like glass" I thought "aha! He was a doll all the time! Wait, what could that mean?.."

[@VeritabIlIti]

Ah, E.T.A. Hoffmann... the only writer/poet weird enough to warrant an entire opera about him

[@171QA]

All fairytales can have a nightmarish dark side to them if you know where to look.

[@stevewhitt9109]

You are, without a doubt, the VERY BEST story teller on KZbin. I can not explain it, but it is more in how you tell it, rather than what you say. And the stories are disturbing, which is a good thing :) May the Algorithm Rings of Power be with you.

[@EndlessElixith]

This is *the* darkest and most one-sided psychological defeat I have ever heard of, and it's just a version of The Sandman?

[@nidohime6233]

There is a stop motion movie based on the book

[@chibiktsn3]

I've never heard this story and absolutely loved it and your telling.

[@gregorio7945]

Glad to see another video from you. Thanks for entertaining us.

[@bungbananaman]

Now the lyrics to Mr. Sandman by The Chordettes make more sense "Give him the word that I'm not a rover" and "Give him a pair of eyes with a "come-hither" gleam"

[@playercore7444]

I thought you meant the Neil Gaimans Sandman comic series. That one is really scary.

[@anoninunen]

EEEEXIT LIGHT EEEENTER NIGHT! TAAAAKE... MY HAAAND!

[@lexalot8337]

Nathaniel really didn't deserve Clara

[@sera_kath]

"The sandman" / "Der Sandmann" is such a great story.

[@Galimeer5]

Whenever the phrase "the original fairy tale" comes up, you know shit's gonna go sideways

[@BadAssXerx3]

intersting creepy story haven't known anything about E.T.A Hoffmann but lived a few years in Bamberg. Now I'm interested in his works.

[@henrikk1241]

We read it in School(I'm from Germany) and I think it was one of my favorite school books I ever read, really liked the unique scaryness and tension but also the moral it had for me :)

[@augustawickmanart]

That was a really deep allegory. I loved it. Thanks for making this video.

[@chemicalmayfly5932]

This, roughly speaking, was a part of Offenbach's last opera, "The Tales of Hoffman."

[@themysteriousunknownrevealed]

One of my favourite stories. I'm shocked there's not movies adapted for Der Sandmann.

[@Dachusblot]

I first heard about this story when I read Freud's essay on the "Uncanny." He used the story as an example of one which provokes an "unparalleled atmosphere of uncanniness," and I have to say he was 100% correct.

[@catsinabox121]

You should try reading "The Alchemy Of Stone". It's an interesting book that's also about an atomaton, and I think you would find it interesting, both to read, and to talk about on the channel.

[@olympiadeverre]

*screaming* What can I even say about this video that isn’t something I’ve said already? 😂

[@GhostbustersHQ]

* clears throat * Say your prayers, little one Don't forget, my son To include everyone I tuck you in, warm within Keep you free from sin 'Til the Sandman, he comes Sleep with one eye open Gripping your pillow tight Exit light, what is it? (Enter night) Take my hand We're off to never-never land Yeah, yeah Something's wrong, shut the light Heavy thoughts tonight And they aren't of Snow White Dreams of war, dreams of liars Dreams of dragon's fire And of things that will bite, yeah Sleep with one eye open Gripping your pillow tight Exit light, come on (Enter night) Take my hand We're off to never-never land Oh yeah Put your hands together Now I lay me down to sleep (now I lay me down to sleep) Pray the Lord my soul to keep (pray the Lord my soul to keep) If I die before I wake (if I die before I wake) Pray the Lord my soul to take Hush little baby, don't say a word And never mind that noise you heard It's just the beasts under your bed In your closet, in your head Exit light, come on (Enter night) Grain of sand Exit light Enter night Take my hand Off to never-never land Yeah, yeah, yeah We're off to never-never land Take my hand We're off to never-never land Take my hand We're off to never-never land

[@adrianpetyt9167]

Way back in the 80s I saw a stop-motion animation of this old version of the Sandman. It was horrible in the way that Coraline would be later.

[@GallowglassVT]

Hearing the story title probably gave a number of English people who watched a certain short film based on the story in primary school MAJOR flashbacks.

[@nidohime6233]

Not just english.

[@Remowylliams]

I listened to The Golem and The Jinni about 5 years ago. I really enjoyed the story. It was very moving in many ways. Cheers!

[@mightworth3735]

We Germans read the Sandman in school. I loved it so much I didn't even think twice to put it into my Abitur

[@MrBern-ex3wq]

You made this video right after I got done watch The Sandman on Netflix, adaptation of Neil Gaiman's work. And I'm not from the US, so Dream of the Endless is how I understand the Sandman to be. And here I see nothing but the Corinthian.

[@pedrorocha2792]

Since I've found your channel I loved the aesthetics and the animation you have. Your voice suits so much this dark themes. Keep it going

[@jonasgeisler4063]

Last year we read this story in school and I loved it. I‘m very happy to see people outside of Germany reading it because they are interested.

[@mathieuleader8601]

I guess Olympia was one of the first robots in fiction

[@llewelynshingler2173]

Predating the word, no less.

[@solihinsolihin4142]

I have idea for next or future content is about the antagonis you explain it after reading naoki urasawa masterpiece like monster and 20th century boys.the villian is dope

[@rami_ungar_writer]

How wonderfully creepy. If you do a Halloween episode this month, I have high expectations.

[@misuteri8373]

i recently rediscovered this channel. I forgot how much your tales and presentation could inspire me and my own creativity

[@BronzeWarrior210]

I just finished reading this in English class, I vaguely remembered it from this video. Thanks!

[@happypanda2375]

I read that in my German lessons in high school. I loved it.

[@Eclipcore]

There's so many different versions of The Sandman i firstly discovered the friendly one which written by Hans Christian Adersen he is a Danish writer and he wrote many stories that includes the book of the Sandman title "Ole Lukoie", which this one,is the Sandman we know who sprinkled dusts in childrens eyes and give them dreams this story is been publish in the year of 1841. Which i never expect there is another story of it which 25 years older and darker titled "Der Sandmann" written by a German Gothic Horrorist, ETA Hoffmann and i read the story and i was shock it was more darker and nightmarish however it has a moral twist or meaning of it which this is the video right now.

[@Eleni_E]

THIS is where Coppelia comes from! okay, that makes more sense now. I'd heard that story since before I could read and always got the sense it was only part of a whole.

[@ignaciaquinones2722]

Omg yes. The best thing to watch while having lunch ☺💕

[@speechless7090]

man.. this would make a great movie

[@evilpompom]

I loved this video so much! The story, the illustrations and, most of all, your voice 😊 I could listen to your stories all day. Thank you for making this! ❤

[@nidohime6233]

I do remember a stop motion movie of the Sandman. Still creeps me up now.

[@thejudgmentalcat]

It's an analogy of mental illness to me. And the people who encourage it instead of helping.

[@Pongocity.]

When I was a kid there was this story called "le Bonomme 7 heur" whichbis French for the 7 o clock man and he would kidnap children that weren't sleeping by seven and put them in cages (idk if there's an English version of this story or something but yeah)

[@sourgummiescureyourpain4555]

We've read that in school. I loved the extremely eerie atmosphere in it.

[@ahuddleston6512]

Mr Sandman...bring me a dream...make him the cutest that I've ever seen. I used to sing that when my son watched the Spiderman film 🎥 with the Sandman.