Percy Jackson: Do Gods Really Dream or Is Percy Jackson Special?
‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ aired its last episode and while the finale was a bit underwhelming and resolved all too quickly, there are a few interesting tidbits that we can discuss until the second season of the show is confirmed. One of the high moments of the finale was Percy’s duel with Ares, the god of War during which Ares casually mentioned how gods don’t dream, which shocked Percy considering that he assumed that Kronos was influencing Ares through his dream. Percy asked his father about it and Poseidon cleared up that gods do in fact dream. So is this true?
Editor’s Note: This post contains spoilers for ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ read at your own risk.
Percy correctly guessed that Kronos was manipulating Ares through dreams
Even before Percy had all the answers, he knew, due to the help of his dreams that Kronos was somehow manipulating Ares, and since Kronos is currently “harmless” and incarcerated in Tartarus, the only way he could do it was through dreams. Several characters over the course of the franchise mentioned how Kronos did in fact have a strong ability to influence mortals and immortals alike showing them both pits of despair and what they wanted to see all with the goal of bringing them to his side.
During Percy’s due with Ares, Percy accused Ares of being manipulated by Kronos through these dreams which Ares rudely denied announcing that gods do not dream. Later, while Percy was at Olympus, almost being killed by Zeus he was saved by Poseidon after the fact he asked Poseidon whether gods dream since Ares told him that they don’t. Poseidon replied that Ares is a moron and of course that gods dream after which Percy asked him whether he dreams of his mother. To this, Poseidon refused to give a straight answer, instead, he teleported him back to the mortal world, safely.
Poseidon was right, he told Percy the truth, gods do dream, and not only that but they have their very own god of Dreams that is extremely dangerous no matter how much of a minor deity he is considered to be.
Morpheus is a god of dreams and he often influences the dreams of demigods
Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams and leader of the Oneiroi. He is mentioned as siding with Kronos during the Second Titan War in ‘The Last Olympian,’ Grover encounters Morpheus in the woods, where the god puts him to sleep for two months. Later in the story, Morpheus collaborates with Hecate to cast a massive sleeping spell, causing all mortals in Manhattan to fall asleep. This event aligns with a line in the Great Prophecy. It is suggested that, like other minor gods who supported Kronos, Morpheus may have been forgiven after the war which allowed him to roam relatively free.
Morpheus is not as powerful as most other gods, but he does possess typical divine powers. Morpheus has the ability to control dreams, inducing sleep and shaping dream experiences. His gaze can also induce sleep, he can manipulate illusions in dreams, inflicting physical harm on attackers. Additionally, he can shapeshift, taking on various human forms. As an underworld god, Morpheus wields umbrakinesis, the power to control darkness, inherited from his grandparents. His symbols include a closed eye and a dark crown.
Why does Percy Jackson have special dreams?
Over the course of the first season we’ve seen that Percy is often the target of special dreams, even in the last episode, Kronos appeared to him in a dream making thinly veiled threats. So is this a special power that Percy has? It is and it isn’t. In most cases, Percy’s ability to experience powerful dreams is attributed to his father Poseidon’s unpredictable nature and immense power. Percy’s dreams allow him to witness events from the past, present, and future, including the actions of other demigods like Luke and Hercules, interactions with gods like Hades, and encounters with ancient beings like Kronos, defying expectations and abilities as declared by others. But the primary reason why Percy seems to be the target of prophetic dreams lies in the fact that he is chosen by fate to do great things which is why he is often targeted by visions and other mythical “channels” of communication.
And while most demigods have prophetic dreams and special dreams from time to time, Percy definitely surpasses all of them. Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!