Podcast
Stuff You Should Know
It was discussed as a horrifying children's story about a creature that throws sand in children's eyes, causing their eyes to fall out, before eventually being collected and used to feed his children on the dark side of the moon.
In 1818 there was a writer named E.T.A. Hoffmann that wrote Der Sandmann with two N's and it's just like the Grimm's brother stuff.
— Episode: Short Stuff: The Sandman
Episode: Short Stuff: The Sandman
It was discussed as a horrifying children's story about a creature that throws sand in children's eyes, causing their eyes to fall out, before eventually being collected and used to feed his children on the dark side of the moon.
In 1818 there was a writer named E.T.A. Hoffmann that wrote Der Sandmann with two N's and it's just like the Grimm's brother stuff.
It's this horrifying nursery rhyme or not nursery rhyme but sort of a story, a kid's story about a nurse telling a story about this creature who throws sand in your eyes of little kids who don't go to sleep and your eyes fall out of your sockets.
Then the Sandman collects those eyeballs, puts them in a bag and lives on the dark side of the moon, goes home and carries them there and then feeds those eyeballs to his children.
Der Sandmann kommt means Sand Man is coming and the whole idea was that the Sand Man would come along and parents would tell the story in Germany.
